Sir Thomas Birch, 2nd Baronet

Sir Thomas Bernard Birch, 2nd Baronet DL (18 March 1791 – 3 March 1880)[1] was a British baronet and Whig politician.

He was the only son of Sir Joseph Birch, 1st Baronet and his wife Elizabeth Mary, third daughter of Benjamin Heywood.[2] Birch was educated at Rugby School and went then to Jesus College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1813 and a Master of Arts three years later.[3] In 1817, he was called to the bar by Lincoln's Inn and in 1833, he succeeded his father as baronet.[4]

From 1827 Birch was private secretary to William Lamb (later Lord Melbourne) in his capacity as Chief Secretary for Ireland.[5] He was appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1841 and served as a Deputy Lieutenant for that county.[4] In 1847, he entered the British House of Commons, sitting for Liverpool until 1852.[6]

Birch was unmarried and childless.[5] With his death the baronetcy became extinct.[1]

  1. ^ a b "Leigh Rayment - Baronetage". Archived from the original on 1 May 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ Walford, Edward (1860). The County Families of the United Kingdom. London: Robert Hardwicke. pp. 53.
  3. ^ "Birch, Thomas (BRC808TB)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  4. ^ a b Dod, Charles R. (1847). The Parliamentary Companion. London: Whitaker and Co. p. 131.
  5. ^ a b Dod, Robert P. (1860). The Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Whitaker and Co. p. 118.
  6. ^ "Leigh Rayment - British House of Commons, Liverpool". Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)