Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke was born on 19 February 1674 in Melbourne, Derbyshire, and was baptized on 19 February 1675. He was the son of John Coke, a Member of Parliament for Derby, and Mary Leventhorpe, daughter of Sir Thomas Leventhorpe, 4th Baronet. Following the death of his parents during his youth, Coke received education abroad under Monsieur Chauvais in Rotterdam in 1688. He matriculated at New College, Oxford, in 1693 and subsequently traveled in the Netherlands during 1696 and 1697.

In circa June 1698, Coke married Lady Mary Stanhope, daughter of Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield, at Repton. The marriage included a dowry of £8,000.

Coke’s political career began with his election as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Derbyshire in the 1698 general election. He served until January 1701 and was re-elected for the same constituency in December 1701. In 1702, he was appointed Commissioner of Public Accounts. During the 1702 general election, he was returned unopposed as MP for Derbyshire and demonstrated a willingness to support the Whigs to maintain his public offices.

In May 1704, Coke was appointed Teller of the Receipt of the Exchequer, and he was re-elected unopposed in the 1705 election, supporting the Court candidate for Speaker of the House of Commons. In December 1706, he exchanged offices with Peregrine Bertie to become Vice-Chamberlain of the Household, a position he held for the remainder of his life. He was returned again as MP for Derbyshire in the 1708 general election and was appointed to the Privy Council that same year.

By the end of the parliamentary session, Coke's voting record aligned increasingly with the Whigs, notably supporting the impeachment of Dr. Sacheverell. In the 1710 general election, he opted not to contest Derbyshire and instead was elected as MP for Grampound. During this period, he adopted a more Tory stance, being recognized as one of the “worthy patriots” who identified mismanagement in the previous administration. He was re-elected in 1713 but chose not to stand in the 1715 election or thereafter, despite maintaining his governmental post amidst some Whig opposition.

Coke was also involved in the arts, being one of the original supporters of the Royal Academy of Music, an organization that established a London opera company commissioning works from Handel, Bononcini, and others.

After inheriting Melbourne Hall, Coke made modifications and expansions to the estate and is credited with creating the gardens at Melbourne. These developments, however, imposed a financial burden. He married Elizabeth Hales, daughter of Richard Hales of King's Walden, Hertfordshire and a Maids of Honour to Queen Anne, on 15 October 1709 as his second wife.

Thomas Coke died suddenly on 16 or 17 May 1727 at the age of 52 after a brief illness. He was buried at Melbourne. He had two daughters by his first wife and a daughter and son by his second wife. His estate was primarily left to his son, George Lewis Coke, with provisions for his daughters.