Sir Thomas Cotton, 2nd Baronet

Sir Thomas Cotton, 2nd Baronet, of Conington, was born in 1594 and died on 13 May 1662. He was an English politician and the heir to the Cottonian Library.

He was the sole surviving child of Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet, of Conington, and Elizabeth Brocas. Cotton completed his undergraduate studies at Broadgates Hall, Oxford, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1616.

In 1624, he served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Great Marlow. He maintained close connections with Sir John Eliot, being both an intimate friend and correspondent. Through Eliot's influence, Cotton represented St Germans, Eliot's hometown, in the third Parliament of Charles I. Cotton also sat as an MP for Huntingdonshire during the Short Parliament in 1640; however, he did not engage actively in the political or civil war activities of that period.

His residence in Westminster was made available to the Parliament, and notably, King Charles I stayed there during his trial. Cotton died at Conington and was buried alongside his father.

Regarding the Cottonian Library, Sir Thomas exerted considerable efforts to recover and preserve his father’s collection of manuscripts and books. This library later became the foundation of the British Library. On 23 July 1631, the Privy Council ordered the continuation of the library’s catalogue, but by September, Cotton reported interruptions in this process, requesting to retain possession of the books. His request was eventually granted, though the specific date is uncertain. Like his father, Cotton allowed scholars unrestricted access to the library; William Dugdale, among others, frequently visited and used materials from the collection. In 1640, Cotton lent his father’s coin collection to Sir Symonds D’Ewes. In 1650, he relocated most of the library to a country house at Stratton, Bedfordshire, owned by his son’s wife.

In terms of family, Sir Thomas Cotton initially married Margaret Howard, daughter of Lord William Howard of Naworth Castle, Cumberland. They had one son, John, born on 9 March 1620/1; a daughter, Lucy, born 17 April 1618; and another daughter, Frances, born 19 July 1619. Margaret Howard died on 5 March 1621/2.

In 1640, Cotton remarried to Alice Constable, daughter and heiress of Sir John Constable of Dromanby, Yorkshire. Alice was previously the widow of Edmund Anderson of Stratton and Eyworth, Bedfordshire. With Alice, Cotton had four sons, among whom Robert was the second. Robert served as MP for Cambridgeshire, was knighted, appointed a commissioner of the post office, and was known to have been friendly with John Evelyn.

References for this biographical information include the 1887 edition of the "Dictionary of National Biography," edited by Leslie Stephen, where Robert Bruce Cotton is also discussed.