Edward Thompson (1697-1742)

Edward Thompson (26 February 1697 – 5 July 1742) was a prominent Yorkshire politician of the early 18th century.

Thompson was the son of Edward Thompson of Long Marston (1670–1734) and Lucy Tindall, and the grandson of Henry Thompson, a wine merchant of York who established the prominence of the Thompson family. His sister, Henrietta, married Colonel Edward Wolfe and became the mother of James Wolfe.cite book | last=Foster | first=Joseph | title=Pedigrees of the County Families of Yorkshire | year=1874 | place=London]

In 1722, Thompson was elected Member of Parliament for York, a seat he held for the remainder of his life. Employed as a Commissioner of the Land Revenue in Ireland, he issued a pamphlet justifying the introduction of a general excise there. This, and the pomp with which he carried out his office, aroused the scorn of Jonathan Swift in 1733 in a polemic against holders of civil office. [cite book | title=Advice to the Freemen of the City of Dublin in the choice of a member to represent them in Parliament | first=Jonathan | last=Swift | authorlink=Jonathan Swift | year=1733 | url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18250/18250-h/18250-h.htm | accessdate=2006-11-30] From 1729 until 1733, he was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of York. [cite web | url=http://www.rgle.org.uk/RGLE_Mother_Grand_Lodge_York.htm | title=Old Grand Lodge at York | accessdate=2006-11-30]

Thompson first married Arabella Dunch (d. 1734), daughter of Edmund Dunch, on 6 February 1725. By her he had one daughter:
*Arabella Thompson (d. 28 February 1735)

Thompson separated from Arabella , who later bore two children to Sir George Oxenden. [cite web | url=http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/edunch4.html | title=Edmund Dunch | accessdate=2006-11-30] By his second wife, Mary Moor (d. 1784), he had a second daughter:
*Mary Thompson (14 September 1738 – 29 June 1747).

On 5 May 1741, he was appointed a Commissioner of the Admiralty, but died the following year.

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