Family and Education

bap. 24 Jan. 1627, 2nd s. and h. of Sir Edward Gresham of Titsey, being o.s. by 2nd w. Mary, da. of Abraham Campion of Putney, wid. of Gabriel Wight of Brockham, Betchworth. educ. King’s, Camb. 1645. m. lic. 18 Dec. 1647, Alice (d. 1 Sept. 1682), da. of Richard Corbet, bp. of Norwich 1632-5, 8s. (6 d.v.p.) 4da. suc. fa. 1647; cr. Bt. 31 July 1660.1

Offices Held

J.p. Surr. 1659-87, ?1689-d., Kent July 1660-80; commr. for militia, Surr. Mar. 1660; lt.-col. of militia ft. Apr. 1660, commr. for assessment, Surr. Aug. 1660-80, 1689-90, Kent 1661-80, recusants, Kent and Surr. 1675; dep. lt. Surr. ?1675-86.2

Biography

Gresham’s ancestors were landowners in Norfolk by 1442, but the parliamentary history of the family begins under Henry VIII. The Titsey branch was established by Sir John Gresham, a London Fishmonger, who purchased the manor in 1535, with other property on the Kent-Surrey border. Gresham’s grandfather sat for the local boroughs of Bletchingley and Gatton. His parents, though clearly ‘malignant’ at heart, took no part in the Civil War; they were assessed at £500 between them by the committee for the advance of money, but never paid. Gresham’s elder half-brother was disinherited, and he succeeded to the Titsey estate in 1647. He was alleged to have supplied the Royalists in the second Civil War with horses, arms, men and money, and to have advised the Surrey men to shut up the Parliament doors and not let the Members out till their petition was granted. But no proceedings were taken, and he was not implicated in conspiracy, though he and his wife were doubtless responsible for the continuance of Anglican services at Titsey during the Interregnum.3

Gresham was returned for East Grinstead at the general election of 1660 on the Sackville interest, and probably at the instance of Lady Dorset, who also recommended him for a baronetcy as ‘a Parliament man, eminent in the King’s service, and worth £1,200 p.a.’. Lord Wharton also had hopes of him, committing him to the management of Sir Richard Onslow, but he presumably voted with the Court. He was inactive in the Convention, being appointed to only one unimportant committee on 9 Nov., that to consider a petition from a former serjeant-at-arms. His baronetcy had already passed the seals, though the clerk of the Commons was unaware of it.4

Gresham is not known to have stood again until the exclusion crisis. He contested Bletchingley, five miles from Titsey, at both elections of 1679 without success. He was marked ‘honest’ on Shaftesbury’s list and removed from the commission of the peace in Kent. The French ambassador suggested that on the surrender of the charter of London he might claim the site of the Royal Exchange, which had been founded by his collateral ancestor, Sir Thomas Gresham. He was successful at Bletchingley in 1685, but was appointed only to the committee of elections and privileges in James II’s Parliament, and played no further part in politics. He died on 14 Apr. 1696 and was buried at Titsey. His son sat for Bletchingley in 1701-2.5

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: M. W. Helms / B. M. Crook

Notes

• 1. Misc. Gen. et Her. n.s. iv. 301-5.
• 2. BL, M636/17, William Denton to Sir Ralph Verney, 4 Apr. 1660.
• 3. Misc. Gen. et Her. n.s. iv. 253; Cal. Comm. Adv. Money, 199, 1033-4, 1237; CSP Dom. 1660-1, p. 157.
• 4. CSP Dom. 1660-1, pp. 45, 81.
• 5. PRO 31/3, bdle. 156, f. 29.