Family and Education

b. 30 July 1660, 1st s. of Thomas Trye of Hardwicke (d.v.p. 1670, s. of William Trye) by Anna, da. and coh. of Richard Jones of Hanham, Glos.  educ. St. Edmund Hall, Oxf. 1677.  m. by 1685, Mary (d. 1724), da. and coh. of Thomas Horne of Horncastle, Yorks., 3s. 1da.  suc. fa. 1670; gdfa. 1681.1

Offices Held

Freeman, Gloucester 1692.2

Biography

Trye’s family had owned estates at Hardwicke, near Gloucester, since the 15th century. He succeeded to these on his grandfather’s death in 1681, though in 1682 he was stated to be resident in France. At Gloucester in the 1690 election he secured his return by mobilizing the support of the poorer freemen, and despite subsequent complaints that he was ineligible in not being a freeman himself, no action was taken against him. A Tory, he was classed as a Court supporter in lists compiled by Lord Carmarthen (Sir Thomas Osborne†) in March and December 1690. Robert Harley*, on the other hand, in his analysis of April 1691, was uncertain whether to categorize him as a supporter of the Court or the Country party, a sign perhaps that he was moving towards the opposition stance which was apparent in his recorded voting behaviour in 1696. In January of that year he was forecast as a probable opponent of the Court on the proposed council of trade, in February refused to sign the Association, and on 28 Nov. voted against the attainder of Sir John Fenwick†. His refusal to support the Association resulted in his being turned off the Somerset commission of the peace. His inactivity was complemented with regular periods of absence, usually for health reasons. In the spring of 1698, he did, however, play a leading part in securing the passage of a bill for the repair of several highways leading out of Gloucester, but despite this service to the city he does not appear to have sought re-election in the summer. He was afterwards retrospectively classed as a supporter of the Country party.3

Trye returned to the Commons for Gloucester in 1702. On 13 Feb. 1703 he voted against the Lords’ amendments to the bill for extending the time permitted for taking the oath of abjuration. Although considered a probable supporter of the Tack in a forecast of October 1704, he either voted against it on 28 Nov. or was absent. He did not contest his seat in 1705, and was defeated when he stood at a Gloucester by-election in 1709, after which he made no further effort to re-enter Parliament. He continued to enjoy the comforts of a large estate which comprised ‘a very handsome house, moated almost round, and a pleasant park and canal’, and some 900 acres of land in Hardwicke and another 200 at Haresfield nearby. He died on 29 June 1717. His eldest son obtained statutory powers in 1730 to sell Hardwicke, and the estate was purchased by Sir Philip Yorke†, the future lord chancellor, who adopted the name upon taking his peerage.4

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Authors: Paula Watson / Andrew A. Hanham

Notes

• 1. Vis. Glos. ed. Fenwick and Metcalfe, 188–9; Burke, LG (1952), 2557.
• 2. Gloucester Freemen (Glos. Rec. Ser. iv), 44.
• 3. Vis. Glos., 189; VCH Glos. iv. 115; L. K. J. Glassey, Appt. JPs, 123.
• 4. Atkyns, State of Glos. 238; VCH Glos. x. 182; Burke, 2557.