Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Bampfield, Thomas
BAMPFIELD, THOMAS (fl. 1658), speaker of the House of Commons, was son of John Bampfield, of Poltimore in Devon, and brother of Sir John, the first baronet. He was recorder of Exeter, and represented that city in Oliver Cromwell's parliaments of 1654 and 1656. In Richard Cromwell's parliament of 1658 he was again returned for Exeter, and on 18 May, 'Mr. Chute the speaker being so infirm that he could not attend the serving of the house, and Sir Lislebone Long, who was chosen to execute the office for him, being actually dead, the house was obliged to go to another election, when Mr. T. Bampfield was unanimously chosen to succeed him, and Mr. Chute dying soon after, the other continued speaker to the end of the parliament' (Parl. Hist. iii. col. 1542). His tenure of office was brought to a close by the dissolution of 22 April 1659.
In the convention parliament of 1660, Bampfield, having been returned both for Exeter and Tiverton, chose to sit for his old constituency. He took an active part in the proceedings of this parliament. He opposed the impeachment of Drake for publishing a pamphlet entitled 'The Long Parliament revived.' On 12 Sept. he moved 'that the king should be desired to marry, and that it should be to a protestant.' After an interesting debate the motion dropped. Bampfield did not sit in the parliament of the following year. He was uncle of Sir Coplestone Bampfield [q. v.].
[Manning's Lives of the Speakers of the House of Commons, p. 338; Parliamentary History, iii. iv.; Whitelocke's Memorials, iv. 341, 342, Oxford ed.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.14
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 103 | i | 8 | Bampfield, Thomas: for (fl. 1658) read (d. 1693) |