Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
Family and Education
b. 3 Dec. 1617, 1st surv. s. of Richard Foley (d. 1657), ironmaster, of Stourbridge, Worcs. and 2nd w. Alice, da. of William Brindley of Willenhall, Staffs. m. bef. 1641 Anne (bur. 19 May 1682) da. and h. of John Browne, gunfounder, of Spelmonden, Horsmonden, Kent, 4s. (1 d.v.p.) 2da. d. 1 Oct. 1677.Vis. Worcs. 1682-83 ed. Metcalfe, 46-7; The Gen. vi. 120; Great Witley par. reg.; H.E. Palfrey, ‘The Foleys of Stourbridge’, Trans. Worcs. Arch. Soc. xxi. 2-5.
Offices Held

Mercantile: dep. gov. Soc. of Mineral and Battery Works, 6 Dec. 1647 – d., auditor, 6 Dec. 1649, 4 Dec. 1651, 2 Dec. 1652, 7 Dec. 1654, 7 Dec. 1655; treas. 5 May 1656–10 Mar. 1676.BL, Loan 16, vol. 2, ff. 95, 99v. 107, 108v. 112, 115, 119v. 165v. Member, Soc. of Mines Royal by Jan. 1653; treas. Jan. 1653 – 10 Mar. 1676; dep. gov. 20 May 1658–d.BL, Loan 16, vol. 3, ff. 5v. 12, 29v. 57v.

Local: commr. assessment, Worcs. 7 Apr., 7 Dec. 1649, 29 May 1656, 9 June 1657, 26 Jan., 1 June 1660, 1661, 1664, 1672; Staffs. 26 Nov. 1650, 10 Dec. 1652.A. and O.; An Order and Declaration (1656, E.1065.7); An Ordinance...for an Assessment (1660, E.1075.6); SR. J.p. 1650–53; Worcs. 1657 – bef.Oct. 1660, 1662–d.HP Commons 1660–1690, ‘Thomas Foley’. Sheriff, 1655. List of Sheriffs (List and Index ix), 159. Commr. ejecting scandalous ministers, 28 Aug. 1654; militia, 12 Mar. 1660;A. and O. poll tax, 1660,SR. recusants, 1675.CTB iv. 698.

Civic: freeman, Portsmouth 1665.Portsmouth Recs. ed East, 358.

Parlimentarian
FOLEY, Thomas I (1617-77), of Witley Court, Worcs.
: Worcs., Great Witley.
Likenesses

Likenesses: oils, W. Trabute, 1670.Nash, Collns. ii. 466a.

Volume
Commons 1640-1660
Web Title

FOLEY, Thomas (1617-77), of Witley Court, Great Witley, Worcs.

Will
27 Jan. 1672, pr. 9 Feb. 1678.PROB11/357, f. 9.
Estates
Lands. Bought Wolverley manor, 1648, Chadwick manor, Bromsgrove, 1650, lands in Old Swinford, Stourbridge, 1653, Worcs.; lands in Dudley, Worcs. and Tipton Staffs., 1654; Shelsley Walsh manor, 1654, Dunclent manor, Stone, 1655, Great Witley manor 1656, lands in Holt, 1656, Oldington manor, Kidderminster, 1656, Belbroughton, 1658, lands in Witley, 1659, Hoo manor, 1660, Oddingley manor by 1661, Old Swinford manor, Bedcote manor in Old Swinford, 1661.Worcs. Fines 1649-1714 ed. Amphlett (Worcs. Hist. Soc., 1896), 15, 42, 54, 58, 68, 69, 70, 86, 96. Lessee of wire works of Soc. of Mineral and Battery Works, Whitbrook and Tintern, Mon. at £300 p.a., Feb. 1646- Feb. 1667; at £100 p.a. Dec. 1668-Mar. 1676.BL, Loan 16 vol. 2, ff. 94, 151v. 152, 165v. Lessee of furnaces and forges at Barden, Cowden, Frant, Cranbrook, Hawkhurst, Kent, with George Browne and Peter Courthope, 1650s.H. Cleere, D. Crossley, Iron Industry of the Weald (Cardiff, 1995), 184, 314, 315, 334. After 1660, at least more 9 manors in Worcs., 3 in Herefs.; other lands in Bristol, Staffs. and Worcs.Worcs. Fines 1649-1714 ed. Amphlett (Worcs. Hist. Soc., 1896), 100, 102, 106, 114, 131, 135, 136, 143, 146, 158, 159, 165, 167, 169, 170, 172, 177, 178, 188, 197, 208; VCH Worcs. ii. 356; iii. 25, 169, 172, 203, 212, 216, 219, 439, 459, 571; iv. 293, 329, 333, 336, 372, 374, 375; PROB11/357, f. 9. In 1668 owned 9 forges, 6 furnaces, 3 slitting mills, Worcs., Salop, Staffs. Assets in 1668 valued at £27,493.Stour Valley Iron Works 1668-74 Pt. 1 ed. Schafer, Worcs. Hist. Soc. n.s. ix), 33, 35, 39. Income estimated by Richard Baxter to be £5,000 p.a.Reliquiae Baxterianae, iii. 93.
Oxford 1644
No
Addresses
Religion
Presented Joseph Read to rectory of Great Witley, 1658;LPL, COMM. III/7, p. 127. Thomas Wright to Great Witley, 20 Nov. 1661;Worcs. Archives, 732:4/BA 2337/24/691. Simon Ford to Old Swinford, 1676;Cal. Baxter Corresp. i. 156. Richard White to vicarage of Kidderminster, 15 Oct. 1677.Worcs. Archives, 732:4/BA 2337/26/1010, 1011.
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