GASCOIGNE, Sir Thomas, 8th Bt. (1745-1810), of Parlington, Yorks.

Bred a Catholic, Gascoigne became an Anglican in the summer of 1780. At the general election he was returned for Thirsk by Sir Thomas Frankland, probably by arrangement with Rockingham.Annual Reg. 1780, p. 215; Rockingham to Portland, 28 July 1780, Portland mss. He voted regularly against North’s Government until its fall; was regarded as a probable opponent by Shelburne, but did not vote on the peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783. He voted for Pitt’s proposals for parliamentary reform, 7 May 1783, and for Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783. After the dismissal of the Coalition in December 1783, he went into opposition. In 1784 Frankland returned an Administration supporter, and Gascoigne was returned for Lord Fitzwilliam’s borough of Malton, but vacated his seat to make way for another old Rockinghamite, William Weddell. Gascoigne’s only reported speech was on a motion for licensing horse dealers, 20 July 1784.Debrett, xvi. 139. He remained one of the leading supporters of Fitzwilliam and the Opposition in Yorkshire, and in 1788 became chairman of a committee to organize this interest for the next general election.

Gascoigne died 11 Feb. 1810.