Thomas Burgh, 1st Baron Burgh (d.1496)

Sir Thomas Burgh (pronounced: Borough), KG (c. 1431- 18 March 1496) was an English gentleman.

In records, the peerage, and genealogy books he is shown as being created 1st Lord Burgh, of Gainsborough [England by writ] on 1 September 1487. He was several times summoned to Parliament, but never sat; whether he held a hereditary peerage is debatable; fifteenth century records treat him as a knight. His son was never summoned to Parliament [because he was found insane in 1510]; his grandson was summoned and sat in the House of Lords, but sixteenth century records treat this as a new creation in 1529 after the death of his father. When the Burgh peerage was drawn out of abeyance in 1916, however, it was given precedence as of 1487. He had noble ancestors on both sides: his mother was one of the daughters of Sir Henry Percy, who was in turn grandson to Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland and to David of Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, descended from the ancient Mormaers of Atholl.

The Burgh family sprang from Hubert de Burgh, younger son of Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent and his wife Beatrice de Warrenne, daughter of William de Warrenne, Lord of Wormegay, and Beatrice de Pierrepont. The Burghs were rich, flamboyant and powerful people. Thomas was in great favour with the King as many offices, positions, land grants, and pensions were bestowed upon him.

Thomas was Esquire of the Body to King Edward IV of England and by Christmas 1462, Thomas was created a Knight by the King and a Privy Councillor. Sir Thomas slowly became the King's chief man in Lincolnshire where he held manors, land, tenements from Northumberland (from his mother's inheritance, which he shared with her sister Margaret, Baroness Grey of Codnor) through Westmorland, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire, down to his wife’s dower lands in Somerset. Thomas became a rich man who was backed by the King and soon found himself giving advice and legal help to the people of Lincolnshire as well as becoming their Sheriff in 1460 and their representative in Parliament.

It was Sir Thomas Burgh with Sir Thomas Stanley who rescued King Edward IV from the Earl of Warwick whom the Earl had kept prisoner in his castle of Middleham. In 1471, when Edward IV came to reclaim his throne it was Sir Thomas who was first to rally to his side. Sir Thomas fought at the battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury.