FLUDYER, Sir Thomas (1711-69), of Lee, Kent

Fludyer goes through life as junior partner to his brother, in business and in politics. In Kent’s London Directory for 1736 a Thomas Fludyer ‘druggist’, Leadenhall Street, is mentioned, but his identity is uncertain; from 1738 till 1768, Samuel and Thomas Fludyer appear together as ‘warehousemen, Basinghall Street’. The first time Thomas appears in Newcastle’s lists of parliamentary candidates it is as ‘Fludyer’s brother’,Add. 32916, f. 66. and on the monument in the graveyard of St. Margaret’s church at Lee, he is still ‘Brother to Sir Samuel Fludyer Bart.’ Under his brother’s wing he stood for Devizes: canvassed the borough in 1761; was defeated at the by-election in January 1765; and canvassed the borough once more before another by-election in May. Later in the year he thought of standing for New Shoreham—George Grenville wrote to John Sargent on 20 Oct. 1765: ‘With regard to Sir Thomas Fludyer’s application to you for your recommendation at Shoreham you know that I gave him all the assistance in my power when he was candidate last spring for Devizes and therefore can have no objection to him now supposing that Sir Samuel and he are still in the same sentiments towards me which they were then in.’ But on 28 Oct. Grenville wrote to another possible candidate, Topham Beauclerk, that Thomas Fludyer was ‘unwilling to appear at all without the certainty of success’.Grenville letter bk. In December 1767 he was brought in for Great Bedwyn by Lord Bruce, whose cousin Samuel Fludyer had married; but six weeks later, on his brother’s death, Thomas vacated the seat in order to preserve the family interest at Chippenham. No vote or speech of his in Parliament has been recorded.

He was presumably with his brother a big subscriber to Government loans; and at his death held nearly £30,000 of Government stock.

He died 19 Mar. 1769.