Sir Thomas COTTON, 2nd Baronet

- 1684

• Name	Thomas COTTON  [1]
  Prefix	Sir
  Suffix	2nd Baronet
  Birth	Combermere Abbey, Combermere, Acton, Cheshire, England
  Gender	Male
  Physical Description	"A lazy, good-natured man with simple tastes".  [2]
  Land	Jamaica
  	He owned plantations and enslaved people and actively profited from the system he governed. His estates and wealth, some of which would be inherited by his descendants including Philadelphia, Lady Cotton, were built on the violent exploitation of African people.
  Military Service	1655	Jamaica
  	He first emerged in the colonial record as a key figure in Jamaica shortly after England seized the island from Spain in 1655
  Military Service	1662	Jamaica
  	He was appointed as one of the early members of the Jamaican Council and, in 1662, was named Lieutenant Governor
  Military Service	1663 to 1664	Jamaica
  	He briefly acted as Governor during England’s consolidation of control over Jamaica and the early development of plantation-based slavery. Lynch advocated for the expansion of English settlement and oversaw early legal frameworks that laid the groundwork for a plantation economy dependent on enslaved labour.
  Occupation	1664 to 1670	England
  	He returned home, where he remained involved in colonial administration and lobbying efforts. During this period, he helped shape Crown policy toward the Caribbean, particularly with regard to trade and governance. He was knighted by King Charles II in recognition of his service and influence.
  Occupation	1671 to 1674	Jamaica
  	Reappointed Governor of Jamaica in 1671, following the death of Thomas Modyford. His second term was marked by efforts to formalise Jamaica’s colonial administration and promote economic growth through the expansion of sugar plantations. He oversaw the passage of key legislation favouring plantation owners and worked closely with merchants involved in the transatlantic trade. During his period as governor, the reliance on enslaved African labour increased dramatically. His government worked to stabilise colonial society by passing repressive laws designed to control enslaved people and suppress rebellion. These policies contributed directly to the expansion of the brutal plantation regime that characterised British Jamaica.
  Occupation	1682 to 1684	Jamaica
  	He returned to Jamaica as Governor for the third and final time in 1682, serving until his death in 1684. His final term was marked by intensified efforts to entrench the legal and social order underpinning slavery. In 1683, the Jamaican Assembly passed “An Act for regulating Slaves” which codified harsh penalties—including mutilation and execution—for enslaved people who resisted or rebelled. The law also imposed only minimal penalties for enslavers who killed enslaved people. This legislation, which Lynch approved, prompted protest from the Crown for its extreme brutality, though it reflected prevailing attitudes among Jamaica’s planter elite. His role in establishing Jamaica’s slave society had long-term consequences for the island’s demographic, economic, and moral history.
  Death	1684	Jamaica
  	He died in Jamaica in 1684 while serving as Governor.
  Person ID	I713	UK Thrale family
  Last Modified	16 May 2025

  
  

  Father	Sir Robert COTTON, 1st Baronet,   b. Abt 1635, Combermere Abbey, Combermere, Acton, Cheshire, England d. 17 Dec 1712 (Age 77 years)
  Mother	Hester SALUSBURY,   b. 1631   d. Dec 1710 (Age 79 years)
  Marriage		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  Family ID	F244	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Lady Philadelphia LYNCH,   b. 1682   d. 1758, Finchley, Middlesex, England (Age 76 years)
  Marriage	2 Nov 1689
  Notes	Philadelphia Lynch had seventeen children, the eleventh of which was Hester Maria.
  Children	1. Thomas Salusbury COTTON,   b. 1 Nov 1692   d. Abt 21 Jan 1693 (Age 0 years)   2. Sir Robert Salusbury COTTON, 3rd Baronet,   b. 26 Dec 1694, Tremeirchion, Flintshire, Wales d. 1775 (Age 80 years)   3. William Salusbury COTTON,   b. 3 Feb 1696   d. 16 Nov 1696 (Age 0 years)   4. Henry Salusbury COTTON,   b. 8 Jun 1697, Esher, Surrey, England d. Bef 1710 (Age 12 years)   5. Philadelphia COTTON,   b. 12 Mar 1699, Esher, Surrey, England   6. Stephen COTTON,   b. 31 Jul 1700, Esher, Surrey, England d. Bef 1713 (Age 12 years)   7. John Salusbury COTTON,   b. 21 Jun 1702   d. Bef 1715 (Age 12 years) + 8. Sir Lynch COTTON,   b. Aft 1702   d. Yes, date unknown   9. Sidney Arabella COTTON,   b. Aft 1702   d. 1781 (Age 78 years)   10. Sophia COTTON,   b. Aft 1702   d. Abt 1763 (Age 60 years) + 11. Hester Maria COTTON,   b. 1707, Tremeirchion, Flintshire, Wales d. 18 Jun 1773, Streatham Park, Streatham, Surrey, England (Age 66 years) m. John SALUSBURY (1738)
  Family ID	F317	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	12 Jul 2024

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - - Combermere Abbey, Combermere, Acton, Cheshire, England Land - He owned plantations and enslaved people and actively profited from the system he governed. His estates and wealth, some of which would be inherited by his descendants including Philadelphia, Lady Cotton, were built on the violent exploitation of African people. - - Jamaica Military Service - He first emerged in the colonial record as a key figure in Jamaica shortly after England seized the island from Spain in 1655 - 1655 - Jamaica Military Service - He was appointed as one of the early members of the Jamaican Council and, in 1662, was named Lieutenant Governor - 1662 - Jamaica Military Service - He briefly acted as Governor during England’s consolidation of control over Jamaica and the early development of plantation-based slavery. Lynch advocated for the expansion of English settlement and oversaw early legal frameworks that laid the groundwork for a plantation economy dependent on enslaved labour. - 1663 to 1664 - Jamaica Occupation - He returned home, where he remained involved in colonial administration and lobbying efforts. During this period, he helped shape Crown policy toward the Caribbean, particularly with regard to trade and governance. He was knighted by King Charles II in recognition of his service and influence. - 1664 to 1670 - England Occupation - Reappointed Governor of Jamaica in 1671, following the death of Thomas Modyford. His second term was marked by efforts to formalise Jamaica’s colonial administration and promote economic growth through the expansion of sugar plantations. He oversaw the passage of key legislation favouring plantation owners and worked closely with merchants involved in the transatlantic trade. During his period as governor, the reliance on enslaved African labour increased dramatically. His government worked to stabilise colonial society by passing repressive laws designed to control enslaved people and suppress rebellion. These policies contributed directly to the expansion of the brutal plantation regime that characterised British Jamaica. - 1671 to 1674 - Jamaica Occupation - He returned to Jamaica as Governor for the third and final time in 1682, serving until his death in 1684. His final term was marked by intensified efforts to entrench the legal and social order underpinning slavery. In 1683, the Jamaican Assembly passed “An Act for regulating Slaves” which codified harsh penalties—including mutilation and execution—for enslaved people who resisted or rebelled. The law also imposed only minimal penalties for enslavers who killed enslaved people. This legislation, which Lynch approved, prompted protest from the Crown for its extreme brutality, though it reflected prevailing attitudes among Jamaica’s planter elite. His role in establishing Jamaica’s slave society had long-term consequences for the island’s demographic, economic, and moral history. - 1682 to 1684 - Jamaica Death - 1684 - Jamaica  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S24] Jones10.FTW. [S39] Mary Hyde, The Thrales of Streatham Park, (Harvard University Press 1977), 2.