Thomas Snagge

Snagge was born in 1536 in Letchworth. He was the son of Thomas Snagge, the prosperous lord of the manor of Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire. He studied law at Gray's Inn, and after being called to the bar in 1554 practiced law in London.

Snagge was elected as a knight of the shire for Bedfordshire in 1571. He was chosen by Queen Elizabeth to be Attorney General for Ireland and held this appointment from 1577 to 1580. The Queen chose him because he had a reputation for efficiency, and "the public service had been not a little hindered through the default and insufficiency of m the [Irish] law officers" and "her Majesty thought that a person well-chosen in England might be sent over".Hart, A. R. History of the King's Serjeants-at-law in Ireland (Four Courts Press, Dublin, 2000) Snagge as it turned out was not particularly well-chosen: he had not wanted the job and disliked living in Ireland and, according to a modern writer, his official correspondence is simply a long list of complaints.Casey, James The Irish Law Officers (Dublin: Round Hall Sweet and Maxwell, 1996) In particular, he complained of the inefficiency of the Master of the Rolls in Ireland, Nicholas White, and went so far as to make an official complaint against him to the Privy Council of England. In 1580 he was appointed a Serjeant-at-law (Ireland).Hart The King's Serjeant-at-law in Ireland

In 1586 Snagge was again returned as one of the members of parliament for Bedfordshire and in 1589 for the borough of Bedford. In 1589 he was elected as Speaker of the House of Commons and in 1590 was promoted to Queen's Serjeant. As well as owning several manors in Bedfordshire, his home seat was at Marston Moretaine.[http://moreteynemanor.co.uk/history.html A History of Moreteyne Manor - Moreteyne Manor website], retrieved 3 January 2009

Snagge died in 1593 and was entombed in St Mary's Church, Marston Moretaine, where an alabaster tomb carrying effigies of him and his wife survives. He had married Elizabeth, daughter and coheiress of Thomas Dickons of Marston Moretaine; they had five sons and two daughters. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Thomas, also a member of parliament (for Bedford in 1586).

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• [http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/snagge-thomas-i-1536-93 History of Parliament SNAGGE, Thomas I (1536-93) of Marston Mortaine, Beds]

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| title = Attorney-General for Ireland

| years = 1577-1580

| before = John Bathe

| after = Christopher Flemyng,
or Fleming

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{{succession box | title=Speaker of the House of Commons | before=John Puckering | after=Edward Coke| years=1589}}

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Category:1536 births

Category:1593 deaths

Category:People from Letchworth

Category:Members of Gray's Inn

Category:Speakers of the House of Commons of England

Category:Serjeants-at-law (England)

Category:English lawyers

Category:16th-century English knights

Category:English MPs 1571

Category:English MPs 1586–1587

Category:English MPs 1589

Category:16th-century English lawyers

Category:People from Marston Moreteyne

Category:Serjeants-at-law (Ireland)