Thomas Erle Drax Explained

Thomas Erle Drax (1721 – December 1789) was an English Tory politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for constituencies in Dorset in the 18th century.^[1] He was the son of Henry Drax, British MP and owner of slave plantations in Barbados and Jamaica.

Political career

Drax was MP for Corfe Castle from 1744 to 1747, and went on to be MP for Wareham between 1761 and March 1768.

Slave ownership

Drax owned plantations in Barbados and Jamaica, and he represented the interests of the planter class in the House of Commons.

Personal life

He was a member of the Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax family and lived at Charborough House.^[2]

Further reading

• Charborough House

Notes and References

1. Web site: Summary of Individual Legacies of British Slave-ownership. 2020-06-05. www.ucl.ac.uk.
2. Web site: DRAX, Thomas Erle (?1721–89), of Charborough, Dorset History of Parliament Online. 2020-06-05. www.historyofparliamentonline.org.