Thomas Snagge

Thomas Snagge was born in 1536 in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, the son of Thomas Snagge who was Lord of the Manor of Marston Moretaine. The younger Snagge studied law and practised in London from 1554. He was elected as a knight of the shire for Bedfordshire in 1571 and served as Attorney General for Ireland between 1577 and 1580 when he was appointed Serjeant-at-law (Ireland). 

Snagge became one of the Members of Parliament for Bedfordshire in 1586 and for the Borough of Bedford in 1589. In the same year he was elected as Speaker of the House of Commons and promoted to Queen’s Serjeant in 1590. 

Snagge owned several Bedfordshire manors, including Marston Moretaine which was his home seat. More information about the manor can be found here. He died in 1593 and is buried in St Mary’s Church. 

Thomas married Elizabeth Dickons of Marston Moretaine in 1564 and they went on to have seven children. Their son, Thomas, also became MP for Bedford in 1586; he wasknighted in 1603 and served as a Justice of the Peace and High Sheriff for Bedfordshire. He married Agnes or Anne Rotheram in ??? and they went on to have two sons, Thomas and Edward. He died in early 1627 and, like his father, is buried in St Mary’s Church. 

A search of our online catalogue for Thomas Snagge returns over one hundred items mentioning the name of father, son and subsequent generations. These include records relating to property, wills, the High Sheriff and the family monument in the church.