510 Thomas Parry

Constituency  :  Boston  1865-6, 1867-8, 1874

The  Liberals  suffered  the  biggest  reverse  in  eastern  England  between  the  Humber  and  the  Thames with  a  net  loss  of  four  seats  (seven  losses  to  three  gains ).

Thomas  replaced  Meaburn  Staniland  at  Boston  with  the  Tories  hanging  on  to  their  by-election  gain  of  the  other  seat.

Thomas  was  an  old  business  associate  of  the  former  MP, Herbert  Ingram. There  was  something  of  a  personal  feud  between him  and  Staniland

On  petition  after  the  election  Thomas  was  unseated  in  favour  of  Staniland  which  caused  a  mini-riot  in  the  town. A  year  later  Staniland resigned  " to  save  his  native  town  from  the  disgrace  of  disfranchisement "and  Thomas  was  returned  unopposed. Thomas  didn't  stand  in  1868  when  the  seat  went Tory  but  won  it  again  in  1874.  That  result  was  overturned  on  petition  because  of  extensive  bribery which  led  to  a  Royal  Commission  into  electoral  processes  in  the  borough. His  Liberal  colleague  William  Ingram, who  was  exonerated  said  if  Thomas  stood  again  it  would  be  "independently  of  any  colleague  who  may  be  chosen  as  a  candidate  in  the  Liberal  interest ".

In  1875  Thomas  set  up  a  number  of  scholarships  at  Boston  Grammar  School.

In  1878  the  Tory  MP  died  but  Thomas  was  still  debarred  from  standing  at  the  by-election.

He  died  in  1879  aged  61.