Background
Erle was born in 1650, the second son of Thomas Erle and his wife Susanna (née Fiennes) of Charborough, Dorset.
Erle was born in 1650, the second son of Thomas Erle and his wife Susanna (née Fiennes) of Charborough, Dorset.
He was Governor of Portsmouth and a Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance. In 1686 he hosted a group of conspirators who met at Charborough House to plan the overthrow of "the tyrant race of Stuarts". This meeting lead to the Invitation to William, signed by the Immortal seven, and resulting in the Glorious Revolution.
Erle was the colonel of a foot regiment and on 8 March 1689 was sent to Ireland to fight the combined French and Irish Army of the deposed King James II of England.
In 1690 he took part in the Battle of the Boyne, the Siege of Limerick, and, the following year, the Battle of Aughrim. In 1692 he took part in an expedition to Flanders and on 3 August 1692 was Colonel of the former Luttrell"s Regiment at the Battle of Steenkerque.
Henceforth the regiment he raised in 1689 became the 2nd Battalion of the former Luttrell"s Regiment, later the Green Howards. In 1693 Thomas Erle was promoted to Brigadier-General, fighting in the Battle of Landen on 22 March 1693.
In 1694 Erle returned home as Governor of Portsmouth, a position which he held until 1712.
In 1696 he was made a Major-General. In 1698 he became Member of Parliament for Portsmouth. In 1699 Erle returned to Ireland as second in command to Lord Galway, In 1700 he was both Member of Parliament for Portsmouth once again and also Commander-in-Chief of Ireland.
In 1702 Erle was made a Lord Justice of Ireland and was Member of Parliament for Wareham for a second time, then promoted to Lieutenant-General.
In 1703, he became Member of Parliament for Cork City in the Irish Parliament and held this seat until 1713. In 1705 Erle was made Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance, a post which he held until 1712.
In January 1707 Erle took part in an expedition to Spain, fighting in the Battle of Almanza on 23 April 1707 — some reports state that he lost his right hand. In 1708 he was sent on an expedition to France.
He then returned home, serving as Member of Parliament for Wareham once again.
In 1714, following the death of Queen Anne, Erle was appointed Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance for a second time. The same year he was also made Governor of Portsmouth, replacing Lord North and Grey, whose loyalty to the new king was in doubt. Erle married Elizabeth Wyndham, with a single child:
Frances, who married Edward Ernle and died 14 May 1728
Erle died on 23 July 1720 and was buried at Charborough.
Exclusion Bill Parliament. Habeas Corpus Parliament. 1st Parliament of Great Britain.
2nd Parliament of Great Britain.
3rd Parliament of Great Britain. 4th Parliament of Great Britain.
5th Parliament of Great Britain]
In 1678 he became Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Wareham, then on 27 May 1685 was made Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset.
