Sir Thomas Fludyer (1711 – 19 March 1769) was an English merchant and banker who was a Whig Member of the Parliament of Great Britain in 1767–9.
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Biography
Fludyer was the second son of Samuel Fludyer, a London clothier originally from Frome, Somerset, and Elizabeth de Montsalier, daughter of a Huguenot refugee. Sir Samuel Fludyer, 1st Baronet was his elder brother. He was a first cousin once removed of Samuel Romilly, whose grandfather had married Judith de Montsalier. He was by upbringing a religious dissenter.
In 1734, Fludyer was accepted into the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers. In 1738, he was a junior partner in his brother's firm, which grew to dominate the wool market in London if not all of England.
He was knighted on 9 November 1761 at a reception for George III at Guildhall, London, during his brother's term as Lord Mayor.
Parliamentary career
Sir Thomas canvassed for Devizes in 1761 and again in 1765, when he was defeated at the by-election in January 1765. Four months later, he canvassed the borough again before a by-election in May. Later in the year, he thought of standing for New Shoreham. On 20 October 1765, Prime Minister George Grenville wrote to John Sargent, "With regard to Sir Thomas Fludyer's application to you for your recommendation at Shoreham you know that I gave him all the assistance in my power when he was candidate last spring for Devizes and therefore can have no objection to him now supposing that Sir Samuel and he are still in the same sentiments towards me which they were then in." However, he was reluctant to lose again, as on 28 October, Grenville wrote to another possible candidate, Topham Beauclerk, that Fludyer was "unwilling to appear at all without the certainty of success".