Sutton, Thomas Manners (1756–1842), 1st Baron Manners and lord chancellor of Ireland, was born 24 February 1756 in England, fifth son of Lord George Manners-Sutton and his first wife, Diana (née Chaplin); he was the cousin of Charles Manners (qv), 4th duke of Rutland and lord lieutenant of Ireland. Educated at Charterhouse, and Emmanuel College, Cambridge, he entered Lincoln's Inn and was called to the bar in 1780. He developed a considerable chancery practice, becoming a KC in 1800, and sat in the house of commons as MP for Newark (1796–1805). As solicitor general (1802–5), he helped prosecute Col. Despard (qv) for treason, and was later made a baron of the exchequer (1805–7). Raised to the peerage as Baron Manners on 20 April 1807, he was appointed lord chancellor of Ireland on 1 May. As he was noted for the strength of his anti-catholic beliefs, it was believed that his appointment was a deliberate signalling of the protestant principles of Spencer Perceval's administration.
Joining with William Saurin (qv), the attorney general, he was virulent in his attacks on the claims of the catholics and vehemently opposed the campaign for emancipation. Daniel O'Connell (qv) was a regular critic, noting that ‘he is a bad lawyer, but the most sensible-looking man talking nonsense I ever saw’ (Burke, 203). Highly critical of the shallowness of Manners's understanding of the law, O'Connell remarked years later that 50 per cent of his decisions had been reversed; this was typical hyperbole, for Lord Manners gave 4,469 decisions and only fourteen were reversed, with seven modified. Perhaps his most significant judgement was made in 1823 when, despite his prejudices, he upheld the validity of charging fees for masses for the dead in catholic churches, rejecting claims that they were for superstitious use. On 5 November 1827, after the change of ministry in Britain, he was formally replaced as lord chancellor by Sir Anthony Hart, the English vice-chancellor. Returning to the house of lords, he spoke and voted against catholic emancipation in 1828 and 1829. He died in Brook St., London, on 31 May 1842 and was buried at Kelham, Nottinghamshire.
He married first (4 December 1803) Anne Copley (d. 1814); and secondly (28 October 1815) Jane Butler, daughter of James, 9th Baron Caher, and sister of Richard, 1st earl of Glengall (qv); they had one son.