Thomas Meynell was born in Crathorne, North Yorkshire on 11 April 1763. He was an eminent local landowner with seats at the Friarage, Yarm and Kilvington near Thirsk. Unlike many landowners who viewed the plan to link Stockton and Darlington with the South Durham coalfields in a negative light, Meynell was enthusiastic about the scheme. His zeal translated into a subscription of £3000 to support the putative railway. In recognition of his status as a major landowner and his support of the railway, he was appointed the Chairman of the Stockton & Darlington Railway on 12 May 1821, although he served in this capacity for earlier formations of the committee before the company was founded.

An early committee meeting resolved that Meynell and Edward Pease should approach suitable candidates to build the railway, who appointed George Stephenson as the line’s engineer. Meynell had the honour laying the S&DR’s first rail on 23 May 1822 in Stockton and played a central role on the S&DR’s Opening Day on 27 September 1815.

He served the company for 7 years until 1828 when it the extension to Middlesbrough was proposed. The proposal by other members of the Committee, particularly the Pease family. He was of the opposite opinion and sided with one of the S&DR’s solicitors, Leonard Raisbeck of Stockton, and another committee member, Benjamin Flounders of Yarm, in this matter, as a result Meynell resigned along with the others who opposed the extension. Meynell was concerned about the harm that the extension would do to the economic prospects of Yarm and Stockton, he also decried what he felt was the disproportionate influence of Quakers in the company.

Outside of his service to the S&DR, he was a Deputy Lieutenant of Durham and a Justice of the Peace. He married Theresa Mary Wright in 1804, with whom he had a son and daughter. His son, also named Thomas Meynell, went to on serve as S&DR chairman. Mewburn passed away a widower in 1854.