George Thomson (c. 1607–1691) was an English merchant and Parliamentarian soldier, an official and politician.

Early life

He was a younger son of Robert Thomson of Watton,

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, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Harsflet or Halfehead of the same place;

Maurice Thomson Maurice Thomson (1601/04–1676), of St Andrew's parish, Eastcheap, City of London and of Haversham in Buckinghamshire, was an English merchant, slave trader and Puritan, said to be "England's greatest colonial merchant of his day". He obtained a mo ...

(1601/4-1676) the Virginia settler was an older brother, and Thomson was there as a significant figure from 1623, before returning to London as a merchant trading with Virginia and the Caribbean. The youngest brother Robert Thomson, also a merchant, was in

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

for a period. The family were Parliamentarians, and early in 1643 Thomson held the commission of captain of a troop of horse under William Russell, 5th Earl of Bedford. In the following year he served under

Sir William Waller Sir William Waller JP (c. 159719 September 1668) was an English soldier and politician, who commanded Parliamentarian armies during the First English Civil War, before relinquishing his commission under the 1645 Self-denying Ordinance. ...

in his western campaign, and at this period attained the rank of colonel. Losing a leg in action, he retired from military service.

Political career

Thomson was returned to parliament for , probably in August 1645, and on 18 February 1651 was appointed a member of the

English Council of State The English Council of State, later also known as the Protector's Privy Council, was first appointed by the Rump Parliament on 14 February 1649 after the execution of King Charles I. Charles' execution on 30 January was delayed for several hour ...

. On 8 April that year he became a commissioner of customs, and in 1652 he was sent to the fleet as a commissioner to consult with

Robert Blake Robert Blake may refer to: Sportspeople * Bob Blake (American football) (1885–1962), American football player * Robbie Blake (born 1976), English footballer * Bob Blake (ice hockey) (1914–2008), American ice hockey player * Rob Blake (born 19 ...

and report the condition of affairs to the Council. On 2 December 1652 he was appointed to the committee for the admiralty, the committee for the Ordnance, and the committee for trades, plantations, and foreign affairs. In April 1653 differences between

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

and the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septem ...

came to a head, and the parliament was dissolved. On 18 May Thomson was dismissed from his posts of commissioner of the customs and of the army and navy, as well as from his other offices. He then concentrated on the views of the

Fifth-monarchy men The Fifth Monarchists, or Fifth Monarchy Men, were a Protestant sect which advocated Millennialist views, active during the 1649 to 1660 Commonwealth. Named after a prophecy in the Book of Daniel that Four Monarchies would precede the Fifth or ...

. Thomson returned to Westminster on 7 May 1659 with the remainder of the Long Parliament. On 16 May he was again appointed a member of the Council of State, and on 8 July he was added to the committee for intelligence. On 18 August he was appointed colonel of a regiment of volunteers to be raised in London. After the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

of 1660, Thomson went to ground at the residence of his brother Maurice at

Lee, Kent Plumstead (1855–1894) and then Lee (1894–1900) was a local government district within the metropolitan area of London from 1855 to 1900. It was formed as the Plumstead district by the Metropolis Management Act 1855 and was governed ...

, and occupied himself with anti-Royalist intrigues. On 31 October 1661 a warrant was issued for his arrest. After some time in obscurity, Thomson around the beginning of 1668 was nominated to the commission of accounts, and returned to public life.

Personal life

Thomson married Elizabeth, daughter of James Brickland of Thorncliff in Cheshire.

References

Sources

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, George 1607 births 1691 deaths English MPs 1640–1648 English MPs 1659 English merchants Fifth Monarchists People from Watton-at-Stone