Thomas Cole (1622–1681) was an English politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

in 1656 and 1660. Cole was the son of Thomas Cole of Liss and his wife Mary Waller, daughter of Thomas Waller of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. He was baptised on 15 January 1622. He entered

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

in 1641.History of Parliament Online - Thomas Cole
/ref> Cole was commissioner for execution of ordinances for Hampshire in 1645 and commissioner for assessment for Hampshire from 1647 to 1652. In 1648 he was commissioner for militia for Hampshire and was a JP for Hampshire by 1650. He was commissioner for security for Hampshire from 1655 to 1656. In 1656, Cole was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

in the

Second Protectorate Parliament The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons. In its first session, the House of Commons was its only chamber; in t ...

. He was commissioner for assessment for Hampshire in 1657 and commissioner for militia in 1659 and 1660. In January 1660 he was commissioner for assessment for Hampshire and by April 1660 he was freeman of Portsmouth and Winchester. In April 1660 he was elected MP for

Petersfield Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth a ...

and

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

and may not have resolved his preference by the time parliament was dissolved. Cole became captain of militia for Hampshire in November 1660 and was reinstated as JP for Hampshire in 1662. Following his second marriage, he lived mainly in Northamptonshire and was commissioner for assessment for Northamptonshire in 1663. He was

High Sheriff of Hampshire This is a list of High Sheriffs of Hampshire. This title was often given as High Sheriff of the County of Southampton until 1959. List of High Sheriffs *1070–1096: Hugh de Port "Domesday Book Online" *1105: Henry de Port (son of Hugh) *1129: W ...

in 1663 and became Deputy Lieutenant in 1667. In 1670 he became JP for Northamptonshire. Cole died at the age of 58 and was buried at Liss on 4 March 1681. Cole married firstly Elizabeth Harvey, daughter of Sir Stephen Harvey of Colchester End, Hardingstone Northamptonshire in December 1651. There were no children and after her death in 1659 he married secondly Judith Tryon, widow of Peter Tryon of Bulwick, Northamptonshire and daughter of Abraham Cullen, merchant, of Great St. Helens, London by licence on 23 April 1662. They had a son and daughter.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Thomas 1622 births 1681 deaths Members of Gray's Inn High Sheriffs of Hampshire Politicians from Winchester English MPs 1656–1658 English MPs 1660