Thomas Lister (c. 1658 – 8 February 1718), of Coleby, Lincolnshire, was an English Tory politician, who sat in the English and

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 mem ...

from 1705 to 1715. Lister was the eldest son of William Lister of Coleby and his wife Frances Franklyn, daughter of Sir John Franklyn MP of Willesden, Middlesex. He was admitted at

Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Sidney Sussex College (referred to informally as "Sidney") is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. The College was founded in 1596 under the terms of the will of Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex (1531–1589), wife ...

on 7 April 1675, aged 16 and at Gray's Inn in 1678. He married Jane Hawtrey, the daughter of John Hawtrey of Ruislip, Middlesex on 5 June 1683. In 1687, he succeeded his father, inheriting Coleby Hall, which he extended. Lister was appointed High Sheriff of Lincolnshire for the year 1695 to 1696. From 1700 to 1705, he was Commissioner for army, navy and transport debts. He was returned as a Member of Parliament for Lincoln at the

1705 English general election The 1705 English general election saw contests in 110 constituencies in England and Wales, roughly 41% of the total. The election was fiercely fought, with mob violence and cries of " Church in Danger" occurring in several boroughs. During the pr ...

on his own interest. He voted against the Court candidate as Speaker on 25 October 1705. In 1710, he opposed the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell. He had a close contest, but was returned at Lincoln at the

1710 British general election The 1710 British general election produced a landslide victory for the Tories. The election came in the wake of the prosecution of Henry Sacheverell, which had led to the collapse of the previous government led by Godolphin and the Whig Junto. ...

. He was listed as one of the ‘worthy patriots’ who in the first session detected the mismanagements of the previous administration and as a ‘Tory patriot’ who opposed the continuation of the war in 1711. He was also a member of the October Club. He topped the poll for Lincoln at the

1713 British general election The 1713 British general election produced further gains for the governing Tory party. Since 1710 Robert Harley had led a government appointed after the downfall of the Whig Junto, attempting to pursue a moderate and non-controversial policy, b ...

. He did not stand at the

1715 British general election The 1715 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 5th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the 1707 merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. In October 1714, soon afte ...

. Lister died on 8 February 1718. By his wife he had a son, who predeceased him, and six daughters. On his death his property was shared amongst his daughters, Coleby Hall passing to his eldest daughter Mary and thence to her nephew Thomas Scrope.

References

1658 births 1718 deaths People from North Kesteven District Alumni of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge 18th-century English people English MPs 1705–1707 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1707–1708 British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 High Sheriffs of Lincolnshire {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub