Thomas Lister (1597–1668) was colonel in the Parliamentary army during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

and an MP. He was appointed a judge at the trial of Charles I, but on the restoration escaped with a light punishment.

Early life

Lister was born in 1597, the eldest son of William and Griselle Lister (née Rivett). He grew up at the family home, Coleby Hall in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

and was admitted to

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 W ...

1616. In 1622, he married Margaret Armine.

Military and Parliamentary career

On the outbreak of the

, Lister was arrested by a party of 60 royalist troopers led by the sheriff of Lincolnshire who broke into Coleby Hall and he was taken before the King's council. After his release he rose to become a lieutenant-colonel in the parliamentary army and deputy governor of Lincoln. In 1644 he served as

high sheriff of Lincolnshire This is a list of High Sheriffs of Lincolnshire. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilit ...

and also served as a member of the parliamentarian county committee. He was chosen as M.P. for

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

in 1647, replacing John Broxholme who had died. He survived

Pride's Purge Pride's Purge is the name commonly given to an event that took place on 6 December 1648, when soldiers prevented members of Parliament considered hostile to the New Model Army from entering the House of Commons of England. Despite defeat in the ...

(the military coup that ejected from parliament MPs that did not support the army) and continued as the city's MP until 1653. He was nominated as a judge in the trial of Charles I, but only attended a few sessions of the court and did not sign the death warrant. In February 1651, he was appointed a member of the council of state. He was MP for the

county of Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire an ...

in the

Protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its int ...

Parliaments but he once again represented the city in 1659 with the recall of the

Rump Parliament The Rump Parliament was the English Parliament after Colonel Thomas Pride commanded soldiers to purge the Long Parliament, on 6 December 1648, of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason. "Rump" ...

. At the restoration, he was excluded from the

Indemnity and Oblivion Act The Indemnity and Oblivion Act 1660 was an Act of the Parliament of England (12 Cha. II c. 11), the long title of which is "An Act of Free and General Pardon, Indemnity, and Oblivion". This act was a general pardon for everyone who had committe ...

, because of his role in the trial and execution of Charles I and was tried for regicide. He knelt at the bar of the House of Lords and pleaded "deep repentance". He escaped with a light penalty, being forbidden to hold public office from 1660. He died at Grays Inn in 1668 and his nephew, William, inherited his property.

Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lister, Thomas 1597 births 1668 deaths English army officers Regicides of Charles I Members of Gray's Inn High Sheriffs of Lincolnshire English MPs 1640–1648 English MPs 1648–1653 English MPs 1654–1655 English MPs 1656–1658 English MPs 1659