Thomas Widdrington

For other people named Thomas Widdrington, see Thomas Widdrington (disambiguation).

Sir Thomas Widdrington.

Sir Thomas Widdrington SL (died 13 May 1664) was an English politician and judge of the 17th century.

He and his brother Ralph were of a junior branch of an ancient Northumbrian family and were distantly related to William Widdrington, 1st Baron Widdrington. He was the son of Lewis Widdrington of Cheeseburn Grange, near Stamfordham, Northumberland.

Widdrington was knighted at York in 1639, and in 1640 he was twice elected Member of Parliament for Berwick. He was already a barrister, and his legal knowledge was very useful during the English Civil War. In 1651 he was chosen a member of the Council of State, although he had declined to have any share in the trial of the king. He was elected MP for York in 1654 and knight of the shire for Northumberland in 1656.

Widdrington was elected Speaker in September 1656, and in June 1658, he was appointed Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. In 1659 and again in 1660, he was a member of the Council of State, and on three occasions he was one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal, but he lost some of his offices when Charles II was restored. However, he returned to Parliament as MP for York in 1660 for a year and finally as MP for Berwick once again until his death.

He died in 1664. He had married Frances, a daughter of Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron and left four daughters, but no sons (His only son Thomas had died in 1660 when MP for Morpeth). The estate at Cheeseburn Grange passed firstly to his brother Henry and then to his brother Ralph.

Widdrington, who founded a school at Stamfordham, Northumberland, wrote Analecta Eboracensia; some Remaynes of the city of York. This was not published until 1897, when it was edited with introduction and notes by the Rev. Caesar Caine.

References

• History of Parliament WIDDRINGTON, Sir Thomas (c. 1600-64) of Cheeseburn Grange, Stamfordham, Northumberland
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Widdrington, Barons". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Parliament of England
Preceded by No Parliament	Member of Parliament for Berwick with Hugh Potter 1640/ Robert Scawen 1640-1653 1640–1653	Succeeded by Berwick not represented
Preceded by Thomas St. Nicholas	Member of Parliament for York with Thomas Dickinson 1654–1656 1654–1656	Succeeded by Thomas Dickinson John Geldert
Preceded by William Fenwick Robert Fenwick Henry Ogle	Member of Parliament for Northumberland with William Fenwick Robert Fenwick 1656–1659	Succeeded by Sir William Fenwick, Bt Robert Fenwick
Preceded by John Rushworth George Payler	Member of Parliament for Berwick with John Rushworth Apr 1660	Succeeded by John Rushworth Edward Grey
Preceded by Sir William Allanson Thomas Hoyle	Member of Parliament for York with Sir Metcalfe Robinson, Bt Jun 1660–1661	Succeeded by Sir Metcalfe Robinson, Bt John Scott
Preceded by John Rushworth Edward Grey	Member of Parliament for Berwick with Edward Grey 1661	Succeeded by Edward Grey Daniel Collingwood
Legal offices
Preceded by Sir William Steele	Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer 1658–1660	Succeeded by Sir John Wilde