Thomas Pride

Thomas Pride
Born	circa 1606/1608 Ashcott, Somerset, England
Died	23 October 1658 Worcester Park House, Surrey, England
Occupation(s)	Brewer, soldier, politician
Years active	1629–1658
Known for	Regicide of Charles I; Pride's Purge
Notable work	Participation in the trial and execution of King Charles I; military leadership during the English Civil War

Thomas Pride (circa 1606/1608 – 23 October 1658) was a brewer and political figure originating from Somerset who supported the Parliament during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He is chiefly remembered as one of the regicides of Charles I and as the principal architect behind Pride's Purge in December 1648.

Personal details

Thomas Pride was born in Ashcott, Somerset, the son of William Pride, a local tradesman. Although his exact birth year is unclear, records show he began an apprenticeship with a City of London merchant in January 1622, indicating a birth date between 1606 and 1608.

Following the completion of his seven-year apprenticeship in 1629, he wed Elizabeth Tomson, daughter of another London merchant. His will from 1658 mentions bequests to four sons—Thomas, Joseph, William, Samuel—and a daughter named Elizabeth.

Career

Pride initially worked as a brewer, owning two brewing establishments in Surrey and potentially one in Edinburgh by the early 1640s. He held the rank of ensign within the London Trained bands and, during the First English Civil War beginning in 1642, served as a captain for the Parliamentarian forces under Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, eventually attaining the rank of colonel. His notable military contributions included participation at the Battle of Preston and involvement in the December 1648 military occupation of London that facilitated King Charles I's trial.

Trial of King Charles I

Pride was instrumental in removing Presbyterian and Royalist members from the House of Commons by executing directives from the army council and Lord General Fairfax. Stationed at the entrance to the Commons with a list, he detained or excluded roughly one hundred members, shrinking the assembly to about eighty. This purge effectively ended the Long Parliament and led to the creation of the Rump Parliament. Pride participated as one of the judges during King Charles I's trial and was among those who signed and sealed his death warrant.

Subsequent career

During Oliver Cromwell’s leadership, Pride commanded an infantry brigade at both the Battle of Dunbar (1650) and the Battle of Worcester (1651). He acquired ownership of the former estate known as Nonsuch Palace in Surrey and was appointed as Sheriff of Surrey in 1655.

Retirement and knighthood

Following the establishment of the Commonwealth of England, Pride stepped back from political life except to oppose Cromwell's possible assumption of kingship. In 1656, Cromwell knighted him and appointed him to serve in the second parliamentary chamber formed under the provisions of the Humble Petition and Advice.

Marriage

Pride was married to Elizabeth Monk (born 1628), daughter of Thomas Monk from Potheridge, Devon. Elizabeth was related as niece to royalist general George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, who played a crucial role in restoring King Charles II to power in 1660.

Death

Pride passed away in 1658 at his residence, Worcester Park House, which he had purchased along with the "Great Park" belonging to Nonsuch Palace, Surrey. After the Restoration in 1660, orders were given to exhume his remains and publicly display them on Tyburn gallows alongside those of Cromwell, Henry Ireton, and John Bradshaw. Nevertheless, this sentence was probably not executed due to significant decomposition of his body.

Bibliography

• Mark Noble, The Lives of the English Regicides, 1798.
• George Bate, The Lives, Actions, and Execution of the Principal Actors and Chief Planners of the Heinous Murder of Our Late Devout and Sacred Sovereign, King Charles the First, 1661.
• Thomas Carlyle, Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell, 1845.
• Robert Hodkinson, Cromwell’s Jester - The Life and Career of Regicide Thomas Pride, 2017.