Jeremiah Tolhurst

Who is Jeremiah Tolhurst?

Jeremiah Tolhurst was an English tailor, soldier, businessman and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1654 and 1660. He fought in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War.

Tolhurst was the son of Jeremy Tolhurst, yeoman, of Icklesham, Sussex and his second wife Elizabeth Wymond, daughter of Paul Wymond, attorney, of Winchelsea, Sussex. His father died in 1623 and he became a tailor. He served in the Parliamentary army during the Civil War at first in a Kentish regiment and then in the New Model Army. He was a lieutenant of foot until 1644 when he became a captain. In 1649 he became a major. He moved to the north and acquired interests in coal and salt. He helped to supply Cromwell's army during the Scottish campaign.

Tolhurst was a freeman of Dumfries by 1654 when he represented Dumfried Burghs in the First Protectorate Parliament. He became a freeman of Newcastle and a member of Hostmen's Company in 1655. He was deputy governor of Carlisle from 1655 to March 1660 and was also commissioner for sequestrations for Cumberland and Westmorland in 1655 and commissioner for security from 1655 to 1656.