Thomas Atkins (Lord Mayor)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Atkins was Lord Mayor of London
and an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
in 1640 and from 1647 to 1653 and was Lord Mayor of London
in 1644. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War
.
Atkins was the son of John Atkins of King's Lynn
, Norfolk. He was an. alderman of Norwich, and then an alderman of the City of London
for Bridge Without, from Lime Street. He was Sheriff of London in 1637.
In April 1640, Atkins was elected Member of Parliament
for Norwich
in the Short Parliament
. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London
in May 1640 with three other aldermen - Nicholas Rainton
, Thomas Soame
and John Gayre
- for refusing to list the inhabitants of his ward who were able to contribute £50 or more to a loan for King Charles. During the Civil War he was colonel of the Norwich city militia. He was Lord Mayor of London
in 1644. . In 1647 Atkins was re-elected MP for Norwich for the Long Parliament
and sat until 1653. On Thursday, 7 January 1649, he delivered a solemn thanksgiving to Oliver Cromwell
and also issued a Hosannah on 7 June 1649. He was a "busy stickler for independency and republicanism", and the principal tool by which the Rump Parliament
managed the common council of London
Atkins was Father of the CIty in 1658 and was discharged from his position as Alderman on 12 February 1661.
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
and an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in 1640 and from 1647 to 1653 and was Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1644. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
Atkins was the son of John Atkins of King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
, Norfolk. He was an. alderman of Norwich, and then an alderman of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
for Bridge Without, from Lime Street. He was Sheriff of London in 1637.
In April 1640, Atkins was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Norwich
Norwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Norwich was a borough constituency which was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1298 to 1707, in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election...
in the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
in May 1640 with three other aldermen - Nicholas Rainton
Nicholas Rainton
Sir Nicholas Rainton was an English merchant who was Lord Mayor of London in 1632.Rainton was a city of London merchant and a member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers. He was elected Sheriff of London in 1617 but did not serve immediately. On 22 June 1621 he was elected an alderman of...
, Thomas Soame
Thomas Soame
Sir Thomas Soame was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648.Soame was the son of Sir Stephen Soame and his wife Anne Stone daughter of William Stone, haberdasher of London and his wife Mercy Gray daughter of John Gray of Barley, Hertfordshire. His father was Lord...
and John Gayre
John Gayre
John Gayre or Gayer was an English merchant who was Lord Mayor of London in 1646.Gayre was a city of London merchant and a member of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers. He was one of the Court Assistants from 1617 to 1618, from 1622 to 1623, and from 1624 to 1626...
- for refusing to list the inhabitants of his ward who were able to contribute £50 or more to a loan for King Charles. During the Civil War he was colonel of the Norwich city militia. He was Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1644. . In 1647 Atkins was re-elected MP for Norwich for the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
and sat until 1653. On Thursday, 7 January 1649, he delivered a solemn thanksgiving to Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
and also issued a Hosannah on 7 June 1649. He was a "busy stickler for independency and republicanism", and the principal tool by which the Rump Parliament
Rump Parliament
The Rump Parliament is the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on 6 December 1648 of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason....
managed the common council of London
Atkins was Father of the CIty in 1658 and was discharged from his position as Alderman on 12 February 1661.