Thomas Lilburne was 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 1656 and 1659. He fought in the Parliamentary army 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...

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Lilburne was the son of George Lilburne

George Lilburne

George Lilburne was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War....

 of Sunderland and his first wife Jane Chambers. He was a parliamentary officer in 1644. He was of Offerton and was steward of the manor of Holm Cultram from 1652 until his death.

In 1656, Lilburne 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 County Durham

County Durham (UK Parliament constituency)

Durham or County Durham was a county constituency in northern England, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1675 until 1832.- History :...

 in the Second Protectorate Parliament

Second Protectorate Parliament

The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons...

. He was elected MP for Newcastle in 1659 for the Third Protectorate Parliament

Third Protectorate Parliament

The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons...

. He was a major in the army of General Monck

George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle

George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, KG was an English soldier and politician and a key figure in the restoration of Charles II.-Early life and career:...

 and was described as one of the persons instrumental in His Majesty's happy restoration. It is noted that that Charles II made Lilburne a grant 'concerning Holme' as from Lady day 1664.

Lilburne died in 1665 and was buried at the church of Houghton-le -Spring, where he is commorated on a plain blue slab.

Lilburne married Margaret Scurfield, widow of George Scurfield. He was the cousin of Robert Lilburne

Robert Lilburne

thumb|right|Robert LilburneColonel Robert Lilburne was the older brother of John Lilburne, the well known Leveller, but unlike his brother who severed his relationship with Oliver Cromwell, Robert Lilburne remained in the army...

, the parliamentary soldier, and John Lilburne

John Lilburne

John Lilburne , also known as Freeborn John, was an English political Leveller before, during and after English Civil Wars 1642-1650. He coined the term "freeborn rights", defining them as rights with which every human being is born, as opposed to rights bestowed by government or human law...

, known as Free-Born John for his championing of democratic freedom.