Harrison, THOMAS

Harrison, THOMAS, regicide, was born at New-castle-under-Lyme in 1606, and joined the parliamentary army at the opening of the Civil War. He commanded the guard that carried the king from Hurst Castle to London, sat among his judges, and signed his death-warrant. He did good service at Worcester, but was too uncompromising alike in religion and politics to favour Cromwell's tolerant ideas, and was accordingly deprived of his commission, and later imprisoned for his share in some of the plots hatched by the more irreconcilable bigots. With characteristically stubborn heroism he would not fly at the Restoration, and was soon seized, tried, and condemned to death. He died bravely, October 13, 1660, with the words on his lips, 'If I had ten thousand lives, I could freely and cheerfully lay them all down to witness to this matter.'