Thomas Hammond (regicide) facts for kids
Thomas Hammond (around 1600–1658) was an important officer in the New Model Army. He was also involved in the trial of King Charles I.
Family and Early Life
Thomas Hammond was the third of five children. His father, Dr. John Hammond (born around 1555, died 1617), was a doctor for King James I. His family bought the land where Chertsey Abbey used to be in Surrey in 1602. Thomas's brother, Henry Hammond, became a well-known religious leader. In 1635, Thomas Hammond married Susan Temple.
Fighting in the Civil War
When the English Civil War began in 1642, Thomas Hammond became an officer in charge of artillery. Artillery means big guns and cannons. He was an experienced officer, so he might have fought in other wars before this one.
Hammond chose to fight for the Parliament against King Charles I. By 1644, he showed he had strong beliefs. He even spoke against his own commander, Edward Montagu, to support Oliver Cromwell.
Between 1647 and 1649, Thomas Hammond was part of a small group. This group represented the main leaders of the New Model Army, called the Grandees. They talked with the Long Parliament (the government at the time). They also spoke with soldiers who wanted more rights, known as Agitators and Levellers. They even talked with King Charles I himself.
Thomas Hammond was chosen to be a judge at the special court that tried King Charles I. He attended many of the court meetings. However, he did not sign the paper that ordered the king's death. We don't know why he chose not to sign it.
After the War
Thomas Hammond did not go with Oliver Cromwell to fight in Ireland. He also did not join the first invasion of Scotland. But he did join Cromwell later in Scotland. While there, he became very sick. His health never fully recovered, and he left the army in 1652.
After leaving the army, Hammond worked to get the money he and his artillery team were owed. He received land in Ireland for his early part in the war. He and his men also received land in Middlesex and Surrey that had been taken from people who supported the King.
In 1657, as his health got worse, he wrote his will. He died the next year, shortly before his old friend and commander, Oliver Cromwell. After the King returned to power in England (this was called the Restoration), a special law was passed. This law meant that Thomas Hammond's property could be taken by the government.
