Sir Edward Rossiter | |
|---|---|
 St Margaret's, Somerby where Rossiter was buried | |
| Deputy Lieutenant of Lincolnshire | |
| In office August 1660 – January 1669 | |
| Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire | |
| In office April 1660 – December 1660 | |
| Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby | |
| In office March 1646 – December 1648 (excluded in Pride's Purge) | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 January 1618 Somerby, England |
| Died | 9 January 1669 (aged 51) Somerby, England |
| Resting place | St Margaret's, Somerby |
| Political party | Parliamentarian |
| Spouse(s) | (1) Jane Samwell (1646–?) (2) Arabella Holles (1660–1669) |
| Children | (1) Mary and Elizabeth (2) John, Edward, Horatio, Richard and Vere |
| Alma mater | Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Soldier and politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  England |
| Years of service | 1642 to 1648 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars |
|
Sir Edward Rossiter (1 January 1618 – 9 January 1669) was an English landowner, soldier and politician from Lincolnshire. He fought with the Parliamentarian army in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, and sat as an MP at various times between 1646 and 1660.
When the First English Civil War began in August 1642, Rossiter joined the Eastern Association army, then transferred to the New Model Army in April 1645. He also played a prominent role in the civil administration of the East Midlands, and was nominated MP for Grimsby in March 1646. From February to July 1647, he commanded the garrison of Holdenby House, where Charles I was being held.
Rossiter was subsequently dismissed by the Army Council, who viewed him as an ally of their opponents in Parliament. Restored to the army during the 1648 Second English Civil War, he suppressed Royalist revolts in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. However, he was among those MPs excluded from the Commons by Pride's Purge in December 1648, and opposed the Execution of Charles I in January 1649, unlike his grandfather Sir John Bourchier.
During The Protectorate, Rossiter was elected MP for Lincolnshire in 1654, 1656 and 1659, but prevented from taking his seat as a suspected Royalist. In return for supporting the Stuart Restoration, he was knighted in May 1660 and appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Lincolnshire. However, he retired from politics and died in January 1669.