Sir Michael Livesey | |
|---|---|
 Sir Michael Livesey | |
| High Sheriff of Kent | |
| In office 1655–1657 | |
| Member of Parliament for Queenborough | |
| In office September 1645 – April 1653 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1614 Eastchurch, Kent |
| Died | 1665 Rotterdam, Dutch Republic |
| Nationality | English |
| Spouse | Elizabeth (?-1665) |
| Children | Anne; Deborah (1634-?) |
| Occupation | Landowner, soldier, and Puritan activist |
| Military service | |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | |
Sir Michael Livesey, 1st Baronet (1614 - circa 1665), also spelt Livesay, was a Puritan activist and Member of Parliament who served in the Parliamentarian army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He was one of the regicides who approved the Execution of Charles I in January 1649.
At the outbreak of the First English Civil War in August 1642, Livesey played a prominent role in securing Kent for Parliament, raising a regiment of cavalry and serving on the local administration. He resigned his commission in early 1645 and was appointed Member of Parliament (MP) for Queenborough in September. During the Second English Civil War in 1648, he once again displayed energy and commitment in suppressing Royalist risings in South East England.
Known as a Republican who opposed further negotiations with King Charles I, Livesey was one of the MPs retained after Pride's Purge in December 1648, and appointed a judge at Charles' trial. A strong believer in the sovereignty of Parliament, he became disillusioned after the establishment of the Protectorate in 1654, although he served as High Sheriff of Kent in 1655 and 1656.
Following the Stuart Restoration in 1660, he was condemned as a regicide and escaped to the Low Countries. Claims he was assassinated by Royalist agents shortly afterwards are incorrect; he appears to have died in Rotterdam around June 1665, although some biographies give an earlier date.