Thomas Tyldesley was born on 3 September 1612 at
Woodplumpton, the eldest of the six children of Edward Tyldesley (1582–1621) of
Morleys Hall,
Astley, in the parish of
Leigh and his wife Elizabeth Preston of
Holker Hall. He entered
Gray's Inn intending to follow a career of law. Later he became a professional soldier and served in the
Thirty Years' War in Germany. He married Frances, elder daughter of Ralph Standish in 1634 and they had three sons and seven daughters. His family were
recusants and his grandmother arranged a pension for priest,
Benedictine martyr Ambrose Barlow so that he could secretly carry out priestly duties, offering masses in secret in the homes of Catholics in the Leigh parish. Barlow was arrested at Morleys Hall during such a service. His aunt,
Elizabeth Tyldesley, was abbess of the
Poor Clares at
Gravelines in the Spanish Netherlands from 1610 to 1654. His annual landed income, mostly from tithes purchased from the Urmstons of Westleigh, was £2050 in 1641. Tyldesley served
King Charles I as lieutenant colonel at the
Battle of Edgehill, after raising Regiments of Horse, Foot and Dragoons, and at the
desperate storming of Burton-on-Trent over a bridge of 36 arches, received the honour of Knighthood. Afterwards he served in all three of the Civil Wars as a commander of some importance. He was present with
Prince Rupert of the Rhine at the
Bolton Massacre in 1644. He was Governor of Lichfield and followed the fortune of
the Crown through the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms and never surrendered to the Parliamentarians. He was killed in action on 25 August 1651 commanding as Major General under the
Earl of Derby during the
Battle of Wigan Lane. He was buried at his family chapel at
Leigh Parish Church. ==In Literature==