THURLOE, JOHN (1616-1668), English politician, son of Thomas Thurloe, rector of Abbot's Roding in Essex, was bap tized on June 12, 1616. He studied law, entered the 'service of Oliver St. John, through whose interest he was appointed a secre tary to the parliamentary commissioners at Uxbridge in 1645; other employments followed. On March 29, 1652, he was ap pointed secretary to the council of state. His duties included the control of the intelligence department and of the posts, and his perfect system of collecting information and success in discover ing the plans of the enemies of the administration astonished his contemporaries. In the parliaments of 1654 and of 1656 he repre sented Ely; he was appointed a member of Cromwell's second council in 1657.
After Oliver's death Thurloe supported Richard Cromwell's succession, and took part in the administration, sitting in the parliament of January 1659 as member for Cambridge University.
Appointed secretary of state on Feb. 27, 1660, he appears to have steadily resisted the Restoration, and his promises of support to Hyde in April inspired little confidence. On May 15, 166o, he was arrested on the charge of high treason, but was freed on June 29, subject to the obligation of attending the secretaries of state "for the service of the state whenever they should require." He subse quently wrote several papers on the subject of foreign affairs for Clarendon's information. He died on Feb. 21, 1668.
His extensive correspondence, the originals of which are in the Bodleian Library at Oxford and the British Museum (Add. MSS. 4158), is one of the chief sources of information for the period. A portion was published with a memoir by T. Birch in 1742, and other correspondence is printed in R. Vaughan's Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell (J836).