Researching Edward Tooker

Tooker was the eldest son of Giles Tooker, Recorder and Member of Parliament for Salisbury, by his marriage to Elizabeth Eyre, daughter of Thomas Eyre of Salisbury. Tooker entered Lincoln's Inn in 1610 and was called to the bar in 1616. In 1623 he succeeded to the estates of his father at Maddington. He became guardian to his orphaned nephew Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, who later described him as "a very honest, industrious man, an hospitable, prudent person, much valued and esteemed, dead and alive, by all that knew him".

Tooker became active in public life during the English Civil War, becoming commissioner for assessment and commissioner for levying of money for Wiltshire in 1643. He was commissioner for assessment for Wiltshire from 1647 to 1652 and High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1648. He was commissioner for militia in 1648 and 1649. In 1651 he became a Justice of the Peace and in 1653 commissioner for the relief of poor prisoners. In 1654, he was elected Member of Parliament for Salisbury in the First Protectorate Parliament. He was commissioner for assessment for Wiltshire in 1657 and commissioner for militia in 1659. In 1659 he was elected as a Member for Hindon in the Third Protectorate Parliament. He was again commissioner for assessment for Wiltshire from January 1660 until his death and commissioner for militia in March 1660. In April 1660 he was again elected as a member of parliament for Salisbury in the Convention Parliament. He was commissioner for assessment for Salisbury from August 1660 until his death and commissioner for oyer and terminer on the Western circuit in July 1660. In 1661 he was re-elected as a member for Salisbury in the Cavalier Parliament and sat until his death.

Tooker died at the age of 71 and was buried at Maddington.

Tooker married firstly Martha Cooper, daughter of Sir John Cooper, of Pawlett, Somerset, and with her had a son and two daughters. In about 1638 he married secondly Mary Platt, the widow of William Platt of Highgate Hill, the daughter of Sir John Hungerford of Down Ampney, Gloucestershire. His only son inherited an estate of £1,000 a year and was created a baronet two months after his father's death.