Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton,
KG (
REYE-əths-lee; 10 March 1607 – 16 May 1667), styled
Lord Wriothesley before 1624, was an
English statesman, a staunch supporter of King
Charles II who after the
Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 rose to the position of
Lord High Treasurer, which term began with the assumption of power by the
Clarendon Ministry. He "was remarkable for his freedom from any taint of corruption and for his efforts in the interests of economy and financial order," a noble if not completely objective view of his work as the keeper of the nation's finances. He died before the
impeachment of
Lord Clarendon, after which the
Cabal Ministry took over government.