Thomas Thistlewood (16 March 1721 ‒ 30 November 1786) was a British citizen who migrated to the western end of the Colony of Jamaica where he became a plantation overseer and owner of land, property, and enslaved people. His lengthy and detailed diary is an important historical document chronicling the history of Jamaica and slavery during the 18th century. His diary includes a detailed account of the brutal treatments of his slaves, including his torture and rape of female slaves. The latter was legal at the time and widely practiced by British settlers.