Christopher Layer (merchant) facts for kids

Christopher Layer (born 1531, died 1600) was an important English businessman and politician from Norwich, a city in England. He was a successful merchant who imported goods and invested in property. He also served as the Mayor of Norwich multiple times and was briefly a Member of Parliament, representing Norwich in the English Parliament.

Christopher Layer: A Leading Citizen of Norwich

Christopher Layer was the son of William Layer, who was also a Mayor of Norwich. Christopher started his career as a grocer. He became one of the most important people in Norwich.

He held several key roles in the city:

• He was the Sheriff of Norwich from 1569 to 1570.
• He became an Alderman in 1570.
• He served as the Mayor of Norwich twice, first from 1581 to 1582, and again from 1589 to 1590.

As a businessman, Christopher Layer imported goods from the Netherlands. He also invested his money in land and houses in Norwich and other areas like Suffolk and Norfolk. However, his attempts to enclose a common piece of land at Great Witchingham in Norfolk led to many legal battles.

Christopher Layer also served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Norwich. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the national parliament. He was an MP briefly from 1584 to 1585 and again from 1597 to 1598. During his second time as an MP, he helped with committees that discussed important topics like shipping, land, and cloth. Norwich paid him five shillings a day for his time while he was attending Parliament.

One person who didn't agree with him once described him as a very smart and practical businessman who cared most about his own success. When Christopher Layer died on June 19, 1600, he left his lands to his grandchildren and children. He also made sure his wife had a good income and left gifts to many relatives, friends, and the poor people in Norwich. He was buried at St. John's, Maddermarket, in Norwich.

You can still see The Layer Monument in the Church of St John Maddermarket in Norwich. It has four small statues on it, which are rare examples of a special type of sculpture from that time called Northern Mannerism.

Christopher Layer's Family

Christopher Layer was the son of William Layer, who was Mayor of Norwich, and Elizabeth Marsham.

In 1557, Christopher's uncle, Thomas Marsham, who was also an Alderman of Norwich, passed away. Through his aunt Mary Marsham, Christopher Layer was related to Temperance Flowerdew and John Pory.

Christopher Layer married Barbara, the daughter of Augustine Steward. They had several children, including:

• Augustine Layer
• Elizabeth Layer
• Christopher Layer, who married Elizabeth Rugge. They had children named William, Francis, Christopher (who died young), Anne, and Elizabeth.