John Crosby (died 1476) facts for kids

Sir John Crosby (died 1476) was an important merchant in London. He was also a city leader, a diplomat, and a Member of Parliament. During the Wars of the Roses, he supported the Yorkist side. He became a knight for helping to defend London in 1471. This was when Lancastrian forces, led by Thomas Fauconberg, attacked the city. Sir John Crosby built a large house called Crosby Hall in Bishopsgate. This house was later moved to Chelsea, where you can still see parts of it today.

Sir John Crosby's Family Life

John Crosby was the son of John Crosby, who also lived in London. He inherited a large estate called Hanworth from his father. This estate had belonged to his grandfather before that. We don't know his mother's name. In his will, which is like a last testament, he mentioned a cousin named Peter Christmas.

Sir John Crosby's Career and Achievements

Remains of Sir John Crosby's mansion, Crosby Hall

St Helen's, Bishopsgate, where Sir John Crosby was buried

When he was young, John Crosby learned the merchant trade from John Young. Young was a member of the Worshipful Company of Grocers, a powerful trade group. Crosby became a full member of this Company in 1454. He then started working as a wool merchant.

By 1460, he was doing business on a very large scale. In 1462, he was known as a "Merchant of the Staple of Calais." This meant he was allowed to trade wool from England through the port of Calais.

Around 1469, Crosby began importing fancy fabrics like damasks and satin. He also exported goods from England using Italian ships. He became a Member of Parliament for the City of London from 1467 to 1468. He was also an auditor for the city and an alderman from 1468 until he died.

In 1469, he became the Master of the Grocers' Company. In 1470, he was one of the two Sheriffs of London. Around this time, he was also the Mayor of the Staple of Calais.

Crosby Hall: A Grand London Home

By 1466, Crosby had earned enough money from his trading. He got a 99-year lease for land from a priory in Bishopsgate. There, he built Crosby Hall. A writer named John Stow described it as "very large and beautiful." He said it was the tallest house in London at that time.

Later, King Richard III used the house. A scene in Shakespeare's play Richard III is even set at Crosby Hall. In 1502, Sir Bartholomew Rede, who was the Lord Mayor of London, lived there during his time in office.

Sir John Crosby's Role in the Wars of the Roses

During the Wars of the Roses, Crosby supported the Yorkist side. He helped convince other city leaders to support King Edward IV. In May 1471, he and other aldermen successfully defended London Bridge. They stopped Thomas Fauconberg's attack on the city. For this brave act, King Edward IV made him a knight on May 21, 1471.

Because the power shifted between the Lancastrians and Yorkists, Crosby received pardons four times. This happened in 1459, 1464, February 1471, and December 1471.

Crosby also served as an ambassador for King Edward IV. He was sent to Burgundy in 1472 and to Utrecht and Bruges in May 1473. His job was to negotiate important trade agreements.

Sir John Crosby's Later Life and Legacy

Sir John Crosby wrote his will on March 6, 1471. He passed away five years later, in early 1476. He was buried at St Helen's, Bishopsgate. An altar tomb was built there for him and his first wife, Agnes. He and his two wives are also remembered in a stone inscription in a church in Essex.

In his will, Crosby left a lot of money and property. He left £2000 to his widow, Anne. His daughter, Joan, was to inherit his Hanworth estate. He also left money to help repair London Bridge and parts of the London wall.

Crosby's Hanworth estate was later taken over by King Henry VIII. In the early 1900s, his famous house, Crosby Hall, was moved from Bishopsgate to Chelsea. It is still important today because it's the only surviving example of a London merchant's home from the Middle Ages. The place where Crosby Hall used to stand in Bishopsgate is now home to Tower 42, a modern skyscraper.

Sir John Crosby's Marriages

Sir John Crosby married twice. His first wife was named Agnes. She died in 1466. They had four sons: Thomas, Richard, and two named John. They also had two daughters: Margaret and Joan.

His second wife was Anne Chedworth. She was the daughter of William Chedworth, a city official. After Crosby died, Anne is believed to have married John Rogers.

When Crosby wrote his will in 1471, his only child still alive was his unmarried daughter, Joan. It is thought that she passed away between 1471 and her father's death in 1476.