John Leman facts for kids
Sir John Leman (1544–1632) was an important businessman from Beccles, England. He became a very important person in London, even serving as the Lord Mayor of London.
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Sir John Leman's Business Journey
Sir John Leman started his business in the Waveney area, which is between Norfolk and Suffolk. In the 1580s, he moved to London. There, he expanded his business to include trading in dairy products like cheese and butter.
Becoming a London Leader
Leman became a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers. This was a powerful group of merchants. Later, he was chosen as an alderman for the City of London. This meant he was a senior member of the city's government. In 1606, he became a Sheriff of London, which was an important role in law and order. Then, in 1616, he reached the highest position: Lord Mayor of London.
Trading and City Growth
Sir John Leman had people working for him who bought cheese and butter in London and Essex. These goods were then sent by sea to London. Sometimes, he and a few other traders bought up most of the butter and cheese. This allowed them to sell it at a higher price. This made some people in London upset, leading to protests about the cost of butter in the 1590s.
In the early 1600s, Leman bought a large piece of land called Goodman's Fields. It was just outside the main City of London near Aldgate. He helped develop this area into a new part of the city. He created four new streets there: Leman Street, Ayliff Street, Mansell Street, and Prescot Street. The last three streets were named after his close family members.
Land in Huntingdonshire
In 1622, Sir John Leman, along with his nephew Robert Leman and his late brother's son William Leman, bought a large estate called the manor of Warboys in Huntingdonshire. They bought it from Oliver Cromwell, who later became a very famous leader of England. Sir John bought more land nearby a year later. In 1628, Robert gave his share of the manor to Sir John and William. When Sir John died, William inherited the entire manor.
Sir John Leman's Legacy
Sir John Leman never married and passed away in 1632. He was buried in London. He always remembered his hometown of Beccles. In his will from 1631, he made sure money was set aside to create a free school. This school was meant to educate 44 students from Beccles, two from Ringsfield, and two from Gillingham.
Today, a 17th-century building in Beccles called Leman House was once the John Leman School. It is now a Grade I listed building, which means it's very important historically. The building still has the school's old motto on its wall: Disce aut Discede. This roughly means 'learn or go'. The town's museum is now in Leman House. Also, the main high school in Beccles is still named after him: Sir John Leman High School.
