John Woodcock (mayor) facts for kids

Sir John Woodcock (who was also known as Wodcock or Wodecok) was an important English merchant and politician. He lived a long time ago, in the late 1300s and early 1400s, and died in 1409. During his life, he held many important jobs, including being the Lord Mayor of London. He was very influential during the time of two kings, King Richard II and King Henry IV. Sir John Woodcock was one of the wealthiest people in London back then, and he even lent a lot of money to these kings.

Sir John Woodcock's Early Life and Career

John Woodcock was born in Doncaster, a town in Yorkshire, England. Later, he moved to London. By 1382, he was already involved in important city business. For example, he helped to value valuable pearls for the Lord Mayor's court, working alongside another famous Londoner, Richard Whittington.

Woodcock quickly became a key figure in London's government. In 1388, he became a common councillor for the Cripplegate area of the city. Two years later, in 1390, he was chosen as the Auditor of London. This meant he helped check the city's finances.

Becoming an Alderman and Sheriff

In 1397, John Woodcock became an alderman. This is a senior member of the city council. He first served for Coleman Street Ward until 1402. After that, he became the alderman for Cripplegate Ward.

He also served as one of the Sheriffs of the City of London. This was a very important role, like a chief law enforcement officer for the city. He was a sheriff when Richard Whittington was serving his second term as Lord Mayor.

Lord Mayor of London

In 1405, Sir John Woodcock was elected as the Lord Mayor of London himself. He took over from Sir John Hende. Before becoming mayor, he had served one term in Parliament in 1404. This Parliament was sometimes called the "Unlearned Parliament".

During his time as mayor, Sir John Woodcock made an important decision about the Thames River. He ordered that all the weirs (which are like small dams) on the river below Staines should be destroyed. He did this because these weirs made it hard for boats to travel safely on the river.

At the end of his term as mayor, he started a new tradition. He decided that the outgoing mayor, along with the aldermen and many wealthy citizens, should attend a special church service with music at the Guildhall. This was the first time music was officially part of the London mayoral elections. People at the time believed this new tradition helped make sure the next mayor was chosen without any arguments.

Woodcock's Wealth and Royal Connections

Sir John Woodcock became very rich by supplying goods to the households of powerful people. His most important customer was King Richard II. He also supplied goods to the king's nephew, Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey, and the king's uncle, John of Gaunt. Another important customer was the Earl of Derby, who later became King Henry IV.

His strong connection to the Earl of Derby led to him getting involved in a political event called the Lords Appellant affair. However, King Richard II later pardoned him for this.

In 1392, when King Richard II had a disagreement with the City of London, Sir John Woodcock was one of the main citizens sent to meet with the king. After this meeting, the king took away some of London's special rights and appointed new leaders for the city.

Woodcock's long friendship with the Earl of Derby proved very helpful when the Earl became King Henry IV. The new king showed great favor to Woodcock. He even made sure that debts owed to Woodcock by the previous king and others were paid back. This included debts from Thomas Mowbray, 4th Earl of Norfolk, who had been executed in 1405.

Family and Legacy

Sir John Woodcock married Felicity Austyn. Her father, Thomas Austyn, was also a merchant. John and Felicity had four children together: two sons and two daughters.

Sir John Woodcock passed away in 1409. He left a large fortune to his wife and children. He was buried at St Alban, Wood Street in London. Much later, in 1683, a noble family from Lancashire claimed that they were descended from him.