John York (Master of the Mint) facts for kids

Sir John York (around 1490–1569) was an important English merchant and landowner. He also held a key job as the Master of the Mint, which meant he was in charge of making coins for the country. He was also a Member of Parliament, helping to make laws.

Sir John York's Life

Early Years and Career

John York was born around 1490. He was the third son of John Yorke and Katherine Patterdale. His grandfather, Sir Richard Yorke, was a successful merchant in York. Richard was even the Mayor of the Staple in Calais, a major trading port. John's uncle, Thomas, was also a merchant. It seems John followed in their footsteps, working as a merchant in Calais and Antwerp.

In 1535, John York arrived in Calais from Antwerp. He brought important news about a sermon preached against King Henry VIII. The king's officials rewarded him for this valuable information.

In 1544, he became an "assay master" at the Mint. This meant he helped check the quality of metals used for coins. By 1547, he was promoted to Master of the Mint in Southwark. This was a very important job, as he oversaw all coin production.

A Time of Change

In 1549, John York became the sheriff of London. This was a busy time in England. A big disagreement broke out between the powerful Protector Somerset and John Dudley, Earl of Warwick. King Edward VI was young, and these men were fighting for control.

Warwick moved into York's house in Walbrook during this time. The city of London decided to support Warwick. On October 8, 1549, important lords met and dined at York's house. The next day, the city promised soldiers to support them.

As a thank you, King Edward VI visited York at his official home in Southwark. After having dinner, the King knighted him. This meant he was now called "Sir John York." Later, when Somerset was released from prison, he was brought to Sir John's house.

Sir John also seemed to be in charge of the king's forests. He started cutting down trees from lands that belonged to the church. The king's council told him to stop, suspecting he might be misusing the timber. They even told him not to move the wood he had already cut. Later, they stopped him from cutting trees near Deptford because the wood was needed for building ships.

Coinage and Challenges

Sir John York was very busy at the Mint. This was a period when the country's money was changing often. In 1550, he went on secret missions abroad. The king had many debts, and Sir John was asked to help. He came up with a plan to make money on the Antwerp exchange. He also wanted to bring good quality metal back to England for new coins.

However, things didn't go perfectly. In March 1551, he faced problems and lost some silver. He and his men were caught trying to secretly move silver out of Antwerp.

Despite this, the plan wasn't a complete failure. As a Mint official, Sir John brought in a lot of metal. He also made a good personal profit. In 1551, he was given the job of improving the country's coins. Many coins made then had a "Y" stamp, which was one of York's special marks. In 1552, he received a pardon for any issues related to making the king's money. This was on the condition that he settled his accounts, owing the king over £9500.

Later Life and Land

Sir John York became very wealthy through his trading and work at the Mint. In May 1553, he joined the Russia Company, a group of merchants trading with Russia. He remained friends with the Duke of Northumberland.

When Lady Jane Grey briefly became queen, Sir John supported her. After her claim failed, he was arrested in his own house on July 23, 1553. His goods were taken by Queen Mary. He was sent to the Tower of London on July 31.

He was released from the Tower on October 18, 1553. After his release, he attended a sermon by Queen Mary's chaplain. He was an alderman of the city at this time. However, someone else had taken his place at the Mint.

Sir John did not return to public life until Queen Elizabeth became queen. In 1559, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge, Yorkshire. In 1560, he wrote to William Cecil, a key advisor to the Queen. He offered advice on making new coins and asked for Cecil's help. He suggested using foreign experts for refining metals, as they were very skilled. It seems he even traveled to Flanders for this business. However, he was not given his old job back at the Mint. Sir John York died sometime before the end of 1569.

Land and Property

Sir John York's work as a merchant and Mint official helped him become very rich. He bought land in Woolwich in Kent, and in Barking and East Ham in Essex.

In 1547, he bought large estates from the former Byland Abbey in Nidderdale, Yorkshire. This included a house called Gouthwaite, where his father had lived. In 1549, he bought the manor of Appletreewick in Wharfedale. This land had belonged to Bolton Priory and included the valuable lead mining area of Greenhow Hill. In 1551, he bought lands from the former Whitby Abbey from his friend John Dudley. Around the same time, he bought the manor of Austwick and nearby areas from the Duke of Suffolk.

While Sir John was in prison in 1553, the people living on the Whitby Abbey lands complained about him. They said he had raised their rents too much. The court ruled against him. Around the same time, another person complained that Sir John had stopped him from cutting timber for his mines and had taken a lot of his lead ore. The outcome of this case is not known.

Family Life

Sir John York married Anne or Anna, who was the daughter of Robert Smyth of London. Some records say Lady York later married Robert Paget. Other records suggest she was already a widow named Pagett when she married Sir John.

Sir John had six sons who were still alive when he wrote his will in 1562. Their names were Peter, William, Edmund, Rowland, Edward, and Henry. He also had two daughters. He left most of his properties, including his lands in Nidderdale and Wharfedale, to his son Peter.

The spelling of his name was usually "York."