Marmaduke Roydon facts for kids
Sir Marmaduke Roydon (born in 1583, died in 1646) was an English businessman and a person who helped start new settlements. He was also a brave army officer who supported the King during the English Civil War.
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Early Life and Business Adventures
Marmaduke Roydon was born in Yorkshire in 1583. When he was 16, he moved to London. There, he became an apprentice to Daniel Hall, a merchant who traded with Bordeaux, France. Roydon worked for him in France.
Around 1610, he returned to London. He became a common councilman, which meant he helped manage the city. He also joined the Clothworkers' Company, a group for people in the cloth trade. He even became a captain in the city's volunteer army, called the militia.
Exploring New Lands
In 1614, Roydon joined a business trip to the New England coast. They sent two ships to explore and trade. He was also very interested in finding the Northwest Passage, a sea route through North America.
Roydon was one of the first people to start settlements in Barbados. In 1628, he was given 10,000 acres of land there. He also traveled to other parts of the West Indies, Spain, Turkey, and the Canary Islands for his business.
Building and Politics
In 1622, Roydon built a house called Rawdon House in Hoddesdon. Later, in 1628 and 1629, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Aldeburgh. This meant he helped make laws for the country.
Fighting for the King
During the English Civil War, Marmaduke Roydon fought for King Charles I. He even paid for his own group of soldiers. He helped defend Basing House in 1643 during a siege, which is when an army surrounds a place to try and capture it.
For his bravery, he was made a knight in December 1643. This meant he was called "Sir Marmaduke." In 1645, he became the governor of Faringdon. He died there on April 28, 1646.
Family Life
In 1611, Marmaduke Roydon married Elizabeth Thorowgood in London. Their son, Thomas, also fought for the King in the army. After a big battle called Marston Moor, Thomas went to live in the Canary Islands.
Roydon's nephew, also named Marmaduke Rawdon, lived in his house for several years starting in 1626. The poet Martha Moulsworth was Elizabeth's stepmother. Her writings are thought to have been passed down through the Roydon family.
