Richard Carmarden facts for kids

Richard Carmarden (died 1603) was an important English businessman who lived a long time ago. He was a merchant (someone who buys and sells goods) and worked for the Queen as a "Surveyor of Customs" in London. This meant he helped manage taxes on goods coming into the country. He also helped print Bibles and wrote a book for the Queen.

Richard Carmarden's Family Life

Richard Carmarden's parents were Thomas Carmarden and Dorothy Alexander. Dorothy was the daughter of Paul Alexander.

Carmarden's Work and Public Life

Richard Carmarden first became known in 1566. He paid for a special version of the Bible, called the Great Bible, to be printed in English in a city called Rouen. He was also part of a group of important business people called the Company of Merchant Taylors. In 1570, he wrote a book for Queen Elizabeth I called A Caveat for the Quene.

Becoming Surveyor of Customs

In 1590, the way customs (taxes on goods) were managed changed. Richard Carmarden was given an important job: he became the Surveyor of Customs for London. This was a very important role, and he was paid a good salary for it. His job was to make sure that the right taxes were collected on goods coming into England.

Searching for Foreign Books

One of Richard Carmarden's tasks as Surveyor of Customs was to look for foreign books being brought into England. In 1597, he wrote a letter to Lord Burghley, who was a very powerful advisor to the Queen. In the letter, Carmarden mentioned that he and his team were told to "look narrowly" (very carefully) for all books arriving from other countries. Interestingly, Carmarden himself once brought in a large amount of printed books.

Advising Queen Elizabeth I

Richard Carmarden had a close relationship with Lord Burghley and his son, Sir Robert Cecil. He often wrote to them, sharing his advice. The Queen herself even asked for his opinion on one occasion! He helped her figure out the best way to sell a huge amount of pepper. This pepper was part of the valuable cargo from a large ship called the Madre de Dios, which had been captured in 1592.

Challenges in His Role

Not everyone was happy with how Richard Carmarden did his job. Once, in 1595, he had a disagreement with a merchant named William Leveson. Carmarden's officers took some of Leveson's goods. In response, Leveson and others attacked Carmarden's officers and said bad things about the Queen's authority. Carmarden complained, and Leveson was put in prison. He was later released after saying sorry and paying some money.

There were other complaints about Carmarden's work too. Some people believed his actions as Surveyor of Customs were causing problems for shipping, trade, and the collection of customs taxes.

Later Life and Burial

Richard Carmarden died in 1603. He was buried in the Church of St Nicholas in Chislehurst, Kent. There is a special memorial there that says he was sixty-seven years old when he passed away. In the same church, there are memorials for his first wife, Alice More, and his son-in-law, Thomas Wigg.

Marriages and Children

Richard Carmarden married twice. His first wife was Alice More. Together, they had two sons, Richard Carmarden and Nathaniel Carmarden, and a daughter, Mary Carmarden. Mary married a man named Thomas Wigg. Richard Carmarden's son, also named Richard, later took over his father's job as Surveyor of the Customs.

Richard Carmarden's second wife was Mary Alington.

Images for kids

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  Church of St Nicholas, Chislehurst, where Richard Carmarden was buried