Richard Saltonstall (mayor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Richard Saltonstall
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| Lord Mayor of London | |
| In office 1597–1598 |
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| Preceded by | Henry Billingsley |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Soame |
| Sheriff of the City of London | |
| In office 1589–1590 Serving with Hugh Ofley
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| Preceded by | Thomas Skinner John Ketcher |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Soame Richard Gurney |
| Member of Parliament for London | |
| In office 1586–1588 |
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| Preceded by | Sir Nicholas Woodroffe William Fleetwood< Thomas Aldersey Henry Billingsley |
| Succeeded by | Sir George Barne William Fleetwood Thomas Aldersey Andrew Palmer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1521 Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 17 March 1601 (aged 79–80) South Ockendon, Essex |
| Spouse | Suzanna Poyntz |
| Relations | Peter Wyche (grandson) Nathaniel Wyche (grandson) Thomas Myddelton |
| Children | 16 |
Sir Richard Saltonstall (born around 1521, died March 17, 1601) was an important English merchant and politician. He held a very important job: he was the Lord Mayor of London in 1599. He was also a Member of Parliament and a Sheriff of the City of London.
Contents
Early Life and Family Roots
Richard Saltonstall was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1521. He was the second son of Gilbert Saltonstall and Agnes. Gilbert was a cloth merchant from Halifax, who owned land in Hipperholme.
Richard's family history went back a long way. His ancestors, like Robert de Saltonstall, owned land near Halifax as early as 1274. Richard was also the uncle of another famous person named Sir Richard Saltonstall, who later became a colonist in New England.
A Career in Business and Politics
Sir Richard Saltonstall had a very active career in both business and politics.
International Trade
For some time, Saltonstall lived in the Netherlands. There, he was a member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of London. This was a group of merchants who traded goods internationally. By 1585, he became the director of this important company.
He was also involved with other major trading companies of his time. These included the Muscovy Company, which traded with Russia, and the Levant Company, which traded with the Middle East. He was also part of the famous English East India Company, which traded with Asia.
Serving the City of London
Saltonstall also had a long and successful political career in London. By 1583, he was already a member of the city council. In 1586, he became a Member of Parliament, representing London.
By 1588, he was an alderman, a senior member of the city's government. He served as Sheriff of the City of London in 1589. This was an important role in law enforcement and city management. In 1597, he was elected Lord Mayor of London, the highest position in the city's government.
He also led the Skinners Company, a powerful guild for merchants dealing in furs and skins. He was their master in 1589, 1593, from 1595 to 1596, and again from 1599 to 1600. For his service, he was made a knight in 1598.
Personal Life and Family
Sir Richard Saltonstall married Suzanna Poyntz. She was the only daughter of Thomas Poyntz. Together, they had a very large family: seven sons and nine daughters. Richard also had at least one other daughter from outside his marriage.
Some of their children included:
- Eleanor Saltonstall (born 1554, died around 1601). She married Vincent Harvie, and later Robert Myddelton.
- Hester Saltonstall (born 1555, died 1587). She married Sir Thomas Myddelton, who also became a Lord Mayor of London later on.
- Elizabeth Saltonstall (born 1556, died 1626). She married Richard Wyche, who was a director of the English East India Company.
- Judith Saltonstall (born 1580, died 1611). She married Arthur Forest, and then Edward Riche.
- Susan Saltonstall. She married Richard Sunderland.
- Gilbert Saltonstall. He died in 1583, before his father.
- Edward Saltonstall. He died in 1563, before his father.
- Richard Saltonstall. He married Jane Barnard.
- Samuel Saltonstall. He was knighted in 1640.
- Peter Saltonstall (born 1577, died 1651). He worked at the court of King James VI and I. He married Christian Pettus, and later Anne Waller.
- Martha Saltonstall (born 1594, died 1680). She married Dr. John Clark.
- Anne Saltonstall. She married John Harby.
Sir Richard owned several estates. These included "Mynchenlane" in London, Moorhall in Hertfordshire, and South Ockendon in Essex. He passed away on March 17, 1601, at his estate in South Ockendon. His oldest living son, Richard, inherited his properties. His wife, Suzanna, died in February 1612 and was buried next to him.
Legacy and Memorial
Sir Richard Saltonstall is buried at St Nicholas of Myra, South Ockendon church. There is a beautiful monument there dedicated to him and his wife, Suzanna. It is made of different colored marble.
The monument has two arches with statues of Sir Richard and his wife. Sir Richard's statue shows him wearing the special clothes of the Lord Mayor of London. Below them, there are figures representing their sixteen children.
Sir Richard's wife, Suzanna, was the aunt of a translator named Adrian Poyntz. Adrian dedicated some of his books, like New and singular patternes & workes of linnen (1591) and Treasure of the Soule (1596), to Suzanna and Richard.
Through his daughter Elizabeth, Sir Richard was the grandfather of Sir Peter Wyche. Peter became the King's Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. He was also the grandfather of Nathaniel Wyche, who became the president of the English East India Company. Through his daughter Hester, he was the grandfather of General Sir Thomas Myddelton, who was a general during the English Civil War.
See also
- Saltonstall family – a famous family from Boston, USA, who are related to Richard Saltonstall through his nephew.
