Robert Brook facts for kids

Robert Brook was a goldsmith who lived and worked in London during the late 1500s, from about 1590 to 1600. Goldsmiths were skilled craftspeople who worked with gold and other precious metals, often making jewelry or lending money. Brook's workshop was located on Lombard Street, a famous area in London known for its bankers and goldsmiths.

Dealing with a Diamond

In 1594, Robert Brook was involved in a interesting situation involving a large diamond. He lent money to two men, Bartholomew Gilbert and Robert Howe, who had this valuable diamond they wanted to sell.

How Brook Got the Diamond

Brook decided he wanted the diamond for himself. He got the money to buy it from another goldsmith and pawnbroker named Giles Simpson. Simpson's shop, called the "Sign of the White Bear," was also on Lombard Street.

Questions About the Diamond

Later, one of the men, Bartholomew Gilbert, was asked by Sir Richard Martin about where the diamond came from. Sir Richard Martin was an important official in London at the time. Gilbert said he got the diamond from a sailor in a place called Limehouse. He also mentioned that a man named John Maddox from Ipswich had introduced him to the sailor. The deal for the diamond happened at the house of a jeweler named John Terry in Cheapside.

There was also a story from William Hamour, who claimed that Brook had given him the diamond to keep safe, and then Hamour's wife, Alice, had lost it. However, Alice said she knew nothing about the diamond.

The Remarkable Hat

In 1596, a sailor named Nicholas Saunders wrote two letters to Sir Robert Cecil, who was a very important government official. Saunders described a very special hat that had come from the Americas.

A Hat Woven with Silver

This amazing hat had been bought from Robert Brook by a man named John Battersby, who was from Plymouth. The hat was quite old and worn, but it was unique because it was woven with silver and pearls! When Saunders first saw it, he thought it might be a famous hat that Sir Francis Drake had gotten from a "king or leader" in the Americas.

Working with Important People

Robert Brook also had business dealings with many important people, including Scottish merchants and diplomats. These were often people who came to London to collect money that Queen Elizabeth I gave every year to King James VI of Scotland.

Lending to Scottish Nobles

In May 1598, a man named James Hudson wrote about a Scottish goldsmith named Thomas Foulis. Foulis had pawned a valuable gold lion, which had a ruby set in it, with Robert Brook. This piece was worth a lot of money, about £400. Hudson thought this gold lion might even belong to King James VI himself. Foulis's business partner, Robert Jousie, was having trouble paying back the money he owed to Brook and Hudson.

The Earl of Lincoln's Jewels

Another important person who pawned items with Brook was the Earl of Lincoln. The Earl pawned his best jewelry with Brook. In October 1598, he was unable to pay back the money, so he lost his "rarest chains and jewells" to Brook.

Brook's Family

Robert Brook had four children: Robert, Thomas, Dorothy, and John. They were all baptized at a church called St Mary Woolnoth in London.