Thomas Kitson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Thomas Kitson
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Arms of Kitson: Sable, three fishes hauriant in fess argent a chief or
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| Born | 1485 |
| Died | 11 September 1540 (aged 55) |
| Burial place | Hengrave, Suffolk |
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| Children | Sir Thomas Kitson Katherine Kitson Dorothy Kitson Frances Kitson Anne Kitson |
| Parent(s) | Robert Kitson, mother's name unknown |
Sir Thomas Kitson (born 1485 – died 11 September 1540) was a very rich English merchant. He was also a Sheriff of London and built the famous Hengrave Hall in Suffolk.
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Who Was Sir Thomas Kitson?
Sir Thomas Kitson was born in 1485 in Warton, Lancashire. His father was Robert Kitson. Thomas had a sister named Margaret Kitson. She married John Washington, who was an ancestor of George Washington, the first President of the United States.
How Did Sir Thomas Kitson Become Rich?
Thomas Kitson moved to London when he was young. He became an apprentice to Richard Glasyer, a London merchant. An apprentice learns a trade by working for an expert. Richard Glasyer was a mercer, which means he traded fine fabrics. He was also a member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of London. This group helped English merchants trade goods overseas.
Becoming a Master Merchant
In 1507, Thomas Kitson became a full member of the Mercers' Company. He served as a Warden of the company several times. He was also the Master of the company in 1534–35. This shows he was a respected and important merchant.
Serving London and the King
From 1533 to 1534, Kitson served as a Sheriff of London. This was an important job in the city government. He was knighted on May 30, 1533. This happened during the coronation of Anne Boleyn, who became King Henry VIII's queen.
Kitson also worked with the Crown (the King's government) on big money deals. By 1509, he was already trading a lot of goods. By 1534-35, only ten other merchants exported more cloth than he did. This shows how successful he was.
One of Kitson's own apprentices was Sir Rowland Hill. Sir Rowland later became the Lord Mayor of London in 1549. He is also known for his connection to the publication of the Geneva Bible.
Trading Across Europe
Sir Thomas Kitson was a member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers until he died. He traded at big cloth markets called "staples." These markets were held in places like Antwerp and Middelburg in Flanders (modern-day Belgium and Netherlands).
Sir Thomas Kitson's Homes and Lands
Kitson owned many properties. He had a house in London on Milk Street, which even had its own chapel. He also had a garden on Coleman Street and another house and chapel in Stoke Newington. Like other rich London merchants, he had a house in Antwerp, where he traded.
He also bought land in the English counties of Devon, Dorset, and Somerset. In 1521, he bought the large estates of Hengrave in Suffolk and Colston Bassett in Nottinghamshire. He paid £2340 for them, which was a huge amount of money back then.
Building Hengrave Hall
After buying Hengrave, Sir Thomas Kitson got permission from King Henry VIII to build a magnificent manor house there. A manor house was a large country home. The building of Hengrave Hall started in 1525 and was finished in 1538. It was a very grand and elegant home.
Besides Hengrave, he also had houses in Westley and Risby in Suffolk.
When Did Sir Thomas Kitson Die?
Sir Thomas Kitson died on September 11, 1540. He was buried in Hengrave Church. In the church chapel, there is a beautiful monument. It remembers his wife, Margaret, Countess of Bath, and her three husbands.
Sir Thomas Kitson's Family
Sir Thomas Kitson was married twice.
His First Marriage
His first wife's name is not known. They had one daughter:
- Elizabeth Kytson: She married Edmund Croftes. They had two sons, Thomas and Henry.
His Second Marriage
Sir Thomas Kitson's second wife was Margaret Donnington. She was the only child of John Donnington. Thomas and Margaret had one son and four daughters:
- Sir Thomas Kitson (1540–1603): He was born after his father died. He married twice. His second wife was Elizabeth Cornwallis. They had two daughters, Margaret and Mary.
- Katherine Kitson: She married Sir John Spencer. They had four sons and six daughters. One of their sons, John Spencer, was an ancestor of the Earls Spencer and the Dukes of Marlborough. Three of her daughters, Elizabeth, Anne, and Alice, were famous in poetry.
- Dorothy Kitson (1531–1577): She married Sir Thomas Pakington. They had four sons and three daughters.
- Frances Kitson: She married John Bourchier, Lord FitzWarin. They had a son named William Bourchier, 3rd Earl of Bath. Her statue can be seen in Tawstock Church in Devon.
- Anne Kitson: She married Sir William Spring.
After Sir Thomas Kitson died, his wife Margaret married two more times. These marriages helped the family become even richer and more respected.
