William Browne (Mayor of the Calais Staple) facts for kids
Sir William Browne (born 1410 – died 14 April 1489) was a very important person in his time. He was a top leader, like a mayor, for the English merchants in Calais, France. He was also a special wool merchant. Sir William is most famous for starting Browne's Hospital in Stamford, England. This hospital was a medieval almshouse, which means it was a place that provided housing and care for people who were poor or elderly. It is still an important old building today.
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Sir William's Life and Work
Sir William Browne was a very successful and rich wool merchant. Wool was a huge business in England during the 1400s!
Serving Stamford
He was an important local leader called an alderman in the town of Stamford many times:
- 1435
- 1444
- 1449
- 1460
- 1466
- 1470
In 1465, Sir William helped pay for and build the tall tower, called a steeple, for All Saints' Church in Stamford. His father had built the main church before him.
Serving the County
Sir William also served as the sheriff for the county of Rutland in these years:
- 1467
- 1475
- 1483
- 1486
He might have also been the sheriff for Lincolnshire in 1478. A sheriff was a very important official who helped keep law and order in the county.
Founding Browne's Hospital
In 1485, King Richard III gave Sir William special permission, called letters patent, to start and fund an almshouse. This was a place to help people in need.
Sir William Browne and his wife, Margaret, both passed away in 1489. After their deaths, Margaret's brother, Thomas Stokke, took over the management of the hospital. Thomas Stokke got new permission from King Henry VII in 1493 to continue the project. Browne's Hospital was finished that same year and officially opened in 1494.
Sir William's Family
Sir William Browne came from a family called the Brownes of Rutland. His parents were John (who died in 1442) and Margaret Browne (who died in 1460). He also had a younger brother named John.
Sir William married Dame Margaret Stock (also known as Stokke or Stokes). She passed away on October 28, 1489. Margaret was the heiress of a large house and land, called a manor, in Warmington.
They had at least two daughters:
- Agnes
- Elizabeth (born around 1441 – died 1511), who married Sir John Elmes and lived at Lilford Hall.
Sir William and his wife Margaret both died in 1489. They were buried together in the south chapel of All Saints' Church, the same church where Sir William had helped build the steeple.
