William Herrick (MP) facts for kids

Sir William Herrick (born 1562, died 1653) was an important person in England. He was a skilled jeweller who worked for kings and queens. He also served as a diplomat, helping with talks between countries, and as a politician in the English Parliament.

Sir William Herrick's Life and Work

Early Life and Business

William Herrick was born in Leicester in 1562. His father, John Heyrick, was an ironmonger, someone who sold iron goods. When William was about 12 years old, he moved to London. There, he became an apprentice to his older brother, Nicholas Herrick, who was a goldsmith. A goldsmith makes and sells items from gold and other precious metals.

After six years of learning the trade, William started his own business. He set up his shop in Wood Street, London. He quickly became very successful. He even loaned money to people, which helped him build a large fortune. With his money, he bought a big estate called Beau Manor Park.

Working for Royalty

William Herrick became known to Queen Elizabeth I. She sent him on a special trip to the Ottoman Empire, which was a very important diplomatic mission. When he returned, he was given a good job in the Exchequer, which managed the country's money.

In 1603, William became the main jeweller to King James I, his wife Queen Anne, and their son Prince Henry. He kept this important job until 1625. William and another jeweller, John Spilman, helped fix some of the crown jewels for the King and Queen's coronation.

Valuing Royal Jewels

In 1604, King James asked Herrick and Spilman to check and list all the jewels that had belonged to Queen Elizabeth I. Many jewels had already been given away by the King. The remaining jewels were moved to the care of the Countess of Suffolk. Other valuable pieces were brought from the Tower of London for Herrick and Spilman to value. This included a "great rich glass" (a fancy mirror or display piece) decorated with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and pearls, which also had a clock inside.

In 1605, William Herrick was knighted by the King. It was said that the King knighted him for the difficult job of making a hole in a large diamond that the King wore.

Supplying Jewels for Special Occasions

In 1606, Herrick and John Spilman provided pearls for the King's embroiderer, William Broderick. This was for the visit of Christian IV of Denmark, who was Queen Anne's brother. The pearls were used to decorate the King's saddle, his horse's gear, and even parts of his stockings!

A Member of Parliament

William Herrick was also involved in politics. In 1601, he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicester. An MP is a person elected to represent their area in the House of Commons, which is part of the country's government. He served as an MP for Leicester from 1604 to 1611, and again in 1621.

He was also a leader in the Goldsmiths’ Company, serving as its prime warden from 1605 to 1606.

His Family

William Herrick married Joan May in 1596. They had at least one son named Henry. William's brother, Robert, was also a Member of Parliament.

William Herrick was the uncle of the famous poet Robert Herrick. In 1607, William took Robert on as an apprentice. Later, William also helped support Robert financially while he was studying at Cambridge.

Sir William Herrick lived to be about 90 years old. He passed away in 1653 and was buried at St Martin's Church in Leicester.