William Leveson facts for kids

William Leveson (died 1621) was an important English merchant. He was part of powerful groups like the Mercers' Company and the Company of Merchant Adventurers. These groups were like big clubs for merchants who traded goods.

In 1599, William Leveson helped manage the shares for the famous Globe Theatre. This was the theatre where William Shakespeare's plays were performed! Later, in 1601, he was involved in helping to stop a political uprising known as the Essex rebellion. In 1613, he had a disagreement over money with the Virginia Company, which was a group that helped set up colonies in America.

William Leveson's Family

William Leveson was the younger son of Thomas Leveson (who lived from 1532 to 1576). His grandfather, Nicholas Leveson (who died in 1539), was also a mercer in London. A mercer was someone who traded in fine fabrics.

William's mother was Ursula Gresham (1534–1574). She was one of twelve children of Sir John Gresham, who was once the Lord Mayor of London. This means William came from a well-known family in London.

William also had an older brother, Sir John Leveson. Sir John played a big part in stopping the Essex rebellion in 1601, just like William did.

William Leveson's Career as a Merchant

William Leveson worked as a merchant for about twenty years. He was a member of several important trading groups:

• The Mercers' Company
• The Company of Merchant Adventurers
• The Company of Merchants for the Discovery of Regions Unknown

It was not easy for Leveson to join the Merchant Adventurers. In 1586, the Privy Council (a group of advisors to the Queen) had to send a letter to the Company. They asked the Company to let Leveson join because he had trained with one of their members and had not done anything wrong.

In 1592, William Leveson was part of a lawsuit. This lawsuit showed that he was already doing a lot of business as a merchant.

Dealing with Customs

In 1595, Leveson got into trouble with the law. Officers from the customs office, led by Richard Carmarden, took some of Leveson's goods. In response, Leveson and others fought with the officers and said some strong words against the Queen's power. Leveson was put in prison but was later released after he apologized and paid some fees.

Around this time, Sir Robert Cecil, an important government official, started using Leveson. Leveson would receive secret letters from people in other countries that were meant for Cecil. These letters were addressed to "Mr William Lewson, merchant, at London." It's thought that Leveson's cousin, William Waad, who worked for the Privy Council, might have helped Cecil notice Leveson.

Involvement with the Globe Theatre

In 1599, William Leveson was one of two people chosen to manage the shares for the Globe Theatre. He worked with famous actors and playwrights like William Kempe, Thomas Pope, Augustine Phillips, John Heminges, and William Shakespeare. At that time, Leveson was also a churchwarden in the area of St Mary Aldermanbury. Later, he lived in a place called Philip Lane.

Helping Stop the Essex Rebellion

On February 8, 1601, Leveson helped stop the rebellion led by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. As a reward, Leveson asked Queen Elizabeth for the right to rent a property called the Golden Key in Cheapside. This property belonged to the Mercers' Company. The Queen supported his request, but in the end, Leveson did not get the lease.

Working with the Virginia Company

In 1607, Leveson helped raise money for the Virginia Company. This company was formed to set up English colonies in North America. He was known for collecting "great sums" of money for them.

However, in 1613, the Virginia Company sued Leveson. He was in charge of the money collected from the company's first lottery. The lawsuit was about getting these funds from him. This legal case is important because it tells us a lot about how the Virginia Company's first lottery worked and how much money it raised. It shows that in 1613, about £2,793 was collected.

Later Life

William Leveson's will, which is a legal document about his wishes for his money and property after he dies, suggests that he might have had less money in his later years. He wrote his will on January 8, 1621. He left gifts to his wife, Mary, and his two sons, Thomas and James, as well as to his servants. He died shortly after that, and his will was officially approved on June 21, 1621.