John Fowke
Encyclopedia
John Fowke was an English merchant and politician. He served as a Sheriff of London for 1644 and Lord Mayor of London
for 1652.
He was the Member of Parliament
for City of London
1661 - 1662.
, Gloucestershire
, by his wife, Alice Carr of Newcastle-under-Lyme
, Staffordshire
. Coming to London, he rose to be one of its leading merchants. He was a member of the Haberdashers' Company, and an alderman
.
against paying tonnage and poundage
, persistently refused to pay. He had goods seized to the value of £5,827. In August 1627 and January 1628, for attempting to obtain legal redress, he was imprisoned and lost more merchandise. In the following February he was prosecuted by the Star Chamber
for ‘pretended riot and seditious words’ used by him to the officers sent to execute the replevin
. About the same time Charles I
expressed displeasure against Fowke, and shortly afterwards named him in a declaration printed and published in March 1628.
In October 1629, on Fowke again refusing to pay the impost, an information was laid against him at the council, and ‘great endeavours used to take away his life and estate upon false pretences of clipping of money and piracies.’ After witnesses had been examined he was committed to the Fleet Prison
and his ship and cargo, with a prize of sugar, seized. He was forced to give £40,000.
In June 1641 he petitioned the Commons for relief for his losses. The House, by an order of 30 June 1645, nominated a committee to consider how he might have reparation out of delinquents' estates.
Having been appointed a commissioner of the customs, and refusing to deliver up an account on oath of what money he had received, he was fined by the committee of accompts, 18 April 1645, and in the end sent to the Fleet Prison
. A deputation from the common council, headed by his friend William Gibbs, goldsmith, then sheriff, petitioned the Commons on 23 July for his release on bail. After a long debate on 4 August it was resolved that Fowke ought to ‘accompt jointly with the rest of the late commissioners and collectors of the customs.’
He was treated on all sides with deference. Under two decrees made by Lord Keeper Coventry
, on 21 November 1631 and 9 June 1635, the East India Company
had retained money of Fowke's. He petitioned the Lords, 8 July 1646, to have these decrees reversed. On 6 May 1647 judgment was given in his favour, with costs.
On 12 July 1648 Fowke presented to both houses a petition for peace, and delivered a short speech. The petition, which with the speech was published, expressed a hope that the parliament might take a course to secure peace. When a few weeks later the army returned to London, according to Denzil Holles, Fowke and Gibbs kept the city calm.
, the property of the sees of Gloucester and Bristol. He was named one of the king's judges, but refused to attend the trial.
On 27 February 1651 a parliamentary committee reported that compensation to the extent of £27,615 ought to be awarded him. The matter was referred to a committee of the council of state, 9 September 1652, who suggested that state lands in Waltham Forest, Essex
, worth £500 a year should be settled on him and his heirs for ever. This proposal received the assent of the council in 9 May 1654. Fowke then asked them to take his ‘sufferings’ into consideration. Finally, it was enacted, 4 August 1654, that £5,000 be assigned him from the fines set by the Act of Grace for Scotland.
During 1652–3 Fowke served the office of lord mayor. In January 1653 he was acting as a commissioner for the sale of the king's goods. Along with four other commissioners he was appointed, 10 March 1654, to consider ‘how the business of the forests might be best improved for the benefit of the state,’ and to draw up a report.
, 9 December 1659. Three weeks later he laid before the court of common council a report, which was printed, on the ‘imminent and extraordinary danger of the City.’ When the city corporation agreed to send their thanks to George Monck for his services, Fowke was one of the three commissioners appointed for that purpose, 19 January 1660. In March he appears as a commissioner for the City of London militia.
When the Restoration
seemed inevitable, Fowke issued an advertisement denying that he was ‘one of those persons that did actually sit as judges upon the tryal,’ to which he appended a certificate from Henry Scobell
, clerk of the parliament, dated 28 March 1660. For a while he appears to have lived in retirement at his country seat at Clayberry, situated to the north-east of Barking
, near Woodford Bridge
, Essex. He was, however, elected M.P. for the city of London on 19 March 1661, when he headed the poll. He was chosen in the same year president of Christ's Hospital
, to which and Bethlehem Hospital he proved a liberal benefactor. He died of apoplexy
on 22 April 1662.
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
for 1652.
He was the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for City of London
City of London (UK Parliament constituency)
The City of London was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950.-Boundaries and boundary...
1661 - 1662.
Early life
He was the third son of William Fowke of TewkesburyTewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, by his wife, Alice Carr of Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. Coming to London, he rose to be one of its leading merchants. He was a member of the Haberdashers' Company, and an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
.
Conflict with the king
In 1627 Fowke, after the vote and declaration of the House of CommonsHouse of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
against paying tonnage and poundage
Tonnage and Poundage
Tonnage and Poundage were certain duties and taxes first levied in Edward II's reign on every tun of imported wine, which came mostly from Spain and Portugal, and on every pound weight of merchandise exported or imported. Traditionally tonnage and poundage was granted by Parliament to the king...
, persistently refused to pay. He had goods seized to the value of £5,827. In August 1627 and January 1628, for attempting to obtain legal redress, he was imprisoned and lost more merchandise. In the following February he was prosecuted by the Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
for ‘pretended riot and seditious words’ used by him to the officers sent to execute the replevin
Replevin
In creditors' rights law, replevin, sometimes known as "claim and delivery," is a legal remedy for a person to recover goods unlawfully withheld from his or her possession, by means of a special form of legal process in which a court may require a defendant to return specific goods to the...
. About the same time Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
expressed displeasure against Fowke, and shortly afterwards named him in a declaration printed and published in March 1628.
In October 1629, on Fowke again refusing to pay the impost, an information was laid against him at the council, and ‘great endeavours used to take away his life and estate upon false pretences of clipping of money and piracies.’ After witnesses had been examined he was committed to the Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the Fleet River in London. The prison was built in 1197 and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846.- History :...
and his ship and cargo, with a prize of sugar, seized. He was forced to give £40,000.
In June 1641 he petitioned the Commons for relief for his losses. The House, by an order of 30 June 1645, nominated a committee to consider how he might have reparation out of delinquents' estates.
Civil War years
Fowke served the office of sheriff in 1643. King Charles, in his answer to the city petition of 4 January 1643, spoke of Fowke as one of the leaders of the parliamentary party in the city, and a person ‘notoriously guilty of schism and high treason’. In the ordinance of 29 March 1643 of parliament for raising money, Fowke was one of the persons empowered to nominate collectors in each ward.Having been appointed a commissioner of the customs, and refusing to deliver up an account on oath of what money he had received, he was fined by the committee of accompts, 18 April 1645, and in the end sent to the Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the Fleet River in London. The prison was built in 1197 and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846.- History :...
. A deputation from the common council, headed by his friend William Gibbs, goldsmith, then sheriff, petitioned the Commons on 23 July for his release on bail. After a long debate on 4 August it was resolved that Fowke ought to ‘accompt jointly with the rest of the late commissioners and collectors of the customs.’
He was treated on all sides with deference. Under two decrees made by Lord Keeper Coventry
Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry
Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry was a prominent English lawyer, politician and judge during the early 17th century.-Education and early legal career:...
, on 21 November 1631 and 9 June 1635, the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
had retained money of Fowke's. He petitioned the Lords, 8 July 1646, to have these decrees reversed. On 6 May 1647 judgment was given in his favour, with costs.
After the First Civil War: the parliament-army struggle
At a meeting of the common council for nominating a new committee for the militia of London, 27 April 1647, Fowke's name was ordered to be omitted from the list to be presented to parliament. However, on the following 12 June, upon a rumour of the army's near approach to London, he was asked to head a deputation to parliament to desire its approbation of the city's answer to Thomas Fairfax, and early next morning he set out with his fellow-commissioners to carry it to the general at St. Albans. He was restored to the militia committee by an ordinance of both houses dated 23 July and 2 September 1647.On 12 July 1648 Fowke presented to both houses a petition for peace, and delivered a short speech. The petition, which with the speech was published, expressed a hope that the parliament might take a course to secure peace. When a few weeks later the army returned to London, according to Denzil Holles, Fowke and Gibbs kept the city calm.
Under the Commonwealth
At the sale of bishops' lands Fowke acquired, on 28 September 1648, the Gloucestershire manors of Maysmore, Preston, Longford, and AshleworthAshleworth
Ashleworth is a village and civil parish in the Tewkesbury district of Gloucestershire, England, with a population of 553 , about six miles north of Gloucester...
, the property of the sees of Gloucester and Bristol. He was named one of the king's judges, but refused to attend the trial.
On 27 February 1651 a parliamentary committee reported that compensation to the extent of £27,615 ought to be awarded him. The matter was referred to a committee of the council of state, 9 September 1652, who suggested that state lands in Waltham Forest, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, worth £500 a year should be settled on him and his heirs for ever. This proposal received the assent of the council in 9 May 1654. Fowke then asked them to take his ‘sufferings’ into consideration. Finally, it was enacted, 4 August 1654, that £5,000 be assigned him from the fines set by the Act of Grace for Scotland.
During 1652–3 Fowke served the office of lord mayor. In January 1653 he was acting as a commissioner for the sale of the king's goods. Along with four other commissioners he was appointed, 10 March 1654, to consider ‘how the business of the forests might be best improved for the benefit of the state,’ and to draw up a report.
The Restoration
He was one of the committee chosen by the City of London to confer with Charles FleetwoodCharles Fleetwood
Charles Fleetwood was an English Parliamentary soldier and politician, Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1652–55, where he enforced the Cromwellian Settlement. At the Restoration he was included in the Act of Indemnity as among the twenty liable to penalties other than capital, and was finally...
, 9 December 1659. Three weeks later he laid before the court of common council a report, which was printed, on the ‘imminent and extraordinary danger of the City.’ When the city corporation agreed to send their thanks to George Monck for his services, Fowke was one of the three commissioners appointed for that purpose, 19 January 1660. In March he appears as a commissioner for the City of London militia.
When the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
seemed inevitable, Fowke issued an advertisement denying that he was ‘one of those persons that did actually sit as judges upon the tryal,’ to which he appended a certificate from Henry Scobell
Henry Scobell
Henry Scobell was an English Parliamentary official, and editor of official publications. He was clerk to the Long Parliament, and wrote on parliamentary procedure and precedents.-Life:...
, clerk of the parliament, dated 28 March 1660. For a while he appears to have lived in retirement at his country seat at Clayberry, situated to the north-east of Barking
Barking
Barking is a suburban town in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, in East London, England. A retail and commercial centre situated in the west of the borough, it lies east of Charing Cross. Barking was in the historic county of Essex until it was absorbed by Greater London. The area is...
, near Woodford Bridge
Woodford Bridge
Woodford Bridge is a suburb of north-east London, England in the London Borough of Redbridge. It includes Monkhams. It is on an old road between Chigwell and Leytonstone....
, Essex. He was, however, elected M.P. for the city of London on 19 March 1661, when he headed the poll. He was chosen in the same year president of Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital is an English coeducational independent day and boarding school with Royal Charter located in the Sussex countryside just south of Horsham in Horsham District, West Sussex, England...
, to which and Bethlehem Hospital he proved a liberal benefactor. He died of apoplexy
Apoplexy
Apoplexy is a medical term, which can be used to describe 'bleeding' in a stroke . Without further specification, it is rather outdated in use. Today it is used only for specific conditions, such as pituitary apoplexy and ovarian apoplexy. In common speech, it is used non-medically to mean a state...
on 22 April 1662.