Richard Martin (Lord Mayor of London)
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard Martin was an English goldsmith
and Master of the Mint
who served as Sheriff
and twice as Lord Mayor of the City of London during the reign of Elizabeth I
.
, Essex
. He was elected a liveryman
of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths
, one of the Livery Companies or craft guilds of the City of London, in 1558.
He was elected alderman
for the wards of Farringdon Within
1578-98 and Bread Street
1598-1602. He was Sheriff of London in 1581-2.
Martin was knighted in 1588-89 and served a partial year as Lord Mayor in 1589, succeeding Sir Martin Calthrop who had died in office. He was Prime Warden or head of the Goldsmiths' Company 1592-3, chairing the Court of Wardens or governing body of the company, and served a second term as Lord Mayor in 1593-94, succeeding Sir Cuthbert Buckle. His other municipal offices included President of Christ's Hospital
and Comptroller-General of Hospitals 1594-1602.
Martin was a warden of the Royal Mint
by 1572, and was responsible for overseeing the workings of the mint and the quality of the coinage. John Stow
's Survey of London records Martin's charges against John Lonyson or Lonison, Master of the Mint, in the 1570s, a matter that was finally weighed by a commission of Privy Council
members including Nicholas Bacon, the Lord Keeper, William Cecil, Lord Burghley
, the Lord Treasurer, and others, which recommended that
Martin himself succeeded Lonyson as Master of the Mint in 1582, serving in that capacity until his death in 1617.
Martin was an investor in Sir Francis Drake
's 1577–80 voyage of circumnavigation and also in Drake's 1585–86 expedition to harass the Spanish ports in the New World
.
Dorcas Martin was a translator and bookseller, and both Martins were active in radical religious causes including the Admonition Controversy, part of an effort to encourage the queen to further reform Protestantism
in England. In 1573 Dorcas Martin was the licensed bookseller for Thomas Cartwright's A replye to An answere made of M. doctor Whitgifte, a response to John Whitgift
's denunciation of Presbyterianism
.
Their son Captain John Martin
commanded the Benjamin under Drake in the 1585–86 expedition. On his return, John Martin married Mary Brandon (b. 1566), daughter of Robert Brandon
, Chamberlain of London, on 23 May 1586 at St Vedast, Foster Lane
. John Martin became a Councilman of the Jamestown Colony of Virginia
in 1607 and was the proprietor of Martin's Brandon Plantation
on the south bank of the James River
, apparently named after his wife's family.
Another son, Richard (d. 1616), served with his father as a master-worker at the mint from 1599 to 1607.
Their daughter Dorcas married Sir Julius Caesar
, later Chancellor of the Exchequer
and Master of the Rolls
under James I
.
. The two soon fell out, with Knyvet accusing Martin of owing the crown substantial funds and Martin insisting he was owed. Martin was briefly imprisoned for debt, which led to his removal from his Aldermanry on 31 August 1602 on account of his "unfitting demeanour and carriage". Suits and countersuits continued, with the Exchequer finding against Martin in 1607 and a further enquiry finding in his favour in 1615. He died in July 1617, and was buried in Tottenham
Church, 30 July 1617. At his death he "was held near a hundred years old". His wife Dorcas had been buried in the same church on 2 September 1599, and his son Richard on 28 May 1616.
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
and Master of the Mint
Master of the Mint
Master of the Mint was an important office in the governments of Scotland and England, and later Great Britain, between the 16th and 19th centuries. The Master was the highest officer in the Royal Mint. Until 1699, appointment was usually for life. Its holder occasionally sat in the cabinet...
who served as Sheriff
Sheriffs of the City of London
There are two Sheriffs of the City of London. The sheriffs are elected annually by the Liverymen of the Livery Companies, and it is a requirement for a Lord Mayor of the City of London to previously have served as a Sheriff. Sheriffs have only nominal duties now, but previously had large judicial...
and twice as Lord Mayor of the City of London during the reign of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
.
Early career
Martin was the son of Thomas Martin, of Saffron WaldenSaffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and approx north of London...
, 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...
. He was elected a liveryman
Liveryman
For Livery Companies in the City of London, a Liveryman is a full member of their respective Company.Livery Company members fall into two basic categories: Freemen and Liverymen. One may join as a Freeman, and thereby acquire the "Freedom of the Company", upon fulfilling the Company's criteria...
of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths
Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths
The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Company, which has origins in the twelfth century, received a Royal Charter in 1327. It ranks fifth in the order of precedence of Livery Companies. Its motto is Justitia Virtutum Regina, Latin for Justice...
, one of the Livery Companies or craft guilds of the City of London, in 1558.
He was elected 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...
for the wards of Farringdon Within
Farringdon Within
Farringdon Within is a ward in the City of London, England.The ward covers an area from Blackfriars, in the south, to Barbican station, in the north....
1578-98 and Bread Street
Bread Street
Bread Street is a ward of the City of London and is named from its principal street, which was anciently the bread market; for by the records it appears that in 1302, the bakers of London were ordered to sell no bread at their houses but in the open market...
1598-1602. He was Sheriff of London in 1581-2.
Martin was knighted in 1588-89 and served a partial year as Lord Mayor in 1589, succeeding Sir Martin Calthrop who had died in office. He was Prime Warden or head of the Goldsmiths' Company 1592-3, chairing the Court of Wardens or governing body of the company, and served a second term as Lord Mayor in 1593-94, succeeding Sir Cuthbert Buckle. His other municipal offices included 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...
and Comptroller-General of Hospitals 1594-1602.
Martin was a warden of the Royal Mint
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
by 1572, and was responsible for overseeing the workings of the mint and the quality of the coinage. John Stow
John Stow
John Stow was an English historian and antiquarian.-Early life:The son of Thomas Stow, a tallow-chandler, he was born about 1525 in London, in the parish of St Michael, Cornhill. His father's whole rent for his house and garden was only 6s. 6d. a year, and Stow in his youth fetched milk every...
's Survey of London records Martin's charges against John Lonyson or Lonison, Master of the Mint, in the 1570s, a matter that was finally weighed by a commission of Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
members including Nicholas Bacon, the Lord Keeper, William Cecil, Lord Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
, the Lord Treasurer, and others, which recommended that
Martin himself succeeded Lonyson as Master of the Mint in 1582, serving in that capacity until his death in 1617.
Martin was an investor in Sir Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
's 1577–80 voyage of circumnavigation and also in Drake's 1585–86 expedition to harass the Spanish ports in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
.
Marriage and family
Martin married Dorcas Eccleston (1536/37–1599), daughter of one John Eccleston or Egleston of Lancashire. They had five sons and one daughter.Dorcas Martin was a translator and bookseller, and both Martins were active in radical religious causes including the Admonition Controversy, part of an effort to encourage the queen to further reform Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
in England. In 1573 Dorcas Martin was the licensed bookseller for Thomas Cartwright's A replye to An answere made of M. doctor Whitgifte, a response to John Whitgift
John Whitgift
John Whitgift was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 800 horsemen...
's denunciation of Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
.
Their son Captain John Martin
John Martin (Jamestown)
Capt. John Martin was a Councilman of the Jamestown Colony in 1607. He was the proprietor of Martin's Brandon Plantation on the south bank of the James River...
commanded the Benjamin under Drake in the 1585–86 expedition. On his return, John Martin married Mary Brandon (b. 1566), daughter of Robert Brandon
Robert Brandon
Robert Brandon was an English goldsmith and jeweller to Queen Elizabeth I of England. A prominent member of the Goldsmiths' Company, Brandon was elected chamberlain or treasurer of the City of London in 1583, a position he held until his death in 1591.-Royal goldsmith:Brandon became a freeman of...
, Chamberlain of London, on 23 May 1586 at St Vedast, Foster Lane
St Vedast Foster Lane
Saint Vedast-alias-Foster, a church in Foster Lane, in the City of London, is dedicated to Vedast , a French saint whose cult came to England through contacts with Augustinian clergy.-History:...
. John Martin became a Councilman of the Jamestown Colony of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in 1607 and was the proprietor of Martin's Brandon Plantation
Lower Brandon Plantation
Lower Brandon Plantation is located on the south shore of the James River in present-day Prince George County, Virginia....
on the south bank of the James River
James River
The James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...
, apparently named after his wife's family.
Another son, Richard (d. 1616), served with his father as a master-worker at the mint from 1599 to 1607.
Their daughter Dorcas married Sir Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar (judge)
Sir Julius Caesar was an English judge and politician. He was born near Tottenham in Middlesex. His father was Giulio Cesare Adelmare, an Italian physician to Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, descended by the female line from the dukes of Cesarini.Caesar was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford,...
, later Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
and Master of the Rolls
Master of the Rolls
The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...
under James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
.
Later life
Martin had remained both Warden and Master of the Mint for almost two decades, but following 1597 charges that he was profiteering by delaying repayments he sold his office of Warden to Sir Thomas KnyvetThomas Knyvet, 1st Baron Knyvet
Thomas James Knyvet, 1st Baron Knyvet was the second son of Sir Henry Knyvet of Charlton, Wiltshire and Anne Pickering, daughter of Sir Christopher Pickering of Killington, Westmoreland. His half-sister Catherine Knyvet was married to Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk...
. The two soon fell out, with Knyvet accusing Martin of owing the crown substantial funds and Martin insisting he was owed. Martin was briefly imprisoned for debt, which led to his removal from his Aldermanry on 31 August 1602 on account of his "unfitting demeanour and carriage". Suits and countersuits continued, with the Exchequer finding against Martin in 1607 and a further enquiry finding in his favour in 1615. He died in July 1617, and was buried in Tottenham
Tottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
Church, 30 July 1617. At his death he "was held near a hundred years old". His wife Dorcas had been buried in the same church on 2 September 1599, and his son Richard on 28 May 1616.
Further reading
- White, Michelline. "Power Couples and Women Writers in Elizabethan England: the Public Voices of Dorcas and Richard Martin and Anne and Hugh Dowriche." In Framing the Family: Representation and Narrative in the Medieval and Early Modern Periods, eds. Diane Wolfthal and Rosalynn Voaden. Tempe Ariz.: Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies, 2005, pp. 119–38.