William Craven (Lord Mayor of London)
Encyclopedia
Sir William Craven was an English merchant, Lord Mayor of London in 1610 (some sources say also in 1618). It has been suggested that the story of Dick Whittington is based on Craven's career, and he is sometime referred to as "Aptrick's Dick Whittington".
In 1588 Craven took a lease from the Mercers' Company of a mansion house in Watling Street, where he carried on business with Robert and John Parker until his death. He was elected warden of his company on 4 July 1593, and on 19 July 1594 he was made one of the court of assistants. On 2 April 1600 he was elected alderman
for Bishopsgate
ward, and on 14 February 1601 he was chosen sheriff of London. On 15 May 1602 he became alderman of Cordwainer ward. He was knighted at Whitehall
by James I on 26 July 1603.
Craven was lord mayor of London for 1610–11, and the show, which had been suspended for some years, was revived with splendour. Christian, Prince of Anhalt, was entertained with his entourage at the feast at the Guildhall afterwards. On 14 January 1612 Craven became alderman of Lime Street ward; he had moved his residence from St. Antholin's to a house built by Stephen Kirton, in the parish of St. Andrew Undershaft, Cornhill. This house was on the south side of Leadenhall Street
; it was leased to the East India Company
in 1620 and pulled down, and the East India House
erected in 1726. During Craven's mayoralty his name appears in connection with loans to the king.
In 1616 Lady Elizabeth Coke, wife of Sir Edward Coke, on occasion of her quarrel with her husband, was at his request handed over to the hospitality of Craven, who must have entertained her at his house in Leadenhall Street. The last public act recorded of Craven is the laying of the foundation-stone of the new Aldgate
on 26 May 1618.
On 1 July 1618 he attended the court of the Merchant Taylors' Company for the last time. He was buried at St. Andrew Undershaft on 11 August 1618.
, Salop and Balmes Manor, Hackney, haberdasher and alderman of London. Her second brother was Sir George Whitmore
(d.1654), Lord Mayor of London. They had five children: Elizabeth, Mary, William (Baron Craven of Hampstead Marshall, Berkshire and 1st Earl of Craven), John (Baron Craven of Ryton) and Thomas. In 1622 his surviving daughter Elizabeth married Percy Herbert, 2nd Baron Powis
. His (?will) was openly read in court on the 29 July 1618.
The second son, John Craven, founder of the Craven scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge, was commoner of Trinity College, Oxford, 1626–8. Charles I created him Baron Craven of Ryton, Shropshire, 21 March 1643. He died in 1649, and left no issue by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of William, lord Spencer.
He founded the grammar school
in Burnsall
, North Yorkshire
, in 1602; this building has been in use as a school ever since then and now houses Burnsall V. A.
Primary School. The inscription "William Craven Alderman of London founder of this Schoole Anno Domini 1601" can still be seen on a panel above the school door. In 1604 he was one of the patrons of ‘the scheme of a new college after the manner of a university designed at Ripon
, Yorkshire’. On 9 January 1611 he was elected president of Christ's Hospital
, a post he occupied up to his death. His donations to the hospital included lands to the value of £1,000 at Ugley
in Essex
. On 2 July 1613 he conveyed to St. John's College the advowson of Creeke in Northamptonshire
‘upon trust that one of the ten senior fellows elected from (Merchant Taylors') School should be presented thereto’. In 1617 he joined with others in subscribing £1,000 towards the repair and decoration of St. Antholin's Church.
By John Craven's will, dated 18 May 1647, he left large charitable bequests to Burnsall, Skipton, Ripon, Ripley, Knaresborough, and Boroughbridge, and money for redeeming captives in Algiers. His most important legacy was that of the manor of Cancerne, near Chichester
, Sussex
, to provide £100 for four poor scholars, two at Cambridge and two at Oxford, with preference to his own poor kinsmen. The first award under the bequest was made at Cambridge 16 May 1649. The fund was immediately afterwards sequestrated by parliament, and on 7 May 1651 a petition was presented for the payment of the scholarships. In 1654 the sequestration was discharged. The bequest was maintained at both universities.
Life
He was the second son of William Craven and Beatrix, daughter of John Hunter, and grandson of John Craven, was born at Appletreewick, a village in the parish of Burnsall, near Skipton in the West Riding of Yorkshire, about 1548. The date is made probable by the fact that he took up his freedom in 1569. At the age of thirteen or fourteen he was sent up to London by the common carrier and bound apprentice to Robert Hulson, merchant taylor, who lived in Watling Street. Having been admitted to the freedom of the Merchant Taylors' Company on 4 November 1569, Craven appears entered into business with Hulson, and subsequently quarrelled with him, with an arbitrated settlement in 1583.In 1588 Craven took a lease from the Mercers' Company of a mansion house in Watling Street, where he carried on business with Robert and John Parker until his death. He was elected warden of his company on 4 July 1593, and on 19 July 1594 he was made one of the court of assistants. On 2 April 1600 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 Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate is a road and ward in the northeast part of the City of London, extending north from Gracechurch Street to Norton Folgate. It is named after one of the original seven gates in London Wall...
ward, and on 14 February 1601 he was chosen sheriff of London. On 15 May 1602 he became alderman of Cordwainer ward. He was knighted at Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
by James I on 26 July 1603.
Craven was lord mayor of London for 1610–11, and the show, which had been suspended for some years, was revived with splendour. Christian, Prince of Anhalt, was entertained with his entourage at the feast at the Guildhall afterwards. On 14 January 1612 Craven became alderman of Lime Street ward; he had moved his residence from St. Antholin's to a house built by Stephen Kirton, in the parish of St. Andrew Undershaft, Cornhill. This house was on the south side of Leadenhall Street
Leadenhall Street
Leadenhall Street is a street in the City of London, formerly part of the A11. It runs east from Cornhill to Aldgate, and west vice-versa. Aldgate Pump is at the junction with Aldgate...
; it was leased to 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...
in 1620 and pulled down, and the East India House
East India House
East India House in Leadenhall Street in the City of London in England was the headquarters of the British East India Company. It was built on the foundations of the Elizabethan mansion Craven House, the London residence of Sir William Craven, Lord Mayor of London, to designs by the merchant and...
erected in 1726. During Craven's mayoralty his name appears in connection with loans to the king.
In 1616 Lady Elizabeth Coke, wife of Sir Edward Coke, on occasion of her quarrel with her husband, was at his request handed over to the hospitality of Craven, who must have entertained her at his house in Leadenhall Street. The last public act recorded of Craven is the laying of the foundation-stone of the new Aldgate
Aldgate
Aldgate was the eastern most gateway through London Wall leading from the City of London to Whitechapel and the east end of London. Aldgate gives its name to a ward of the City...
on 26 May 1618.
On 1 July 1618 he attended the court of the Merchant Taylors' Company for the last time. He was buried at St. Andrew Undershaft on 11 August 1618.
Family
He married Elizabeth Whitmore, probably about 1605; she was a daughter of William Whitmore(d.1593) of Apley HallApley Hall
Apley Hall is an English Gothic Revival house located in Stockton, Shropshire. The building was completed in 1811 with adjoining property of of private parkland beside the river Severn. It was once home to the Whitmore , Foster and Avery families...
, Salop and Balmes Manor, Hackney, haberdasher and alderman of London. Her second brother was Sir George Whitmore
George Whitmore (Lord Mayor)
Sir George Whitmore was an English merchant who was Lord Mayor of London in 1631. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War....
(d.1654), Lord Mayor of London. They had five children: Elizabeth, Mary, William (Baron Craven of Hampstead Marshall, Berkshire and 1st Earl of Craven), John (Baron Craven of Ryton) and Thomas. In 1622 his surviving daughter Elizabeth married Percy Herbert, 2nd Baron Powis
Percy Herbert, 2nd Baron Powis
Percy Herbert, 2nd Baron Powis , known as Sir Percy Herbert, Bt, between 1622 and 1655, was a British nobleman, politician and writer. He was the son of William Herbert, 1st Baron Powis, and Lucy Eleanor . He was named after the surname of his maternal grandfather Henry Percy, 9th Earl of...
. His (?will) was openly read in court on the 29 July 1618.
The second son, John Craven, founder of the Craven scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge, was commoner of Trinity College, Oxford, 1626–8. Charles I created him Baron Craven of Ryton, Shropshire, 21 March 1643. He died in 1649, and left no issue by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of William, lord Spencer.
Legacy
In 1596 he made a donation towards the building of the library of St. John's College, Oxford, recorded on one of the library windows.He founded the grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in Burnsall
Burnsall
Burnsall is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Wharfe in Wharfedale, with a five-arched bridge over which the Dalesway passes, and is in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is southeast of Hebden, along a river path dated...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, in 1602; this building has been in use as a school ever since then and now houses Burnsall V. A.
Voluntary aided school
A voluntary aided school is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust owns the school buildings, contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school...
Primary School. The inscription "William Craven Alderman of London founder of this Schoole Anno Domini 1601" can still be seen on a panel above the school door. In 1604 he was one of the patrons of ‘the scheme of a new college after the manner of a university designed at Ripon
Ripon
Ripon is a cathedral city, market town and successor parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located at the confluence of two streams of the River Ure in the form of the Laver and Skell. The city is noted for its main feature the Ripon Cathedral which is architecturally...
, Yorkshire’. On 9 January 1611 he was elected 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...
, a post he occupied up to his death. His donations to the hospital included lands to the value of £1,000 at Ugley
Ugley
Ugley is a small hamlet in the non-metropolitan district of Uttlesford in Essex, England. It is about a mile north of Stansted Mountfitchet, and located between Saffron Walden and Bishop's Stortford....
in 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...
. On 2 July 1613 he conveyed to St. John's College the advowson of Creeke in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
‘upon trust that one of the ten senior fellows elected from (Merchant Taylors') School should be presented thereto’. In 1617 he joined with others in subscribing £1,000 towards the repair and decoration of St. Antholin's Church.
By John Craven's will, dated 18 May 1647, he left large charitable bequests to Burnsall, Skipton, Ripon, Ripley, Knaresborough, and Boroughbridge, and money for redeeming captives in Algiers. His most important legacy was that of the manor of Cancerne, near Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, to provide £100 for four poor scholars, two at Cambridge and two at Oxford, with preference to his own poor kinsmen. The first award under the bequest was made at Cambridge 16 May 1649. The fund was immediately afterwards sequestrated by parliament, and on 7 May 1651 a petition was presented for the payment of the scholarships. In 1654 the sequestration was discharged. The bequest was maintained at both universities.
External links
- Portrait of Craven in History of Burnsall School