01795 534542
1509 King Henry VIII comes to the throne, until 1547
1500 John Norton See also 1499 and 1502
John’s father William was mayor in 1465.
1501 Harry Sayer
1501 Thomas Read
Thomas served six terms as mayor, taking over this last one when Harry died. Thomas was buried in the parish church in 1503 and is commemorated by a brass plate on ledger, whereabouts unknown. From the Latin:
Here lies Thomas Read, six times mayor of the town of Faversham, who died.... 1503 ...
He is here given to the worms, and thus we try to leave here an incomparable, of all supposed honour
1502 John Norton See also 1499 and 1500
John had been made a Knight on the occasion of the marriage of Prince Arthur to Catherine of Aragon on 17 November 1501.
1503 John Buston
1504 Richard Lull See also 1490, 1491 and 1493
1505 John Brode
1506 Robert Wythiott See also 1509
1507 John Soole
1508 Richard Jackson
1509 Robert Wythiott See also 1506
These extracts from the National Archives, confirm Robert as mayor and are from the town Customal book. They give a fascinating insight into the varied duties of the mayor.
Memorandum that on 11 December, 1 Henry VIII [1509] Robert Wythiott, Mayor, with Lauraunce Streynsham and William Sparowe, Jurats, John Love, Baily, and John Goodwyn, one of Chamberlains, appeared at 9 a.m. at the High Court of Shipway, with the Mayors, Bailiffs and some Jurats of the Cinque Ports and their Members 'in the best maner of apparell that thei had', when Sir Edward Ponyngges, Knight, was sworn Lord Warden, by John Westclyf of Sandwich, gentleman, and given a purse of blue velvet with a hundred marks [£66. 13. 4.] in new nobles, the gift of the Cinque Ports and Members, to which Faversham contributed 40s. (Written by Robert Wythiott in his own hand).
Proclamation to be made by the Mayor each year by ancient usage, written by Robert Wythiott, Mayor, 6 October, 1 Henry VIII [1509] that no man shall buy or sell on market day, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, any victuals coming to the Market Ward until they are put on open sale in the accustomed market place at half past eight in the morning or later, that is wheat, barley, pulse, malt, oats, flesh, wildfowl, pullet, pig, goose, pigeons, eggs, butter, fresh fish, and any other kinds of victual, upon pain of forfeiture of the victual bought, and imprisonment of the buyer and seller at the will of the Mayor and his brethren; and that every badger that sells flesh in the market shall bring the skins with the flesh of all beasts that have skins, and the head with boar and hog, upon pain of forfeiture of the flesh. [1509]
1510 Thomas Hawkyswell See also 1517 and 1519
1511 William Sparrow
No other information for William other than as a jurat in 1509.
1511 Laurence Streynsham See notes in 1509 and 1516
Laurence was described as "a gentleman of good family and estate". He rebelled against the Abbot's requirement of being approved and sworn before him. The result of his rebellion was that, by order of the Star Chamber, he was fined and enjoined to take the oath according to ancient custom viz "truly to obey the Abbot and Convent, Lords of the town, in all lawful commandments, and truly to maintain and keep the freedom and rights of the Monastery"
1512 William Norton See also in 1527
Another of the Norton dynasty, William was twice mayor. He deputised for mayor John Goodwyn at a General Brotheryeld held in Romney, Tuesday 23 July 1521 TAKEN FROM THE WHITE AND BLACK BOOKS OF THE CINQUE PORTS
1513 John Poleyn
1514 John Roche
1515 Richard Drylond See also 1519, 1524, 1531, 1532, 1533, 1534 and 1541 and note in 1545
Richard was mayor eight times and was involved in this court case relating to a previous mayor of Faversham, Lawrence Strensham where he was pursued for a debt of £5, when he was found his possessions were listed to determine their value, in order to repay the debt, but they provide an insight into his life.
Debtor: Lawrence Strensham {Streynsham}, of Faversham in Kent [Faversham Hundred], yeoman. Creditor: John Bridge {Brugge}, a citizen and alderman of London. Amount: £50. Inquisition and return: Date to be returned: 13/10/1516. Attached is the Constable's reply certifying that Lawrence Strensham was not found in his bailiwick.
His tenements, goods, and chattels in the Town of Faversham were valued before Richard Dryland, Mayor of Faversham, on 20/06/1516. He was seised in demesne on the day of the recognisance of a messuage, called a brewhouse, in which he formerly dwelt, with an adjacent curtilage, five other messuages, five gardens, a curtilage, two barns, two stables, a ?stall {sharmello}, and 7 acres of ... in Faversham, valued at £10 4s. 4d. a year. He also had a cupboard, two tables, two forms, two painted cloths, a long settle, 10 cart-loads of firewood, 3 cart-loads of timber, a cart and 5 horses with their harness; a cart, called a beer-cart; a weighing-beam with scales; a crop of vetches and peas growing on the seven acres of land in Faversham, worth altogether £6 13s. 10d.
From the chamberlain’s accounts paid for brede and wine given to the queen of France 7s 4d.
Note - this was Mary, Henry VIII's sister and widow of King Louis XII of France.
1516 John Goodwyn See also 1520 and 1523 and note 1509
1517 Thomas Hawkyswell See also 1510 and 1519
Thomas was a jurat and deputy at a special Brotheryeld Tuesday 15 January 1520 at Romney TAKEN FROM THE WHITE AND BLACK BOOKS OF THE CINQUE PORTS
1518 William Thomas
1519 Thomas Hawkyswell See also 1510 and 1517
1519 Richard Drylond See also 1515, 1524, 1531, 1532, 1533, 1534 and 1541 and note in 1545
From the chamberlain’s accounts to entertain my lord chief justice, cost 9d. For spiced bread and wine to the lord archbishop 5d 4d. For spiced bread, wine, bere and ale to the king and queen £1 6s 51/2d.
Note - this would have been Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon and Cardinal Wolsey
1520 John Goodwyn See also in 1516 and 1523 and note 1509
John attended a general Brotheryeld held at Romney Tuesday 23 Jul 1521 TAKEN FROM THE WHITE AND BLACK BOOKS OF THE CINQUE PORTS
1521 John Hampton See also 1525 and 1532
His principal house was in West Street, and he attended a special Brotheryeld on Tuesday 23 July 1521 at Romney TAKEN FROM THE WHITE AND BLACK BOOKS OF THE CINQUE PORTS
1522 William Bourne
From the chamberlain’s accounts to entertain the king's highness and the emperoure when they came by the town towards London £1 3s 3d. For a gallon of wine to the lord archbishop 1s.
Note - this was King Henry VIII on his way back to Greenwich with Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, and with his train of numerous nobles.
1523 John Goodwyn See also in 1516 and 1520 and note 1509
From the chamberlain’s accounts for three capons 3s and for wine to the lord warden 7d
1524 Richard Drylond See also 1515, 1519, 1531, 1532, 1533, 1534 and 1541 and note in 1545
Another of the diverse mayoral duties was controlling weights and measures.
1525 John Hampton See also 1521 and 1532
From the chamberlain’s accounts for the mayor and six jurats and their servants expenses and horse hires in going to the court of Shipway £1 16s 4d.
1526 John Bellenger
An earlier John Bellinger, mayor was buried in the parish church in 1509, we don’t know when he was mayor, presumably late 15th century. From the chamberlain’s accounts the church was robbed of divers goods.
1527 William Norton See also 1512
This is William’s, once impressive, tomb. There is still the outline of a, presumably, brass plaque down near the base. It is now covered in ancient graffiti…
1528 John Davy
1529 Thomas Parne
1530 Thomas Smyth
1531 Richard Drylond See also 1515, 1519, 1524, 1532, 1533, 1534 and 1541 and note in 1545
1532 John Hampton See also 1521 and 1525
1532 Richard Drylond See also 1515, 1519, 1524, 1531, 1533, 1534 and 1541 and note in 1545
1533 Richard Drylond See also 1515, 1519, 1524, 1531, 1532, 1534 and 1541 and note in 1545
Richard lived in Arden’s house in Abbey Street.
Henry Hatch, one of Faversham's greatest benefactors, died in this year. He had made his wealth as a merchant adventurer, resided at 12 Market Place and left his valuable estate to the town for three specific purposes. The maintenance of the creek, improvements of the highways of the town and ornaments of the parish church. One of his wooden chests can be seen in the museum and another is in the vestry of St Mary of Charity. However, the town was involved in long court battle with his widow over the inheritance.
1534 Richard Colwell
Richard Colwell was buried in the parish church in 1535 and is commemorated with a ledger, with brass border and brass plate, engraved figure of Richard Colwell and 2 wives, with 2 sons and 3 daughters, to the east of the south door, south aisle. On margin of ledger
Of your charitie pray for the souls of RICHARD COLWELL which died Mayer of Feversh'm the xii day of June in the year of our Lord God [1535] AGNES and AGNES his wyves on whos soules and all crysten soules God have mercy Amen. Brass plate on ledger "Whoso him bethought inwardly and oft how hard it were to flitt from bed unto pitt, frome pytt unto payn, that nev'r shall ceasse certayn, he wold not do on synn, all ye world to winne".
1534 Richard Drylond See also 1515, 1519, 1524, 1531, 1532, 1533 and 1541 and note in 1545
1535 John Bryngborn See also 1542 and 1544
One of the earliest references to hops in the Faversham Port Books is in 1535 when the mayor imported "iiJ pokettis hoppes weighing vjc and a half a thousand of hoppes value iijs iijd"
1536 Clement Norton
The only Vicar of Faversham to have been elected mayor. He became vicar in 1535 and remained incumbent for 24 years. It is rather strange that when he was elected mayor, he had only been here a year and that he was never elected subsequently. Evidently, he was a very accommodating cleric for he held the vicarage under Henry VIII, Edward IV, Mary and Elizabeth I, during which period there was much persecution consequent on the religious changes made by each of these sovereigns.
1537 John Seth See also 1539, 1545 and 1551 and note in 1545
1538 Thomas Lambert
Following the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbey was surrendered to the Kings Commissioners by the abbot, John Castlocke, the last in the line of 22 abbots over four centuries
1539 John Seth See also 1537, 1545 and 1551 and note in 1545
1540 Lewis Merden See notes in 1545 and 1546
Archbishop Cranmer visited the town and it was also in this year that Cranmer's bible was published
1541 Richard Drylond See also 1515, 1519, 1524, 1531, 1532, 1533 and 1534 and note in 1545
1542 John Bryngborn See also 1535 and 1544
1545 John Seth See also 1537, 1539 and 1551
John was the first mayor to be appointed under the great charter of Henry VIII, and took his oath before the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports at the Palace of Westminster
The great charter of King Henry VIII is dated January 1546.
See www.favershamcharters.org/charters/charter-1546-henry-viii/
Appointment of John Seathe, inhabitant of the town, as Mayor, to act until the last day of September next, and of John Seathe, Richard Deyland, the elder, gentleman, William Castlocke, Thomas Ardern, Stephen Mott, Robert Coldwell, John Dryland, the elder, Lewis Marden, Thomas Gate, William Marchall, Thomas Dunkyn and Simon Auncell, inhabitants of the town, as Jurats
Royal letters patent | The National Archives
1546 Thomas Dunken See note in 1545
Note -This is dated 1547, but still within Thomas’ term of office.
Exemplification by the mayor of Faversham, Thomas Dunkyn, of a common recovery of a house in West street in Faversham, levied by Lewis Marden and John Trendall against Anthony and Eleanor Love, in the port moot court of Faversham.
Exemplification by the mayor of Faversham, Thomas Dunkyn, of a common recovery of a house in West street in Faversham, levied by Lewis Marden and John Trendall against Anthony and Eleanor Love, in the port moot court of Faversham. | The National Archives
1547 Simon Ancelline
1547 Thomas Arden Both Simon and Thomas were only mayor once
Both are also noted in 1545. Thomas was famously murdered on 15 February 1550 in the parlour of his house, the former main gate house of the Abbey. He was married to Alice Mirfin, stepdaughter to Sir Edward North, and had received a post of the Commissioner of the Customs of the Port of Faversham and had obtained from Sir Thomas Cheyne, a grant of some of the abbey lands. Alice later became infatuated with a man named Morsby and so desperate did they become that the formed a conspiracy to murder Arden. To this end, some ruffians were hired, and the plot was carried out while the victim was playing cards with Morsby. The body was afterwards carried through the garden into the adjoining field, which has been known in later years as the shooting meadow. But the conspirators had not thought of everything. Near the body when it was discovered were some rushes which had accidentally been taken with it from the parlour floor where the crime was committed.
Not only that, but snow which had fallen revealed footprints from the house to the meadow. The outcome was that the conspirators and their helpers, with the exception of two who escaped, were brought to trial. Alice and one of her maid servants were burned at Canterbury, while the others were hanged, either in Faversham or elsewhere. There are two opinions about Arden; one is that he was respected and that he conferred many benefits on the town; the other is that he was hated by his fellow townspeople for his grasping actions. It was alleged that he had amassed wealth and acquired much property by smuggling. It is also said that he had taken from a poor widow, the field in which his body was found and that she predicted he would come to a violent end.
Additionally, Edward VI confirmed the 1546 charter of his father, Henry.
See https://favershamcharters.org/charters/charter-1547-edward-vi/
1548 John Best See also 1558 and 1567
1549 John Wrewke
West Street, Preston Street and Quay Lane were first paved
From the chamberlain’s accounts one parish clerk appointed instead of two. For mending the chimes in the steeple 10d.
1547 King Edward VI comes to the throne, until 1553
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