1558 John Best See also 1548 and 1567
From the chamberlain’s accounts given to my lord warden's mynstrells 6s 8d

1559 Joseph Beverley
Joseph Beverley was mayor only once, he was a gentleman who lived in Faversham, where he had lands in Courtstrete West, and was auditor of Faversham abbey.

He was made a freeman of Faversham on 20 July 1541 and was a member of the Twenty-Four of the town in 1542-4, 1549 and every year from 1551 onwards until he became a jurat.

 From 1549 until his death Beverley was deeply involved in the affairs of the Cinque Ports, both as clerk of Dover castle and as counsel and Member of Parliament for the port.  TAKEN FROM THE HISTORY OF PARLIAMENT ONLINE

1560 William Neale

1561 Thomas Norton
From the chamberlain’s accounts given in rewards to the queen majesty's players 6s 8d. 

1562 George Stransham
From the chamberlain’s accounts given to the erle of Oxford's players 2s 4d.

1563 Edward Blackwell
Edward died in 1572 and was buried in the parish church. He is commemorated by two brass plates on ledger in the chancel.

Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse 38 'Do not abandon weeping in consolation and with mourning walk’

Death does not prohibit grace/favour  

Do not disdain/ to bury him in his grave EDWARD BLAKWELL armigeri skilled in law who died 8 February year of the virgin birth 1572 

Note – armigeri means that he was entitled to bear arms, so from a family of some rank,

From the chamberlain’s accounts given to the queen majesty's berewards 3s 4d.

Note – the berewards are the bear keepers or the ones who have charge of the bear at bear baitings. Presumably this means that the bears came to Faversham(!), but we have no further references to this event.

Another example if the mayor’s justice being delivered…

Letter to the mayor from Thomas Wotton and Robert Rudston at Boughton Malherbe ordering Elizabeth Weythe of Oare to be whipped for petty larceny | The National Archives

1564 Henry Philpott
It seems that Henry was involved in serious business arising from the Cinque Port duties of the town. The port and trading were an important part of the town’s wealth.

Letter from Lord Winchester to Humphrey Hales, Anthony Sonds, Esq., and Henry Filpot, mayor, concerning a royal commission relating to vessels making entries before the customers and searchers of Sandwich and Dover, and order for a jury from Queenborough.

Letter from Lord Winchester to Humphrey Hales, Anthony Sonds, Esq., and Henry Filpot, mayor, concerning a royal commission relating to vessels making entries before the customers and searchers of Sandwich and Dover, and order for a jury from Queenborough | The National Archives

Letter to the mayor and the deputy customer, comptrollers and searchers of Faversham, Milton and Queenborough from Lord Winchester requesting the despatch to London of persons accused before him 'for carrieng over wod leather clothe and soch other things prohibited' | The National Archives

1565 Thomas Oldfield See also 1571
From the chamberlain’s accounts a present of capons and chekyns to the lord archbishop of Canterbury, who came and preached here and entertained the mayor and others at dinner, and gave to the poor £1.

1566 John Maycott

1567 John Best See also 1548 and 1558
John refused to assist in the arrest of several inhabitants without letters of attendance from the Lord Warden (Special Commission and Returns in the Exchequer)

KENT: Faversham Refusal of the mayor to assist in the arrest of several inhabitants... | The National Archives

Letter from Roger Manwood to the mayor and Mr. Bradbere [?] of Faversham ordering their attendance at a meeting of a Commission at his house | The National Archives

1568 Bartholemew Amyas See also 1583

1569 Thomas Belke
We have the details of the Tudor muster rolls, in the one dated August 1570 (when Thomas would still have been mayor) it is described as ‘a muster taken the xiii ^th of August in the xii ^th yere of the reygne of our sovereygne ladye Elizabethe by the grace of God of Inglande Fraunce and Irelonde Queene defendoure of the feythe etc, before Thomas Belke maior of the seid towne of Faversham and the Jurattes there beying of all the shotte and able men to serve wythe the same shotte within the seid Towne’

Thomas is top of the list with a haggbutt furnyssdyd        A haggbutt or hackbut is a small firearm.    

There was also a muster taken in July, when Thomas ‘corcelette and one pyke furnyshyd a haggbut meryon swoorde and dagger. Corslet was the armour for pikemen which protected the upper half of the body. A morion is a type of helmet.

We have some examples shown in the History of Faversham in 60 Objects book, available from the Visitor Information Centre or via our online store The History of Faversham in 60 Objects - The Faversham Society

1570 Robert Fagge
Robert died in 1574, in his lengthy will he left 10s to the poor of Ospringe and "Tenham", but legacies were given to relations, servants and friends rather than the church.

1571 Thomas Oldfield See also 1565
From the chamberlain’s accounts the present gaol was erected. A new pair of butts made in the parsonage meadow, close by the church-yard. The mayor's salary advanced from £5 to £10.

Note – the butts were used for archery practice, a compulsory activity.

1572 Richard Ball
From the chamberlain’s accounts the goods from a felo de se forfeited to the town, came to £60 3s 8d. Paid to divers noblemen's players 13s 4d

Note – felo de se is an ancient term for suicide.

1573 John Finche
John lived in Arden’s house in Abbey Street.

We have the details of the Tudor muster rolls, in the one dated June 1573, John provided 9 corseletts 9 calyvers 4 bowes 2 bylles. Corslet was the armour for pikemen which protected the upper half of the body. Caliver was a standard firearm, it was about 3.5 feet long and fired without a rest. The bows would have been the 6feet long bows. Bills were a sort of axe-blade of iron, sometimes hooked or curved, attached to the end of a long staff.   

From the chamberlain’s accounts Queen Elizabeth came here and lay two nights in the town, which cost the town £44 19s 8d, including a silver cup presented to her, which cost £27 2s.

1574 John Skyrre
From the chamberlain’s accounts there were four crosses formerly erected in this town; one where the gallows erected called St Anne's Cross, one in West Street called West Brook Cross, another at the entrance into Church Lane, and the fourth at the bottom of Preston Street, between East Street and Hogmarket Lane; the great stones of this last were taken away this year, and afterwards in its place a more useful column was erected, affording plenty of good water through it, to the neighbourhood. The market house was erected.

1575 Thomas Coole See also 1582 and 1591

1576 John Keys
From the chamberlain’s accounts raised for the maintenance of the poor £22 18s 6d.

The prices of materials for building at this time, were for 1000 tyles 8s; ten ridge tyles 1s 3d; a seam of lime 1s; a ton of timber from 7s 4d to 10s; sand the load 6d; a load of paving stones from 1s to 2s; carriage of stones & load 3d; paving by the yard 21/2 d and 3d; Bricks 1000 8s; carpenter and bricklayer per day 10d to 1s.

A man and woman hanged for murder.

There was a return made to Queen Elizabeth which stated there were 380 houses, with no person lacking habitation, ships or vessels eighteen, from five tons to fortyfive tons burthen, and persons occupied in merchandize and fishing fifty. This gives a good indication of a prosperous town.  

1577 to 1578 Christopher Finche See also 1578, 1597 and 1607 also note 1587
Requiring the attendance of the mayors and bailiffs of Dover, Folkestone, Hythe, Romney, Lydd, Rye, Winchelsea, Hastings and Faversham at St. James' Church, Dover, on 4 June to consider the Queen's instructions regarding musters.

Letter from Richard Barrey | The National Archives

Note – musters were royal summons to call up the town armies.

Christopher was involved in two lawsuits later, in 1583. It’s unclear exactly what they relate to but doesn’t sound good for Mr Scofield! 

Letter from the Mayor and Jurats of Faversham to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, enclosing a Certificate, under the Common Seal of the Cinque Ports, at the request of Christopher Finch, for damages recovered of Richard Scofield. 2nd January 1583. 

Letter from Sir Roger Manwood (Chief Baron of the Exchequer) to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen.

Upon judgment being given in the cause between Mr. Finch and Scofield, the money delivered in execution for the discharge of Scofield's body should be paid to Mr. Finch, upon his bringing a bond under the Common Seal of Faversham. 28th November 1583. BOTH TAKEN FROM BRITISH HISTORY ONLINE

1579 Thomas Barming See also 1585

Thomas was involved in this lawsuit in 1582 relating to some stolen goods. 

Letter from the Mayor and Jurats of Faversham to the Lord Mayor. Thomas Barming, one of the Jurats of the Town and Liberty of Faversham, Kent, one of the Members of the Cinque Ports, lost two pieces of cloth, called white bayes, of the value of 5l. 13s., which had been traced to the possession of Randall Wight, of London, Porter, who had been sundry times required to deliver the same to Barming, but had fraudulently withheld the goods, and had since sold them, appropriating the money to his own use. They requested the Lord Mayor to call Wight before him and examine into the matter and compel him to pay Barming his damages together with all costs and charges sustained. 7th April, 24th of Elizabeth (1582). TAKEN FROM BRITISH HISTORY ONLINE

1580 Richard Tylman
Richard became Faversham's leading corn, wheat and malt exporter to London.

In this year, all corn sold by Faversham dealers to the London merchants came from Richard Tylman, including 17 cargoes of wheat, delivered in 33 ship voyages carrying grain, an average of 64 quarters per voyage. Also in 1580, along with Nicholas Freeman, Tylman exported 745 quarters of malt to the capital. The prosperous trade with London allowed Tylman to make new acquisitions. In 1581 he bought three houses with two gardens, two additional storerooms and one granary, as well as two wharfs in the harbour fitted with a capstan and appurtenances. According to records, Tylman paid one hundred twenty-four pounds of silver for his purchases. The valuable surplus grain produced by local farmers used to be delivered to Faversham wharfs in carts and unloaded at merchants' quays for export by sea. Sending similar quantities by road was simply not possible. (source 'The Historical Development of the Port of Faversham 1580 - 1780)

His son William followed him as mayor in 1594.

1581 Edward Harris

1582 Thomas Coole See also 1575 and 1591
Another example of the duties of the mayor…

Letter from the Mayor and Jurats of Faversham to the Lord Mayor. John Hall, Fishmonger, of the Parish of St. Nicholas Golden Abbey, London, in the Ward of Bread Street, had employed Abraham Snode, Mariner, of Faversham, one of the members of the Cinque Ports, to carry in his hoy, called the Mary, certain malt, &c., to be shipped on board the John, riding at anchor in the East Swail, for which service he owed him 4l. 3s. 1d., which he neglected to pay. They requested the Lord Mayor to call Hall before him, and examine into the matter, and compel him to pay the debt with the costs and charges sustained.  6th April, 24th of Elizabeth, 1582. TAKEN FROM BRITISH HISTORY ONLINE.  

From the chamberlain’s accounts the free grammar school erected

1583 Bartholemew Amyas See also 1568
Bartholomew was also a jurat and is mentioned in 1586, he is also mentioned in many of the musters, by 1591 he is described as the captain of the ‘selected bonde within the towne’.

1584 John Philpot See also 1616
John is described as 'of Grays Inn', a lawyer, and he lived in Court Street according to the 1585 muster roll.

1585 Thomas Barming See also 1579

1586 Robert Lambe See also 1599 and note in 1587 below

Another mayoral case….

Sessions papers concerning a case of vagabondage, the vagabond, John Wyghte, of Hannington, co. Hants. being interrogated for uttering seditious words, with a request from some 'poore artificers' to the mayor and jurats to provide some tallow for use in the town; frankpledge papers | The National Archives

1587 Nicholas Upton See also 1592
On one of the doorposts in the old grammar school are cut the letters N U M. These letters stand for Nicholas Upton, Mayor. He was the mayor when the old school was erected over 400 years ago. Upton has a great claim to local fame, although no memorial to him exists, except that the house in Abbey Street in which he lived has been named Upton House.

He presided over the destinies of the town at a critical time in England's history - the threat of invasion by Spain. In September 1587 he was one of the two Jurats appointed to accompany the mayor, Robert Lambe, to the Cinque Portes Court at Dover to hear the Queen's pleasure. This was that the Cinque Ports navy should serve on the high seas against the Queen's enemies. On the jurats return to Faversham, instructions were given for a ship to be provided as Faversham's contribution to that service.

Nothing happened immediately, and at Michaelmas that year, Upton was himself elected mayor. In the following April (1588) he, together with Christopher Finch and Humphrey Kybett (town clerk), again attended a Cinque Ports Court at Dover and there the final decisions were made for the Ports' service, which proved to be no less that against the mighty Armada of the Spaniards.

The proceedings of the Court were not harmonious, Dover, which was Faversham's head port, desired Faversham to give up the project of sending a ship by herself and join with Dover in the provision of a larger vessel. Upton and his two colleagues made a great stand for independent action, and after the mediation of the Lieutenant of Dover Castle, a majority of those present decided that Faversham should herself send one ship of forty tons, leaving Dover to make her own provision.

A ship named the "HASARDE" was provided by Faversham and sent to join the main fleet. There is no doubt that it played a valiant part in the defeat and dispersal of the enemy.

This episode in Faversham's history is commemorated by the name of her Armada ship being given to the building on Conduit Street. That building was originally the town store and was standing there at the time of the Armada.

1588 John Caslocke senior See also 1603
In the 1588 muster roll, John furnished both Fowler Deerlove and Rychard Mycott with calyvers to fight on his behalf.

1589 John Upton See also 1604

1590 William Saker
In the 1591 muster roll, William is listed with the armaments he furnished, but there is also a list of nine of his servants that he is arming too.

William was the donor of the land on which the old grammar school (now the masonic hall) was built.

He died in 1595, during the mayoralty of his son, and he also left money for the relief of the poor and for an annual lecture.

Here lyeth the Bodie of WILLIAM SAKER one of the Jurattes of the Town of Faversham who departed this lyffe the XVIII of Maye 1594 beinge of the age of LX yeares "Thou mortall mann that wouldest attayn The happy haven of Heavenly rest Prepare thyself of Graces all Fayth and repentance id the best"

1591 Thomas Coole See also 1575 and 1582

1592 Nicholas Upton See also 1587
The play "Arden of Faversham" was first published. It has been, at least partly, attributed to Shakespeare, who was in the town two years earlier with Lord Leicester's company of players

1593 Robert Banes
Robert is listed in the 1596 muster roll as the captain of the ‘selected bonde’. This muster roll also indicates the stores of gunpowder held, seven barrels totalling 756 pounds in weight.  

1594 William Tylman
William was the son of Richard, who was mayor in 1580.

1595 Henry Saker
Henry built 83 Abbey Street, which has a very fine doorway. On rackets on either side are carved figures of a man and a woman.

The house was built in 1598, the date appearing on the pediment, together with Saker's initials, HS.

1596 John Hallet

1597 Christopher Finche See also 1577, 1578 and 1607 and note 1587

1598 Antony Deale
Antony was mentioned in the 1595 Muster rolls THE NAMES OF THE SOLDYERS WHICH SERVE IN THE GENERAL BANDE AND BY WHOM THEY ARE FURNISHED, as providing an armed man, Thomas Girdler. 

He was buried in the parish church in 1604 and is commemorated by a ledger, southwest corner, south transept.

ANTHONY DEALE sometime Mayor died the 23rd day of May 1604 and ANNA his only daughter and heir the 5th of September in the same year.

1599 Robert Lambe See also 1586 and note in 1587