Sir Richard Smythe (1563-1628), of Bromley , Kent and St. Stephen Coleman Street , London; later of Leeds Castle , Kent, was an English Member of Parliament (MP).
13-712: Richard Smythe was a younger son of Thomas "Customer" Smythe of Westenhanger in Kent, and his wife Alice, a daughter of Sir Andrew Judde . His father was a haberdasher and "customer" of the port of London . Educated at the Middle Temple , Smythe bought Leeds Castle in 1599 and carried out substantial rebuilding. He was a Member of the Parliament of England for Heytesbury in 1604, and for Hythe in 1614. Smythe and his elder brother Sir Thomas Smythe were jointly receiver of rents for Duchy of Cornwall from August 1604. He operated
26-519: A monopoly in the trade of tin from the summer of 1605, partnered by members of the London Pewterer's Company . The project was funded in part by the royal exchequer. Smythe was also a Surveyor of Revenue of Prince Charles . Smythe married three times, firstly, in September 1589, to Elizabeth, a daughter of Sir Thomas Scott of Smeeth, and widow of John Knatchbull of Mersham Hatch, Kent. His second wife
39-625: A more modest payment was rejected. Due to his increasing infirmities and perhaps the stress of trying to meet the Queen's demands, Smythe died 18 months later, on 7 June 1591, leaving his widow, then 60 years old, 6 sons and 6 daughters. Smythe was a member of parliament (MP) for Tavistock October 1553, for Aylesbury April 1554, Rye November 1554, Winchelsea 1555, and Portsmouth 1563. Thomas Smythe had 13 children with his wife, Alice Judde. They are as follows: Andrew Judde Sir Andrew Judde or Judd (5 September 1492 – 1558)
52-576: The Skinners Company ; he was later the master of the company for four terms. He accumulated a large fortune, part of which he used to establish Tonbridge School in his home town. During his career as a merchant, he personally travelled to Russia , Spain, and the coast of Africa. After the dissolution of the property of the military order , the Knights of St John in England, their Battisford Preceptory
65-594: The Worshipful Company of Skinners . In 1550, Smythe developed a close connection with Sir Andrew Judde , Lord Mayor of London . About four years later, Smythe married Judde's daughter, Alice Judde. During the reign of Mary I of England , Smythe purchased the Office of the Customs from one Mr. Cocker for £2,500. He was confirmed in his appointment at the Customs on the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558, and he continued in
78-520: The daughter of Robert Brouncker of Melksham , Wiltshire. John, a substantial yeoman and clothier of Corsham , Wiltshire , left Smythe a farm in the Hundred of Amesbury , Wiltshire, that provided an annual income of £20. After his father's death, Smythe moved to London to seek his fortune; Smythe was approximately 16 at the time. Smythe joined his father's merchant guild, the Haberdashers , and then
91-408: The death of his son, John Smythe in 1632, his daughters Elizabeth, Lady Thornhill, and Mary Barrow subsequently sold Leeds Castle to Sir Thomas Colepeper of Hollingbourne . An embroidered Indian silk quilt from Bengal , an early surviving example of the use of such fabrics in England, was donated to Colonial Williamsburg by Cora Ginsburg. An ownership label of Catherine Colepeper seems to connect
104-630: The office for 11 years. In 1567, he appears to have incurred her Majesty's severe displeasure, having been accused of issuing privy warrants leading to a £6,000 loss; his friend William Cecil, Lord Burghley , intervened and helped Smythe escape imprisonment. Cecil persuaded the Queen to be lenient, arguing that if Smythe was allowed more time he would repay this loss. Elizabeth began to require larger and larger fines to renew Smythe's leases in order to replenish her exchequer. Over time, Smythe became unable to meet these demands and again fell under her Majesty's severe displeasure. His October 1589 counteroffer of
117-537: The quilt to Leeds Castle and the Smythe and Colepeper families. Richard Smythe's brother was a founder and governor of the English East India Company . This article about a Member of the Parliament of England (up to 1707) is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Thomas Smythe (died 1591) Thomas Smythe or Smith of London, Ashford and Westenhanger , Kent (1522–7 June 1591)
130-400: Was Jane (died 1607), daughter of John White, haberdasher, and widow of Samuel Thornhill (died 1598) of Bromley. His third wife was Margaret (died 1638), daughter of John Langton, merchant of London, and widow of Robert Clarke (died 1610), merchant of Bethnal Green . Smythe died on 21 July 1628. He was buried at St Mary's Parish Church, Ashford , where an inscription outlines his career. After
143-516: Was a 16th-century English merchant and Lord Mayor of London . He was knighted on 15 February 1551. He was born in Tonbridge , the third son of John Judde, (d. 1493), gentleman, and Margaret, daughter of Valentine Chiche. His mother was the granddaughter of an earlier Lord Mayor of London, Robert Chichele , and great-niece of Henry Chichele , Archbishop of Canterbury , and William Chichele, Sheriff of London . He left for London and apprenticed with
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#1732851881558156-545: Was given to Judde by Henry VIII in July 1543. He soon gained permission to sell it on, the property passing to Sir Richard Gresham in April 1544. He served as one of the Sheriffs of London in 1544, and was elected Lord Mayor of London in 1550. As a result of his vigorous opposition to Wyatt's Rebellion , he gained the favour of Queen Mary and Philip II of Spain . He served as Mayor of
169-725: Was the collector of customs duties (also known as a "customer") in London during the Tudor period , and a member of parliament for five English constituencies. His son and namesake, Sir Thomas Smythe (died 1625) , was the first governor of the East India Company , treasurer of the Virginia Company , and an active supporter of the Virginia colony . Thomas Smythe, born in 1522, was the second son of John Smythe (d. 1538) and Joan Brouncker,
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