John Gresham (abt. 1495 - 1556)

Born about 1495 in England [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Ipswell) Gresham — married about 1520 in England

Descendants

Died 23 Oct 1556 at about age 61 in City of London, England [uncertain]

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Biography

John Gresham was born about 1495, a son of John Gresham, of Holt, and Alice Blyth.^[1][2][3][4]

Marriages

He married first Mary, daughter of William Ipswell, Mercer of London.^[1][2][3]

He and his wife were bequeathed gold rings in the will of William Harding, Mercer of London, the will made on 06 Sep 1549 and proved on 21 Oct 1549.^[5] William Harding was the half brother of Mary Ipswell.

Mary died on 21 Sep 1538 and was buried at St Mary Aldermanbury, City of London.^[2][6]

He married second Katherine [surname uncertain].^[7] In the Visitation of Sussex she was described as 'a daughter of Sampton'.^[3]

Children

Children by his first marriage:^[1][8]

• William Gresham^[2] (born 25 Apr 1522)
• Mary Gresham (born 07 Aug 1523; married Thomas Rowe)
• Katherine Gresham (born May 1524)
• James Gresham (born 18 Jul 1526)
• John Gresham^[9] (born 14 Mar 1527/1528)
• Edmund Gresham (born 12 Aug 1530)
• Anthony Gresham (born 27 Jan 1531/1532)
• Ellyn Gresham (born 14 May 1533; married William Uvedale)^[10]
• Ursula Gresham (born 21 Oct 1534; married Thomas Leveson)
• Cicely Gresham (born 1535; married Jarman Sewell)
• Elizabeth Gresham (born 19 Nov 1537; married James Elyot)

There were five sons and six daughters in all.^[11]

There were no children by his second marriage.^[11]

Career

John Gresham was a Mercer of the City of London.^[12]

He and his brother Richard may have been the John Gresham and Richard Gresham, Mercer, who were recorded in the will of William Copland, Merchant Tailor of London, the will signed 18 May 1518 and proved 10 Dec 1518.^[13]

King Henry VIII granted the manor of Sanderstead to John Gresham in 1539 and renewed the grant in fee in 1545. Gresham devised the estate to his wife Katherine for her life with remainder to his third son Edmund and his heirs male. Edmund died in 1586 and left the manor to his son Richard and his heirs. In 1590–1 Richard sold it to John Ownsted (sergeant of the carriages of Queen Elizabeth) and Joan his wife.^[7]

He was Lord Mayor of London in 1547.^[2]

NB A John Gresham was knighted c 1538 and a John Gresham was knighted in September 1547.^[14]

Sir John Gresham was one of the Aldermen persuaded to attest the will of Edward VI [1553].^[12]

Death, Burial and Monument

Sir John Gresham died on 23 Oct 1556 and was buried at St Michael Bassishaw, City of London, on 25 Oct 1556.^[2][15]

Monument to Sir John Gresham at St Michael Bassishaw, City of London:^[11]

"Here lyeth buried under this Tombe the Body of Sir John Gresham, Knight, sometime Alderman and Lord Maior of this City of London, who had Two Wives, Dame Mary his first wife, by whom Hee had Issue Five Sonnes and Sixe Daughters. By Dame Katherine his last Wife no Issue; which Sir John deceased the xxiii. day of October Anno Domini MDLVI. And Dame Mary dies the xxi. day of September, MDXXXVIII. Dame Katherine died .."

Summary of the Will of Sir John Gresham 1556

In his will made on 12 Feb 1552/1553 (lands) and 18 Sep 1554 (goods) and proved on 26 Nov 1556 he was recorded as "Sir John Gresham knight Citizen and Alderman of London".^[16] His will was that if he were to die in London then he was to be buried in the parish of St Michael Bassishaw.

He made a number of bequests including to the following:

• his wife Dame Katherine;
• his sons John, William and Edmonde;
• his daughter Hellyn/Ellyn Uvedale and her husband William Uvedale;
• his daughter Ursula and her husband Thomas Leveson;
• his daughter Mary and her husband Thomas Rowe;
• his daughter Elizabeth;
• his daughter Cicely;
• his brother Thomas Gresham, priest;
• his sister Margaret King, wife to Henry King, girdler;
• the daughters of his uncle William Gresham late of Walsingham, Norfolk;
• his cousin Paul Gresham and his wife;
• his 'sister' my Lady Gresham;
• his nephew Thomas Gresham; and
• the wife of his late 'brother' William Harding and her husband William Warner.

His Executors were John Gresham his son, Dame Katheryn his wife, Thomas Roo/Rowe his son law, and Edmonde Gresham his son. The Overseers were "Sir Rowlande Hill and Sir Andrewe Judde knightes and Aldermen of the citie of London and his nephew Thomas Gresham".

He referred to his late brothers Sir Richard Gresham and William Gresham.

For a full Transcript of the will see Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica.^[17]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Visitation of London, 1568: With Additional Pedigrees, 1569-90, the Arms of the City Companies, and a London Subsidy Roll, 1589. Publications of the Harleian Society. Vols 109-110. London H S and Rawlins S W. 1963. Gresham pp 52-53.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Visitation of England and Wales. Notes. Vol 1. Howard, J J and Crisp, F A (Eds). 1896. Pedigree of Gresham pp 75-79 Internet Archive.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} The Visitations of the County of Sussex: 1530 and 1633-4. Publications of the Harleian Society, 1905. Vol LIII, p 112 Internet Archive.
4. ↑ Ian Blanchard. 'Gresham, Sir John (c. 1495–1556)'. Published 23 September 2004, by the Dictionary of National Biography. oxforddnb.com.
5. ↑ Will of William Harding, Mercer of London. 21 October 1549. PROB 11/32/553. The National Archives, Kew.
6. ↑ Londinium Redivivum Vol II. J P Malcolm. London, 1803, p 128 HathiTrust.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} 'Parishes: Sanderstead', in A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 4, ed. H E Malden (London, 1912), pp 237-243 BHO.
8. ↑ Genealogy of the Family of Gresham. By Granville Leveson Gower, Esq., London, 1883, p 20 Internet Archive.
9. ↑ Gresham, John (1529-?86), of Mayfield, Suss., Northend, nr. Fulham, Mdx. and Bishopsgate Street, London. Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981 HOP.
10. ↑ Uvedale, William (c.1528-69), of Place House, Wickham, Hants. Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981 HOP.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} Genealogy of the Family of Gresham. By Granville Leveson Gower, Esq., London, 1883, p 23 Internet Archive.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Beavan, A B. The Aldermen of the City of London. Vol II, 1913, see Introduction lv Internet Archive.
13. ↑ Will of William Copland, Merchant Tailor of London. 10 December 1518. PROB 11/19/177. The National Archives, Kew.
14. ↑ Shaw, W A. The Knights of England. A complete record from the earliest time to the present day of the knights of all the orders of chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of knights bachelors, incorporating a complete list of knights bachelors dubbed in Ireland. Vol. II, 1906, p 51 & 61 Internet Archive.
15. ↑ Blomefield, Francis., Parkin, Charles. 'An essay towards a topographical history of the county of Norfolk', Pg 173. (Continued from p. 678 [of vol. 3] by C. Parkin).. United Kingdom: n.p., 1808. google.com/books/edition
16. ↑ Will of Sir John Gresham, Alderman of Saint Michael Bassishaw, City of London. 26 November 1556. PROB 11/38/241. The National Archives, Kew.
17. ↑ Will of Sir John Gresham. Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica. New Series Vol II, 1877, pp 12-17.

See also:

• John Gresham Wikipedia
• Titsey British History online
• Benolte, Thomas; Philipot, John; & Owen, George. The Visitations of the County of Sussex: 1530 and 1633-4. London: The Harleian Society, 1905. Vol LIII, p 112, Gresham.