John Fowke c. 1596 - 1662
John Fowke , third son, of Mark Lane, London, Clayberry (north-east of Barking near Woodford Bridge), Essex, & numerous other estates including the Gloucestershire manors of Maysmore, Preston, Longford & Ashlesworth (acquired 1648, formerly the property of the sees of Gloucester & Bristol), Freeman of the Haberdashers' Company in 1617, and served as Master of the Company on 3 occasions: 1642-3, 1652-3, and in 1655. He had been an assistant of the Levant Company from 1629-54; a common councilman of London in 1641; served as alderman thereof from 1642 until his death; sheriff 1643-4; Lord Mayor of London 1652-3, etc., protested against "paying tonnage & poundage" to the Crown (1627-9), etc., President of Christ's Hospital (1651-2), to which & to Bethlehem he proved a liberal benefactor bequesting Clayberry to the former where his portrait hangs. Beaven believes (reasonably) this last to be untrue since the bequests are dated 26 October 1686, and the portrait is dated 1691. M.P. London 1661,2; President Christ's Hospital 1661-2; Committee E.I.C. 1625-6; Court Assistants Levant Company 1629-30; Commissioner Customs 1643-5; Master Haberdashers 1642-3, 1652-3, 1665. Alderman 21 Jun 1642 (and sworn), Haberdasher, Farringdon-within 1642-9, Tower 1649-62. In his younger years he had been apprenticed to a London Haberdasher. He had been deeply involved in the Mediterranean trade of the day and "wore the livery of his company for a quarter of a century before achieving office." He does not appear to have been a merchant on the level you suggest, as the sketch mentions that he was not particularly successful in that occupation. This is followed by 'on the Eve of the Civil War he was only in the third rank for 'ability'." In politics, however, he had been more successful. He had joined the opposition against Charles I. As you say, in refused in 1627 to pay the tonnage and poundage imposed by the Commons, and as a result his goods valued at nearly 6,000 pounds were seized by the customs. He refused the same again in 1629 which landed him in the Fleet prison until he was able to come up with the sizable bail of 40,000 pounds. Charles I described him in 1643 as "notoriously guilty of schism and high treason," for his role in provoking the citizens of London to bring petition's into the Long Parliament and in organizing train-bands. During the period of the Civil War, he apparently gave up the merchant hat altogether and took an appointment as comptroller of bishops' lands. He was committed to the Fleet for a second time in 1645 when he would not deliver his accounts from his previous position as commissioner of customs. In 1648, he acquired four of the bishop's manors in "his native county," which I assume to have been Staffordshire, as it also lists him separately as having purchased an estate in Essex as well. About this time, he achieved some major success in his petitions. He was awarded nearly 28,000 pounds in compensation for his earlier losses over tonnage and poundage and another 7,000 pounds in damages against the East India Company. He is noted as having been a Presbyterian, although he was 'not much noted for religion' and complied with all the changes of the Interregnum." In March of 1662, "he moved a proviso for London to the bill for settling the militia." An action that spurred a speech in the Commons that he:- "let fall several factious and dangerous expressions tending to blemish the honour and justice of this House and their proceedings, and pretending he had direction from the City for bringing in this proviso. But [the House was] informed that the said alderman had solicited and endeavoured to incense the City and beget in them an ill opinion of the proceedings of the House, and that the proviso was contrary to the judgment and without the direction of the City." A motion was thereafter made to send him to the Tower, but this was rejected. However, the Speaker of the House delivered to him "a grave and severe reprehension" on his knees as the bar, and his privso was laid aside. He did of apoplexy on 22 April 1662. See:- National Dictionary of Biography. The lives of the English regicides ... appointed to sit in judgement upon ... King Charles the First / Noble, M.. - London. - 1798 (2 vols) http://erl.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/ilej/image1.pl?item=page&seq=1&size=1&id=n q.1862.12.6.2.49.x.441 - Officiator at all weddings 1653-6 at All Hallows, Barking. Pepys Diary "The Aldermen of the City of London", Vol. II Beaven, 1913. The Rulers of London 17660-89 by J.R. Woodhead pub. London & Middx Arch. Soc 1965. He had one son who d. v.p. and 5 daughters by his second marriage. "London guildsmen in 1642":- "Fowke and Chambers had previously served on the governing body of the Levant Company and were also members of the East India Company, with which Fowke had been in dispute for some time by 1641. Chambers had been master of the girdlers' company in 1631 and both he and Fowke were to be elected aldermen in 1642. Bradley, Mainwaring and Estwicke were colonial traders and the last two, as well as Francis Peck, were common councilors in 1641. Chambers, Fowke and Estwicke had previously been imprisoned for their 1640 opposition to royal fiscal demands and Chambers had lost a considerable fortune as a result. He had been involved in the organization of the citizens' petition to the king in the summer of 1640, while Bradley had recently been to the fore in the City's anti-Strafford offensive. the other four were to be signatories of radical petitions in 1641-42 (which Chambers joined in 1645). They all became notable ardent parliamentarians." the British Library, holds various papers: Mss Eur D1017 FOWKE (John ) Draft petition to Oliver Cromwell from John Fowke (d 1662), Committee of the East India Company 1625-26, Alderman of London 1642-62, and Lord Mayor 1652-53, concerning Fowke's dispute with the East India Company about liability for a debt which he had guaranteed. 2 folios 1655 - 1655 There are PRO refs. J 68/369 Pedigree: Fowke, Thomas Suit: Fowke v. Briggs J 68/369 Pedigree: Fowke, Thomas (d.1677) Suit: Fowke v. Briggs PRO ref. SP 84/159 Petition of Jn. Fowke to the parliament. [1652] ----------- FOWKE, John Ald Farringdon Within, 21 Jun 1642-27 Apr 1649 removed to Tower-22 Apr 1662 (d) (1) St Dunstan-in-the-East, 1638, Clayberry, Essex (2) HAB, M, 1642, 1652, 1655 (3) d 22 Apr 1662 (4) f William Fowke of Tewkesbury, Glouc, m Alice Carr of Newcastle under Lyme, Staff, mar (A) Catherine, da of Richard Biggs of London, ? (B) Mary, da of Sergeant Major [Edward] BASS (5) Merchant Comm EIC, 1625-6 Co Assis LC, 1629- 30 (6) Bishops' Lands in Glouc, lands Essex £500 p a in 1654 (7) Leading City Parliamentarian (8) Sheriff, 1643-4, LM, 1652-3 (4) Commsr Customs, 1643-5 Trustee of Bishops' lands and Comptroller of Account for Bishops' lands, 1648 Treas for Payment of Waggoners Commsr for sale of King's goods, 1654 (9) MP London 1661-2 (3) (1) Beaven, I, pp 149,201 (2) Boyd 6725, DNB (3) Beaven, II, p 66 (4) Beaven, I, p 201 (5) DNB, MG et H, 5th Ser, II, p 219 (6) DNB, Beaven, II, p 66 (7) DNB (8) See DNB article and Pearl, op cit, pp 316-20, for his career, and dispute with EIC and King (9) Beaven, II, p 66, A Second Centurie, 1648 [GHL, B's 1 2] Keith Lindley, `Fowke, John (c.1596-1662)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/10003, accessed 23 Sept 2005] Associated with John Barker and Matthew Cradock who, in partnership, obatined letters of marque for the Golden Cock (200 tons) (7 march and 17 Jul 1627), which Barker commanded in the Mediterranean -------------- British Library, India Office Records: Private Papers [Mss Eur D840 - Mss Eur D1229] Private Papers Catalogue Ref. Mss Eur Creator(s): East India Company Library, 1801-1858 India Office Library, 1858-1954 India Office Library and Records, 1954-1982 British Library, India Office Library and Records, 1982-1991 British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections [Access Conditions] Unrestricted with a few exceptions. Mss Eur D1017 hit[from Scope and Content] Draft petition to Oliver Cromwell from John Fowke (d 1662), Committee of the East India Company 1625-26, Alderman of London 1642-62, and Lord Mayor 1652-53, concerning Fowke's dispute with the East India Company about liability for a debt which he had guaranteed. Boyd's Inhabitants of London John Fowke of St Dunstan father Williiam Fowke of Twekesbury marr. 1638 Sep 27 at Hackney wife Mary Bass dau. of Serjant Major Bass and ??? ProfessionAlderman 1642/62 Lord mayor 1652 Citizen and haberdasher died 1662 pril 22 Will 1662 PCC fo. 64 Focke Children Mary bap 1646 Mch 9 bur 1649 May 18 James bap 1648 Nov 23 bur 1648 Dec 20 Mary bap 1651 Sep 25 bur 1652 Sep 2 Mary bap 1652 Mch 19 bur 1653 Mch 29 Sarah bur 1643 Jan 1 stillborn bur 1645 Nov 10 Mary bur 1646 Sep 1 Francs marr 1681 John Cropper 21427 Sir John marr 1681 Eliz Hussey 14245 ?? 1673 Mary Walton ?? 1694 Jane Boun London Ped. p. 8 (Basse) https://www.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol9/pp182-185#h3-0022 Alderman Fowkes and the E. I. Co. "Upon the Hearing and long Debating of the Cause this Day, and Four several Days before, at this Bar, upon Petition and Answer depending in this House between John Fowke now Alderman of London and the Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading to Th' East Indies, in the Presence of the Counsel Learned on both Sides, touching Two Decrees made in Chancery, at the Suit of the said Governor and Company, against the said Alderman Fowke, by the Lord Coventry, the First of which Decrees was made the 21th Day of November in the Seventh Year, and the Second Decree was made the Ninth Day of June in the Eleventh Year, of the Reign of His now Majesty King Charles; and touching the said Governor's and Company's detaining, by Colour of the said Two Decrees, the said Alderman Fowke's Adventures in their Hands, by him alledged to be Sixteen Hundred Pounds in their Second joint Stock, and Twenty-one Hundred Pounds more in Three of their Voyages, and the Product thereof, with Damages for the Detainer, since others of that Company received their Profits upon the like Adventures, ought to be answered to the said John Fowke: It is thereupon Ordered and Adjudged, by the Lords in Parliament assembled, That the said Two Decrees, made by the Lord Keeper Coventry, the 21th Day of November Septimo Caroli, and Ninth Day of June Undecimo Caroli, between the said Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading to Th' East Indies, and John Fowke now Alderman of London, being unjust, are hereby reversed; and that the Adventures, videlicet, the Principal, with the Proceed thereof, which the said John Fowke now Alderman had in the Stock of the said East India Company, which were kept from him by colour of the said Two Decrees, or either of them, be restored to John Fowke now Alderman, with Damages after the Rate of Eight Pounds per Centum per Annum for the said Adventures detained, to be accompted from the several Times respectively when others of that Company were to receive their like Adventures, and with One Hundred Pounds for Costs; all which shall be forthwith paid unto the said John Fowk now Alderman, by the said Governor and Company: And Doctor Heath and Mr. Hackwell are appointed to audit the said Damages, and to make Report thereof unto this House."
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