Sir Andrew JUDDE, Lord Mayor of London

Born: ABT 1492

Died 4 Sep 1558

Married 1: Mary MIRFYN (d. 1542 / 14 Nov 1550) 1537, London

Children:

1. John JUDDE

2. Richard JUDDE

3. Andrew JUDDE

4. Thomas JUDDE

5. Elizabeth JUDDE

6. Alice JUDDE (d. 1592/3)

Married 2: Agnes / Annys ? 1542, London

Married 3: Mary MATHEWS (b. 1517 - d. 1602) (dau. of Thomas Mathews of Colchester) (w. of Thomas Langton of London - m.3 James Altham) 7 Feb 1551/2

Children:

7. Martha JUDDE


Third son. In 1509 London apprenticed to John Buknell, "a Skinner and Merchant of the Staple of Calais" for 8 years. 23 Mar 1517 First evidence of him as Merchant of the Staple, so released at least a little early from his apprenticeship. On this date he paid the duty for a cargo of wool shipped to Calais. "Thereafter his name occurs frequently".

In 1520 "took up his freedom as a member of the Skinners' Company" London. 1520-1521 Fraternity of the Assumption of Our Lady, London; paid 4 shillings "entry money"; high on their list 1524. 1522-1523 Fraternity of Corpus Christi, London; "the account books of the Skinners show ... that Andrew Judde paid 20 shillings on becoming one of the 'Newe Brethern'".

Mary Mirfyn was the daughter of Sir Thomas Mirfyn (d. 1523), Lord Mayor of London in 1518, and (probably) his first wife, Alice, since she was already married (or at least betrothed to) Sir Andrew Judde at the time of her father's death. Some genealogies, however, say that her mother was his second wife, Elizabeth Don or Donne, which would place her birth date at 1519 at the earliest. She died 14 Nov 1550. "Her funeral is entered both in Wriothesley's Chronicle, and in Machyn's Diary, both of which have been published by the Camden Society".

In 1523 London co-executor of his father-in-law's will with Mirfyn's own son. 1533 Master of the Skinners' Co "and five times thereafter". Merchant of the Staple of Calais. 12 Jul 1541 Alderman from this date ward of Farringdon without, London. Widowed before 1542? Had had five children with Mary; 2 not in his will. Married Agnes / Annys (----) in 1542 London; 2nd wife, no children, nothing more known. In 1547 Treasurer  of St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, when it was remodelled. "Certainly one of the richest and most prominent of overseas merchants in early Tudor London". 1550 Lord Mayor of London: "he had to deal with the problems caused by dearth and by the 1551 'calling down' of the coinage". One dau. survived from the 3rd marriage. In May 1553 Tonbridge School obtained letters patent for the erection of a free school with the Skinners' Company as trustees. One of the Aldermen who signed the device of King Edward VI. In Sep 1555 Staple Inn, London, Felipe of Spain (consort of Queen Mary) passed the night at the Staple Inn, and "Sir Andrew presented the King with a purse containing a thousand marks in gold". Circa 1556 Skinners Hall, London, Judde and Sir John Champneys donated money for the ceiling of the hall, and the Skinners had the arms of both carved as ornaments for the hall. Between 1556 and 1558 "At this time Sir Andrew was buying manors at Ashford and places adjoining from Sir Anthony Aucher, soon to lose his life at Calais. This estate passed to his daughter Alice and so to her son Sir Thomas Smyth, who in his turn was a benefactor of Tonbridge School".

1557 and 1558 "Surveyor-general of all the London hospitals" London.

Before 1558 Resided at Eshetisford - Essetisford - Ashford, Kent. Will London; "Sir Andrew Jud, skinner, mayor 1551, erected one notable free school at Tunbridge in Kent, and alms houses nigh St. Helen's church in London, and left to the Skinners lands to the value of 60 pounds 3 shillings and 8 pence the year; for the which they be bound to pay 20 pounds to the schoolmaster, 8 pounds to the usher, yearly, for ever, and four shollings the week to the six alms people, and 25 shillings and 4 pence the year in coals for ever".

There is a great deal of confusion about Sir Andrew's wives. Wife number three was also named Mary and some accounts say she was Mary Mirfyn. She appears, however, to have been Mary Mathews, the daughter of Thomas Mathews of Colchester, Essex. She, too, married three times, ending up as an extremely wealthy woman. Mary's first husband was Thomas Langton of London (d. 1551), a skinner. On 7 Feb 1551/2 she married Sir Andrew, who had been Lord Mayor of London the previous year. After his death, she married James Altham (d. 1583), a former sheriff of London who was sheriff of Essex in 1570-1 and the owner of Mark Hall in Latton (now Harlow), Essex. She may have had as many as nine children from these three marriages, two sons and seven daughters, but since she referred to several of her grandchildren as her sons and daughters in her will, the result is still more confusion. She had at least two daughters by Langton, Mary (d. 1575) and Jane (d. 1609) and one, Martha, by Judde. Sir Andrew Judde left his widow Ashford Manor and Esture, Kent (worth £73/year), Barden in Hertford, worth £40/year, and land in Surrey worth £28/year. At her death, Lady Judde left some £2000 to be distributed in cash and a considerable number of household furnishings. She was buried with her third husband.

Buried Sep 1558, St Helen's Bishopsgate, London. Probate Mar 1558 - 1605 Prerogative Court, Canterbury, Kent, Ref. 58 Noodes, 54 Welles ("De bonis non adm.") grants, March 1558-9 & Aug 1605. Properties in St. Helene, London and Eshetisford, Kent, "etc."

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See Wriothesley's Chronicle for the year 1550-1551 when Andrew was Lord Mayor of London.

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