Biography of John Maynard 1509-1557

In 1509 John Maynard was born to Nicholas Maynard of Axminster in Devon and Margaret Ellis.

Before 1544 [his future brother-in-law] Ralph Rowlett of London and St Albans (age 31) and Dorothy Bowles were married.

Before 1547 John Maynard (age 38) and Margery or Mary Rowlett were married.

Before 1547 John Maynard (age 38) and Dorothy Perrot were married.

After 1547 [his son] Henry Maynard was born to John Maynard (age 38) and [his wife] Dorothy Perrot.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 19 Aug 1552. The sam day was dysmyssed of the shreyffe[ship] master Browne, and in ys sted was choyssen master .. Maynard (age 43), marser, the wyche master Browne payd for ys ...

Note. Master Maynard chosen sheriff. John Maynard. Stowe relates this anecdote of his provision for serving the office: "whiche, about .ix. or .x. yeares before had geven out wares and jewelles, as it was thought, to the summe of .2000. markes, to be payde hym when he were sherife of London." Summarie, 1566.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 23 Dec 1552. .... chylderyn of hospetalle to ... chylderyn men-kyns and women in fry[se, and the] boysse red cape skotys, and every boy a pe ..; and master Maynard (age 43) the shreyff had a lord of [misrule, and] the mores dansse, with a good compeny.

Note. Children of hospital. This passage, when perfect, seems to have described the Christmas treatment of the children of Christ's Hospital, which, together with the two sister hospitals of St. Thomas and Bridewell, had just been founded by the city with the assistance of the crown. Its original object was to serve for all the fatherless children of London,—"to take the childe out of the strete, which was the seede and increase of beggary, by reason of ydle bringing-up, and to noryshe the same chylde in some good learning and exercise profitable to the common weale."—It was only on the 21st of the preceding month (Nov. 1552) that the children had been first taken into the hospital, "to the numbre of fower hundred." Stowe's Summarie, 1566.

In 1553 John Maynard (age 44) was elected Sheriff of London.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 27 Mar 1553. The xvij day of Marche cam thrugh London, [from] Algatt, master Maynard (age 44), the shreyff of London, wyth a standard and dromes, and after gyants boyth [great and] smalle, and then hobe-horsses, and after them the g[ ... ], and affter grett horsses and men in cotes of velvet, [with chains] of gold a-bowt ther nekes, and men in harnes; [and then] the mores dansse, and then mony mynsterels; and af[ter came] the sergantes and yomen on horsse-bake with rebyns [of green] and whytt abowtt ther nekes, and then my lo[rd justice?] late behyng lord of myssrulle, rod gorgyusly [in cloth?] of gold, and with cheynes of gold abowt ys neke, with hand fulle of rynges of grett waluw; the w ... serjants rod in cotes of velvet with cheynes of [gold;] and then cam the dullo and a sawden, and then [a priest?] shreyffyng Jake-of-lent on horss-bake, and a do[ctor] ys fezyssyoun, and then Jake-of-lent('s) wyff brow[ght him] ys fessyssyons and bad save ys lyff, and he shuld [give him] a thowsand li. for ys labur; and then cam the carte with the wyrth hangyd with cloth of gold, and fulle of ban[ners] and mynsterels plahyng and syngyng; and a-for rod master Coke, in a cot of velvett with a cheyn off gold, and with flowres.

Before 12 Nov 1557 John Maynard (age 48) died. He was buried on 12 Nov 1557 at Stepney [Map].

Henry Machyn's Diary. 12 Nov 1557. [The xij day of November was buried at Stepney [Map] master Maynard (age 48), merchant, and sheriff of London in the sixth] yere of kyng Edward the vjth, the wyche kept a grett howse, and in the time of Cryustymas he had a lord of mysrulle, and after the kynges lord of mysse-rulle cam and dynyd with hym; and at the crosse of Chepe he mad a grett skaffold, and mad a proclamasyon. [He was buried] with ij whytt branchys, and xij torchys, and iiij grett [tapers]; and after to Popeler to dener, and that was grett.

Ancestors of John Maynard 1509-1557

Father: Nicholas Maynard of Axminster in Devon

John Maynard

GrandFather: John Ellis of Devon

Mother: Margaret Ellis