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Thomas Smythe (customer)

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Thomas Smith

Thomas Smythe (Kent (1522 – 7 June 1591) was the collector of customs duties ("customer") in London during the Tudor period. His son and namesake Sir Thomas Smythe was an active supporter of the Virginia colony.

Contents

Family

Thomas Smythe, born in 1522, was the second son of John Smythe (d.1538), a substantial yeoman and clothier of Corsham, Wiltshire, and Joan Brouncker, the daughter of Robert Brouncker of Melksham, Withshire. John Smythe left Thomas a farm in the Hundred of Amesbury, Wiltshire, of the value of £20 per annum. Thomas, who must have been about sixteen years of age at the time of his father's death, came up to London with the intention of seeking his fortune.

Career

Thomas took up his freedom in his father's guild, the Haberdashers, and subsequently in the Worshipful Company of Skinners, which may account for his intimate connection with Sir Andrew Judde, Lord Mayor of London in 1550, whose daughter Alice he married circa 1554.

In the reign of Mary I of England Smythe purchased the Office of the Customs from one Mr. Cocker, for the sum of £2500. He was confirmed in his appointment at the Customs on the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558, and continued in the office for a period of eleven years. In 1567 he appears to have incurred her Majesty's severe displeasure, having been accused of issuing privy warrants whereby a loss of revenue was sustained, to the extent of some £6000, and it was only through the kind intervention of his friend William Cecil, Lord Burghley that he escaped imprisonment. Cecil persuaded the Queen to be lenient, as if time were allowed he would doubtless pay up, but if he were imprisoned her Majesty would be the loser.

The increasing wealth of the Customer only tends to shew that his gains were large; and Elizabeth, ever on the watch to replenish her exchequer, did not fail to require larger and larger fines for a renewal of the leases; with these demands he at length found himself unable to comply, and in consequence he again fell under her Majesty's severe displeasure. His October 1589 counteroffer of a more modest payment was rejected. His increasing infirmities and the weight of his royal Mistress's displeasure combined to shorten his life. He died 7 June 1591, leaving his widow, then sixty years of age, and twelve children, six sons and six daughters.

Smythe was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Tavistock October 1553, for Aylesbury April 1554, Rye November 1554, Winchelsea 1555 and Portsmouth 1563.

Marriage and issue

By his wife Alice Judde, Thomas Smythe had thirteen children.

  • Andrew Smythe, eldest son, who died an infant.
  • Sir John Smythe (1557–1608), second son, of Ostenhanger = Elizabeth Fineaux (m 1576) (d/o Sir John Fineaux, Chief Justice of the King's Bench).
  • Sir Thomas Smythe (1558-1625), who married firstly, Judith Culverwell, the daughter of Richard Culverwell; secondly Joan Hobbs, the daughter of William Hobbs; and thirdly, Sarah Blount, the daughter of William Blount. He had no issue by his first two marriages; by his third marriage he had three sons and a daughter. After his death his widow, Sarah, married Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester.
  • Henry Smythe of Corsham (d.before 1591) = Elizabeth Owen (d/o Thomas Owen, Justice of the Peace).
  • Sir Richard Smythe (d.1628), also said to have been of Leeds Castle, who married firstly Elizabeth Scott, the daughter of Sir Thomas Scott (w/o John Knatchbull) (m 1589) = (2) Jane White (d/o John White of London) (w/o Samuel Thornhill).
  • Sir Robert Smythe of Leeds Castle, fourth son, who married Elizabeth Scott, the daughter of Thomas Scott of Scott's Hall, Kent.
  • Symon Smythe, killed at the siege of Cadiz in 1596. Also said to be of Highgate, and to have married Ann Lynford (d/o William Lynford).
  • Elizabeth Smythe, who was unmarried at the time of Smythe’s death in 1591, and later married Sir Henry Fanshawe (s/o Thomas Fanshawe who married secondly Sir Henry's wife's sister).
  • Mary Smythe, who married Robert Davy or Davis of London, Receiver for Wales.
  • Joan Smythe, who married Thomas Fanshawe, Esquire of Ware Park (d. 1601)
  • Katherine Smythe, who married, at age sixteen, Sir Rowland Hayward, Lord Mayor of London in 1571, (2) Sir John Scott (s/o Sir Thomas Scott, Scotts Hall & Elizabeth Baker of Sissinghurst) = (3) Sir Richard Sandys
  • Alice Smythe, who married William Harris, also said to have been Sir William Harris of Crixes, Woodham, Essex.
  • Ursula Smythe, who married William Butler. Also said to have married Simon Harding of London = (2) William Boteler (Butler) - of Bedford.

    • References

    Thomas Smythe (customer) Wikipedia
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