Sir John Alleyn (sometimes Alleyne;Brydges, Egerto
"The Topographer"
pg. 458 died 1544) was an English merchant and politician who served two terms as

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional powe ...

Family

John Alleyn was the eldest son of Richard Alleyn of

Thaxted Thaxted is a town and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of north-west Essex, England. The town is in the valley of the River Chelmer, not far from its source in the nearby village of Debden, and is 97 metres (318 feet) above sea level (whe ...

. He had two brothers, Christopher and John; it was not unknown at this time for families to have two sons with the same given name. His brothers both married daughters (and co-heirs) of Giles Leigh of Walton Leigh.Wright, Thoma
"The History and Topography of the County of Essex"
pg. 245

Career

Alleyn became a successful mercer in London, where he was elected as one of the

Sheriffs of London Two sheriffs are elected annually for the City of London by the Liverymen of the City livery companies. Today's sheriffs have only nominal duties, but the historical officeholders had important judicial responsibilities. They have attended the ju ...

in 1518.Collins, Arthur
"The English Baronetage, Vol. 2"
pg. 150 He was elected to his first term as Lord Mayor in 1525, and to a second term in 1535. He was later chosen to join the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

of King

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

. He was one of the principal benefactors of the 16th-century rebuilding of the

Hospital of St Thomas of Acre The Hospital of St Thomas of Acre was the medieval London headquarters of the Knights of Saint Thomas. It was founded as a church in 1227 in the parish of St Mary Colechurch, birthplace of the order's patron saint, Saint Thomas Becket. In the 14t ...

, where he was later interred.British History Online
/ref> He also left a rich golden

collar Collar may refer to: Human neckwear *Clerical collar (informally ''dog collar''), a distinctive collar used by the clergy of some Christian religious denominations *Collar (clothing), the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck ...

to be worn by Lord Mayors of London.Norris, Herbert
"Tudor Costume and Fashion"
/ref>

Death and legacy

Alleyn died in 1544 and was buried at a chapel which he had built in St Thomas Acres. He had no legitimate children, but he did have two illegitimate sons and one daughter. The elder son, Christopher Alleyn, inherited sufficient wealth to secure his status in society, becoming a Member of

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

and marrying a daughter of

William Paget, 1st Baron Paget William Paget, 1st Baron Paget of Beaudesert (15069 June 1563), was an English statesman and accountant who held prominent positions in the service of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I. Early life He was the son of John Pachett or Paget, one ...

.History of Parliament: Alleyn, Sir Christopher
/ref> Part of Alleyn's estate went to his brother John Alleyn, junior, ancestor of the

Alleyn baronets The Alleyn Baronetcy, of Hatfield in the County of Essex, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 24 June 1629 for Edward Alleyn. The title became extinct on the death of the eighth Baronet in 1759. Alleyn baronets, of Hatfi ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alleyn, John Sheriffs of the City of London 16th-century lord mayors of London Members of the Privy Council of England Year of birth missing 1544 deaths