Nicholas de Farndone (sometimes written as Farindone or Farrington) (died 1334) was a 14th-century English goldsmith and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

who served four non-consecutive terms as Mayor of London. He was born Nicholas le Fevre, son of Ralph le Fevre, but assumed the surname of Farndone after marrying Isabella, daughter and heiress of William de Farndone (died 1293-94), a London goldsmith and alderman. Like William, Nicholas was a goldsmith. In 1293 he succeeded his father-in-law as alderman of the ward of Farringdon Within, and was elected mayor in 1308, 1313, 1320, and 1323. During his second term, on behalf of King

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to t ...

, Nicholas issued a ban of the game of

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, ancestor to the modern games of

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

and

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

, ostensibly due to the noise and disturbance ("great evils") caused by the game. He was elected Member of Parliament for the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

, as one of the two aldermanic representatives, in 1312, 1313, 1320, and 1321. Nicholas died in 1334, without male issue, and devised his aldermanry to

Sir John de Pulteney Sir John de Pulteney (sometimes spelled Poultney; died 8 June 1349) was a major English entrepreneur and property owner, who served four times as Mayor of London. Background A biography of Sir John, written by Charles Lethbridge Kingsford, tha ...

, then mayor of London. Roysia, the daughter of Nicholas and Isabella, made two marriages. The first was to Robert Convers, by whom she had issue Nicholas (de Farndon, died 1361) and Katherine. The second was to David de Cotesbrok by whom she had Thomas (de Farndon). A chantry was established in 1361 at

St Peter, Westcheap St Peter, Westcheap, also called "St Peter Cheap", "St Peter at the Cross in Cheap", or "Ecclesia S. Petri de Wodestreet", was a parish and parish church of medieval origins in the City of London. The church stood at the south-west corner of Wood ...

for Nicholas de Farndon and his daughter Roysia, by the will of his grandson Nicholas.R.R. Sharpe, ''Calendar of Wills Proved and Enrolled in the Court of Husting, London, 1258-1688. Part II: 1358-1688'' (HMSO, 1890)
pp. 18-19
(Internet Archive).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farndone, Nicholas de 13th-century births Year of birth unknown 1334 deaths English goldsmiths 14th-century lord mayors of London Members of the Parliament of England for the City of London

See also

References