Nicholas Wotton (or Wootton; d. 1448) was an English merchant and official who twice served 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 ...

, in 1415 and 1430.

Family

Wotton was the son of William Wotton (d. 1391), a wealthy wool merchant, and his wife Margaret (d. 1404).The Wotton Family
/ref> His father may be the same William Wotton who was alderman of

Dowgate Dowgate, also referred to as ''Downgate'' and ''Downegate'', is a small ward in the City of London, the historic and financial centre of London. The ward is bounded to the east by Swan Lane and Laurence Poutney Lane, to the south by the River Th ...

Ward.Wotton, Nicholas (d. 1448), of London
/ref> He married Joane Corbie, only daughter and heiress of Robert Corbie. This marriage brought with it the estate of

Boughton Malherbe Boughton Malherbe ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone district of Kent, England, equidistant between Maidstone and Ashford. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 428, including Sandway and Grafty Green, inc ...

, which would remain in the Wotton family for generations. After Joan's death in 1413, he remarried to a woman named Margaret.

Career

Wotton was a member of the

Drapers' Company The Worshipful Company of Drapers is one of the 110 livery companies of the City of London. It has the formal name The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity of the Blessed Mary the Virgin of the Mystery of Dr ...

. Like his father, he was a large investor in wool, with royal licenses to ship large quantities to Calais. His growing wealth enabled him to advance large loans to both Kings Henry IV and

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...

, in return for which he gained an exemption on customs duties until the loans were repaid. Apart from his mercantile activities, Wotton held a number of political offices. He was at various times tax collector, Constable of the Staple of Westminster, and Mayor of the Staple of Westminster. He held the position of alderman for Broad Street Ward from 1404-1406 and Dowgate Ward from 1406 until 1446. He was one of the

Sheriffs of the City 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 1406-1407, Mayor of London in 1415 and 1430, and MP for London in the 1406, 1414, 1419, 1421, 1425, and 1429 parliaments. While living in Kent, Wotton was summoned to be impanelled before the judges of assize. He refused to be sworn, asserting the privilege of former mayors and aldermen of London to not serve the king in any other part of the country without their consent. Though he was held in contempt, he received a royal pardon from Henry VI.

Death and legacy

Wotton died in 1448, leaving his widow Margaret and two sons, Nicholas and Richard, and was buried in the church at Boughton Malherbe.Nicholas WOTTON, Will 4 January 1447
/ref> As the younger son, Richard, was a clergyman, his inheritance ultimately reverted back to his brother's family. Among Wotton's descendants were the diplomat

Nicholas Wotton Nicholas Wotton (c. 1497 – 26 January 1567) was an English diplomat, cleric and courtier. Life He was a son of Sir Robert Wotton of Boughton Malherbe, Kent, and a descendant of Sir Nicholas Wotton, Lord Mayor of London in 1415 and 1430, who ...

, privy councilor

Edward Wotton Edward Wotton may refer to: *Sir Edward Wotton (1489–1551) treasurer of Calais *Edward Wotton (zoologist) (1492–1552), early English zoologist *Edward Wotton, 1st Baron Wotton Edward Wotton, 1st Baron Wotton (1548–1626) was an English dipl ...

, MP

Henry Wotton Sir Henry Wotton (; 30 March 1568 – December 1639) was an English author, diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1614 and 1625. When on a mission to Augsburg, in 1604, he famously said, "An ambassador is an honest gentlema ...

Margaret Wotton, Marchioness of Dorset Margaret Wotton, Marchioness of Dorset (1485 – 6 October 1535) was the second wife of Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, and the mother of his children, including Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, with whom she engaged in many quarrels dur ...

, and the

Barons Wotton Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wotton, Nicholas 14th-century births 1448 deaths English MPs 1406 English MPs November 1414 English MPs 1419 English MPs December 1421 English MPs 1425 English MPs 1429 15th-century lord mayors of London Sheriffs of the City of London Year of birth unknown