William Coupland (also recorded as Cowpland) was one of two Members of the

Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advised t ...

for the constituency of York from the November 1554 session to 1555 .

Life and politics

William was the son of John Coupland. He married Elizabeth Ledale and had 3 sons and 3 daughters. Two of his daughters were married to sheriff's of the city. He held several offices in the city. He was a ''muremaster'' who were responsible for collecting taxes for the upkeep of the city walls. He also was a junior chamberlain (1537–38); tax collector (1540); sheriff (1543–44); alderman (1549 until his death) and Lord mayor (1553-354 and again in 1568-69). Like his father he became a

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

and became a freeman of the city in 1522. He went on to become a trader in general merchandise while living in the parish of St. Sampsons'. During his first term as Lord mayor, he was noted for taking firm action against trading irregularities. His second term was marred by Williams' house being used to place one William Hussey under house arrest for anti-Catholic talk. William died in 1569 and was buried in

St Sampson's St Sampson (Guernésiais: ) is a parish of Guernsey, an island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, directly north of St Peter Port. It is on the north-west and north-east coasts of the island and is split into two sections, intersected by Vale. The pa ...

church next to his first wife.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coupland, William 1501 births 1569 deaths Members of the Parliament of England for constituencies in Yorkshire