William Webbe (died 1599) was a 16th-century English merchant and

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 ...

. He was the son of John Webbe, a clothier of

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Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

. Webbe moved to London and joined the

Salters' Company The Worshipful Company of Salters is one of the Livery Company, Livery Companies of the City of London, 9th in order of precedence. The Company originated as the Guild of Corpus Christi, which was granted a Royal Charter of incorporation in 139 ...

, one of the livery companies of the city. He was elected alderman in 1581, then 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 ...

later the same year. He was elected mayor in 1591, succeeding Rowland Heyward. While serving as mayor, he was the subject of a dedication of one of the works of the author

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, his "

Nine Worthies of London ''Nine Worthies of London'' is a book by Richard Johnson, the English romance writer, written in 1592. Borrowing the theme from the Nine Worthies of Antiquity, the book, subtitled ''Explaining the Honourable Excise of Armes, the Vertues of the ...

." After his term, he served as the president of the

Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals The Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospitals were two charitable foundations that were independently put into the charge of the City of London. They were brought under joint administration in 1557. Bethlehem Hospital The Bethlem Royal Hospital was foun ...

, from 1594 until his death. He died in 1599. Webbe was related by blood or marriage to several other important figures of the time. He was the maternal uncle of

William Laud William Laud (; 7 October 1573 – 10 January 1645) was a bishop in the Church of England. Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by Charles I in 1633, Laud was a key advocate of Charles I's religious reforms, he was arrested by Parliament in 1640 ...

, the

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. Webbe married Bennet Draper, daughter of an earlier Lord Mayor of London, Sir

Christopher Draper Squadron Commander Christopher Draper (15 April 1892 – 16 January 1979), was an English flying ace of World War I. His penchant for flying under bridges earned him the nickname "the Mad Major". After the war he became a film star through h ...

. Two of his sisters-in-law married other Lord Mayors of London, respectively Sir

Wolstan Dixie Sir Wolstan Dixie (1524/1525 – 1594) was an English merchant and administrator, and Lord Mayor of London in 1585. Life He was the son of Thomas Dixie and Anne Jephson, who lived at Catworth in Huntingdonshire. Wolstan was the fourth son ...

and Sir

Henry Billingsley Sir Henry Billingsley (died 22 November 1606) was an English merchant, Lord Mayor of London and the first translator of Euclid into English. Early life He was a son of Sir William Billingsley, haberdasher and assay master of London, and his wif ...

."Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society, Vol. 2"
pg. 29

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Webbe, William 16th-century lord mayors of London 1599 deaths Year of birth unknown