Sir Thomas Vyner, 1st Baronet (15 December 1588 – 11 May 1665) was an English merchant and politician who served as the

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...

in 1653. Vyner supplied gold bullion to two English kings and to the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. Born at

North Cerney North Cerney is a village and civil parish in the English county of Gloucestershire, and lies within the Cotswolds, a range of hills designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The village is north of Cirencester within the Churn Valley. ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, on 15 December 1588, Vyner was the son of Thomas and Anne Vyner. After his father's death in 1600, Vyner was sent to London to live with his sister and brother-in-law, Samuel Moore. Samuel Moore introduced Vyner to the

goldsmithing A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made silverware, platters, goblets, decorative and serviceable ...

trade. Vyner soon became a member of the

Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths (commonly known as ''The Goldsmiths' Company'' and formally styled ''The Wardens and Commonalty of the Mystery of Goldsmiths of the City of London''), is one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City ...

and later became its prime warden. In 1622, Vyner purchased a mansion in what was then the village of Hackney near London. On 8 July 1624, James I appointed Vyner to the office of

comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accountancy, accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior- ...

of the

mint Mint or The Mint may refer to: Plants * Lamiaceae, the mint family ** ''Mentha'', the genus of plants commonly known as "mint" Coins and collectibles * Mint (facility), a facility for manufacturing coins * Mint condition, a state of like-new ...

. Under the regime of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

, Vyner supplied large quantities of

gold bullion A gold bar, also known as gold bullion or a gold ingot, is a quantity of refining, refined metallic gold that can be shaped in various forms, produced under standardized conditions of manufacture, labeling, and record-keeping. Larger varietie ...

to and created coinage for both the English government and the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

. In 1656, he and a partner purchased a large quantity of Spanish bullion to be converted into coins. As Vyner became more successful in business, he started venturing into politics. In 1646, he was elected alderman of the

Billingsgate Billingsgate is one of the 25 Wards of the City of London. This small City Ward is situated on the north bank of the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge in the south-east of the Square Mile. The modern Ward extends south to th ...

ward of London, a post he would hold until 1651. In 1648, he was elected sheriff. In 1651, Vyner ran for election as alderman in the

Langbourn Langbourn is one of the 25 ancient wards of the City of London. It reputedly is named after a buried stream in the vicinity. It is a small ward; a long thin area, running in a west–east direction. Historically, Lombard Street and Fenchurc ...

ward. In 1653, he became the Lord Mayor of London. That same year, Vyner was knighted by Cromwell. In 1660, with the loss of his post as alderman, Vyner appears to have retired from public service. On 18 June 1661, Charles II made Vyner a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

. Vyner died in Hackney on 11 May 1665. He was buried in

St Mary Woolnoth St Mary Woolnoth is an Anglican church in the City of London, located on the corner of Lombard Street, London, Lombard Street and King William Street, London, King William Street near Bank junction. The present building is one of the Commission f ...

church in Langbourn, although his monument was moved by his great nephew Robert Vyner to Gautby. Vyner had three wives, four daughters, and two sons. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son George. George remained living in Hackney until his death in 1673. George's son and heir, Thomas, was baptised at St John's church, Hackney, in 1664.

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