Descended from a Norfolk family. Apprenticed to John Middleton, mercer, of London, and admitted to the freedom of the Mercers' Company in 1507. Alderman of Walbrook and Cheap Wards successively. Sheriff 1531-2. Married (1) Audrey, daughter of William Lynne, of Southwick, co. Northampton, (2) Isabella Taverson, née Worpfall. Was the father of Sir Thomas Gresham, the founder of the Royal Exchange and of the college which bears his name.—Ob., 21 Feb., 1549. Buried in the church of St. Laurence Jewry.
Cott. MS., Cleop. E., iv, fo. 222.—Printed in Burgon's "Life of Gresham," i, 26-29.
Journal 14, fo. 129; Letter Book P, fo. 178.
Journal 14, fo. 216b; Letter Book P, fo. 220b.
Repertory 10, fo. 200.
Journal 14, fo. 269.
Wriothesley, i, 129.
Son of Thomas Hill, of Hodnet, co. Salop. He devoted large sums of money to building causeways and bridges, and erected a grammar school at Drayton-in-Hales, otherwise Market Drayton, in his native county, which he endowed by will, dated 6 April, 1551 (Cal. of Wills, Court of Hust., London, part ii, p. 651). See also Holinshed, iii, 1021.
Holinshed, iii, 824; Wriothesley, i, 135. According to the Grey Friars Chron. (p. 45), it was the sergeant-at-arms himself whom the sheriffs detained.
Proclamation dated 13 Aug., 1543.—Journal 15, fo. 48b.