Christopher Frederick was on more than one occasion at serious variance with the Court, as also with some of its members, and a resolution was passed, evidently with pointed allusion to him, viz., that in future aliens should be ineligible for the Court. He was Serjeant-Surgeon to James I, and probably to Elizabeth also; Master in 1609 and again in 1616. His son William was admitted to the freedom by service 27th October, 1607. Christopher Frederick was buried 10th October, 1623, in the church of St. Olave, Jewry, where also Mary, his widow, was interred on 6th June, 1636. They had issue six sons and six daughters.
John Frederick, the fourth son, was baptized 25th October, 1601, and educated at Christ’s Hospital. On 17th July, 1632 he was admitted to the freedom by patrimony, on the 13th November, 1635 elected to the Livery, and on 30th January, 1645 made an Assistant. He was a successful merchant and resided in a large mansion on the site of what is now Frederick’s Place, Old Jewry (which he rebuilt after the Great Fire in 1666). This house was afterwards used as the Excise Office, upon the removal of which to Broad Street, the building was taken down and the present houses erected. He was elected Alderman of Vintry September, 1653, and in 1660 removed to Coleman Street Ward. He was Master of the Barber-Surgeons in 1654 and again in 1658; he served as Sheriff, 1655–6, and was then knighted. The Barber-Surgeons attended Sir John in their barge to Westminster when he went to be sworn in as Sheriff, and ordered his portrait to be painted at a cost of £15. This fine picture representing the Sheriff in his robes and with a flowing wig, is preserved at Barbers’ Hall. In 1661 Sir John was translated to the Grocers’ Company to enable him to take upon him the office of Lord Mayor, which he served 1661–2. The pageant performed at the expense of the Grocers upon his accession to the Mayoralty was entitled “Londons Tryumphs presented in several delightfull Scænes,” and was composed by John Tatham; a copy of this very rare tract is preserved in the Guildhall Library. Pepys, under date 29th October, 1661, writes—
This day I put on my half cloth black stockings and my new coate of the fashion, which pleases me well, and with my bever I was (after office was done) ready to go to my Lord Mayor’s feast, as we are all invited; but the Sir Williams were both loth to go, because of the crowd, and so none of us went. My mind not pleased because I had proposed a great deal of pleasure to myself this day at Guildhall. This Lord Mayor, it seems, brings up again the custom of Lord Mayors going the day of their instalment to Paul’s and walking round about the Crosse, and offering something at the Altar.
In 1662 Sir John was elected Master of the Grocers’ Company and also President of Christ’s Hospital, which latter office he held until 1683. In the Parliament of 1660 he represented Dartmouth; on the 10th March, 1663, he was elected one of the Members for the City and so continued until the dissolution in January, 1679. In 1674 he gave £100 towards rebuilding Barber-Surgeons’ Hall; he also repaired and fitted up the Great Hall at Christ’s Hospital at a cost of £5,000. In 1664 he bore the expense of bringing the Conduit Water from Gray’s Inn Fields to the Hospital. In 1667 he gave £50 and twenty chaldrons of sea coal, and by his Will bequeathed £500 to the Hospital. In 1654 he gave a handsome silver loving cup and cover weighing about 38 oz. to the Barber-Surgeons; this cup is still used on festive occasions. There is a portrait of Sir John at Christ’s Hospital, which represents him as seated in an arm chair, in his civic robes, with an open letter in his hand, on his head is a full bottomed wig and a black cap, he has white whiskers and a tuft of white hair on his under lip.
In the “Gentleman’s Magazine” for November, 1769, is a copy of a document prepared for Charles II, giving the characters of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, which says of Sir John Frederick that—
by reason of his age, he is apt to be ledd by others, especially by Sir John Lawrence, a man of little dispatch, very readie to run into mistakes; he hates a souldier, and cannot endure to see any of the King’s guards.
Sir John married Mary Rous by whom he had issue four sons and nine daughters. Judith, his eldest daughter, married Sir Nathaniel Herne (Alderman and Sheriff 1674 and Master of the Barber-Surgeons 1674), who, dying in August, 1679, she married secondly, Robert Hooker, of Hatton Garden. Her Will, dated in 1688, was proved 30th June, 1691.
Sir John Frederick was buried in the Church of St. Olave Jewry 19th March, 1685, where his widow was also interred 19th December, 1689; she bequeathed £300 to Christ’s Hospital. His eldest son Thomas was the father of John Frederick who was created a baronet 10th June, 1723. Sir John gave marriage portions of £3,000 apiece to his daughters Judith and Elizabeth, who married respectively Sir Nathaniel Herne and Sir Joseph Herne, and he covenanted to give £2,000 apiece more either in his lifetime or by will; it seems that he did this by will, which led to litigation, his relict (to whom he left about £10,000) laying claim to some portion of these legacies by the custom of London.