William GOMELDON
Name: | William GOMELDON | H0002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Parents: | Roger GOMELDON | Cicily WILCOX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Buried: | 1691 | Sellindge, Kent, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation: | Jeweller | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse 1 | Elizabeth SANDERS
(Died 1662 St Mary Milk St, Middlesex, England) |
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William Gomeldon was a son of Roger GOMELDON [G0004] and his wife Cicily nee WILCOX [G0004a]. His baptism has not been found, but he was mentioned in his father's will, proved in 1618, and was the first name in the list of children in the will, so may have been the eldest.
He was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Skinners—one of the twelve great Livery Companies of the City of London. He was probably entitled to membership "by patrimony", as his father had also been a Skinner. The Company was originally an association of those engaged in the trade of skins and furs and William may have followed this trade. Membership of the Skinners' Company also conferred the rights of Citizenship (ie "freedom of the City"). He married Elizabeth Sanders (or Sanderson, or Saunderson), a daughter of Cavendish SAUNDERSON and his wife Elizabeth (nee WHETHERS). The record of the marriage has not, however, been found. William and ELizabeth must have lived in the City of London, because their first known child, Thomas Gomeldon was baptised at St Andrew, Undershaft, in 1639, and another child, Charles Gomeldon was buried at the church of St Mary, Milk Street, as an infant, in 1643. In 1642, "William Gomeldon, citizen and skinner of London, and Elizabeth his wife" mortgaged a property in Littleton for the sum of £520. There are several places in England called Littleton, but this one is assumed to be the small hamlet outside Winchester, Hampshire. It is not known how William Gomeldon acquired this property. The English Civil War broke out in 1642 and must have affected the Gomeldon's lives drastically. A son, James, was baptised in February 1644, at Barton-on-the-Heath, Warwickshire suggesting that the family were out of London at this stage. One of Parliament's instruments for raising funds was the "Committee for advance of money". From 1642 to 1650 the Committee investigated people's wealth and obtained forced loans for the use of Parliament but repaid the money annually with interest. Initially, funds were obtained from all parties but, from August 1646, only Royalists were forced to contribute and goods could be seized for non compliance. The Committee's papers of 1645 mention "Gomeldon, delinquent at Oxford". This most likely refers to the current William Gomeldon. A 'delinquent' in this sense meant a Royalist. The records refer to some sable skins (furs) of Gomeldon's which are to be forfeited and sold for the best price. Nothing further is known about William Gomeldon during the Civil War period. In 1647, his mother, Cicely, died and William is mentioned in her will. By 1655, William was trading in jewellery. A later will of Christian, Countess Dowager of Devonshire, refers to a considerable number of diamonds which she mentions having bought from William in that year. In 1658, William and his brother Richard were plaintiffs in a case in the Court of Chancery, brought against Elizabeth Thorold, widow. The case related to money matters but I have not researched the details. William Gomeldon's fortunes must have taken a turn for the better when Charles II returned to England in 1660 and the Monarchy was restored. By this time, William was working as a jeweller. Most of the Crown Jewels had been sold and destroyed in the interregnum and Charles II was presumably in the market for some new jewellery for his coronation, which took place in April 1661. In January of that year, State Papers record a sum of £730 10s owed by Sir Gilbert Talbot, master of the Royal Jewel House, to William Gomeldon for "a picture of the King set round with diamonds, sent to France; for a large oriental ruby provided for his Majesty's wearing at his coronation; for setting 320 stones, and lending £1200 more, for his stirrups, bosses and star, and altering and enamelling his whole suit". The large oriental ruby is almost certainly the famous "Black Prince's Ruby", acquired by him in 1376. In Henry VIII's time, the jewel had been set in the "Tudor Crown" which was eventually disassembled and sold during the interregnum. What happened to it is unknown, but it must have been acquired by William Gomeldon, who then sold it back to the Monarch. It is now set in the Imperial State Crown in the modern Crown Jewels. Later in 1661 there is a record of a warrant to William Gomeldon for 2200L for a large heart diamond ring of great perfection bought for the King's use. However, in August 1661, the State Papers record a petition of Francis and John Simpson, jewellers in ordinary to the King, "to command William Gomeldon, formerly a ribbon seller at Oxford, who engendered mutiny in the late King's army, not to intrude into their place, he boasting of selling jewels to his Majesty worth £800. They followed the late King to Oxford, took up arms and by plunder, sequestration, etc, lost £20,000." So it seems that William Gomedon trod on the toes of some of the established jewellers in London at this time. It is not known whether the accusation of engendering mutiny in the late King's army had any factual basis or was just a piece of malicious gossip! In 1662, there is an order for a warrant to pay William Gomeldon £2970 for jewels to be cancelled, but later that year there is a further warrant to pay William Gomeldon £293 10s and another for £4000 for jewels delivered for the King's use. Also in 1662, a Coat of Arms was conferred on WIlliam and his brother Richard. The citation harks back to a set of arms supposedly held by the family on the early middle-ages but adds an extra element "as a testimony of theire fidelity". It is tempting, though, to wonder if Charles II was lax with paying his bills but could hand out coats of arms very cheaply. William Gomeldon continued to supply jewels to the Monarchy: in 1663 there is a note that "Mr Gomeldon the King's Jeweller has furnished the Duke of Monmouth by the King's order with a diamond George and garter value £500". In August of that year, Gomeldon submitted an account for "jewels purchased or lent for the King and Queen since April 1662 total £1123 16s", which again suggests that the King may have been very slow in paying Gomeldon's bills. However, this was followed shortly by a "Warrant to pay William Gomeldon £1,123 for jewels for the King and Queen, and £375 for a diamond for the Duke of Monmouth". In 1665 there is a further warrant to pay to William Gombledon, £12,179 "due for jewels and for interest on former privy seals for money which has not yet been paid on account of jewels". In the state papers of 1664, there is a record of a letter from William Gomeldon to Secretary Bennet (Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington, Secretary of State to Charles II). In it, Gomeldon says that he "knows nothing about the receiving of certain books; it was his wife's act only; he is a man of fair dealing, but calvinistical, and will discover the truth". The meaning of this remains obscure. In 1666 there was a warrant to pay to William Gomeldon £360 for 2 rings given by the King to the secretary of the French embassy and to the envoy of Savoy and another for £850 for "the remainder of the diamond pendants which the privy purse should have paid, and for a ring of £200 for the last envoy of Savoy." In 1678, William's brother, Richard, died and William was a beneficiary of the will. He died in 1691 and was buried at Sellindge church, Kent. We have found no record of a will. |
Date | Event | Place | Reference |
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19 Nov 1618 | William GOMELDON referenced in Will of Roger Gomeldon 1618 | London | View details |
1630 Approx | Marriage of William GOMELDON and Elizabeth Saunderson | None | Marriage index |
1645 | Committee for advance of money 1642-1656 | Oxford | View details |
9 Mar 1646 | Manor of Littleton, 1642 | Littleton | View details |
1647 | William GOMELDON referenced in Will of Cicily Gomeldon of St Mary Axe | London | View details |
1658 | Gomeldon v Thorold, 1658 | View details | |
1659 | Gomeldon v. Ryder, Marsham and Fardinando: Middlesex | None | View details |
2 Jan 1661 | Payment due to William Gomeldon, jeweller | View details | |
1661 | Gomeldon v Marsham | None | View details |
29 Jun 1661 | Warrant to pay to William Gomeldon merchant | View details | |
29 Jun 1661 | Warrant to William Gomeldon | View details | |
Aug 1661 | Petition of Francis and John Simpson, jewellers | None | View details |
11 Mar 1662 | Cancellation of Warrant to William Gomeldon | View details | |
7 Apr 1662 | Warrant to William Gomeldon | View details | |
18 Apr 1662 | Warrant to William Gomeldon | View details | |
1663 | William GOMELDON referenced in Visitations of Middlesex, 1663 | Middlesex | View details |
2 May 1663 | Certificate by Sir Gilbert Talbot | View details | |
29 Jun 1663 | Certificate by Sir Gilbert Talbot | View details | |
23 Aug 1663 | Account of William Gomeldon jeweller | View details | |
27 Aug 1663 | Warrant to William Gomeldon | View details | |
1664 & 1667 | London Pedigrees & coats of arms 1664 & 1667 | London | View details |
29 Nov 1664 | William Gomeldon to Sec. Bennet | London | View details |
15 Dec 1665 | Warrant to pay William Gomeldon | View details | |
26 Jun 1666 | Draft bond for payment to William Gomeldon | London | View details |
30 Jul 1666 | Warrant to William Gomeldon | View details | |
10 Aug 1666 | Warrant to pay to William Gomeldon | View details | |
31 Dec 1666 | Payments due to William Gomeldon | View details | |
1675 | Extract from will of Christian, Countess Dowager of Devonshire, 1675 | Roehampton, Surrey | View details |
10 Oct 1678 | William GOMELDON referenced in Will of Richard Gomeldon of London | London | View details |
1691 | Burial of William GOMELDON | Sellindge, Kent, England | Burials index#40 |
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