Biography of John Gresham 1495-1556
Paternal Family Tree: Gresham
In 1495 John Gresham was born to John Gresham at Holt, Norfolk.
In 1507 John Gresham (age 12) admitted as Worshipful Company of Mercers.
In 1512 [his son] William Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 17) and [his future wife] Mary Ipswell (age 17).
In 1521 John Gresham (age 26) and Mary Ipswell (age 26) were married.
On 17 Aug 1523 [his daughter] Mary Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 28) and [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 28).
In 1524 [his daughter] Catherine Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 29) and [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 29).
Around 1525 [his daughter] Catherine Gresham (age 1) died.
On 18 Jul 1526 [his son] James Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 31) and [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 31).
On 12 Aug 1530 [his son] Edmund Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 35) and [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 35).
On 27 Jan 1531 [his son] Anthony Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 36) and [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 36).
On 24 May 1533 [his daughter] Ellen Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 38) and [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 38).
In 1534 [his daughter] Ursula Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 39) and [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 39).
On 12 Feb 1535 [his daughter] Cecily Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 40) and [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 40).
In 1537 John Gresham (age 42) was appointed Sheriff of London and Middlesex.
On 19 Nov 1537 [his daughter] Elizabeth Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 42) and [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 42).
In 1538 [his son] Richard Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 43) and [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 43).
Before 1539 Edward Dormer and [his future wife] Katherine Sampson (age 42) were married.
On 13 Mar 1539 [his son] John Gresham was born to John Gresham (age 44) and [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 44).
On 21 Sep 1539 [his wife] Mary Ipswell (age 44) died.
On 07 Nov 1541 Catherine Howard (age 18) was interrogated by Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury (age 52) and John Gresham Lord Mayor (age 46) at Winchester Palace in Southwark [Map]. 
On 08 May 1545 [his son-in-law] William Uvedale (age 17) and [his daughter] Ellen Gresham (age 11) were married.
In 1547 John Gresham (age 52) was appointed Lord Mayor of London.
Before 1548 [his son] Anthony Gresham (age 16) died.
Diary of Edward VI. 08 Mar 1551. Sir Jhon Yorke hade great losse, about 2,000 pounde weight of silver, by treason of English men, wich he brought for provision of the mintes. Also Judd (age 58)1 1,500; also Tresham (Gresham2) 500: so the hole came to 4,000 pound.
Note 1. Sir Andrew Judde (age 58), an alderman of London, the founder of Tunbridge school.
Note 2. Sir John Gresham (age 56), another alderman, uncle of the celebrated sir Thomas (age 32).
Before 1552 [his son] James Gresham (age 25) died.
On 15 Jul 1553 John Gresham (age 58) and Katherine Sampson (age 57) were married.
On 17 Jul 1553 [his son] John Gresham (age 14) and [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Dormer were married.
In 1555 John Gresham (age 60) founded as Muscovy Company.
In 1555 John Gresham (age 60) founded at Gresham's School, Holt.
Before 21 Mar 1555 [his son-in-law] Thomas Leveson (age 23) and [his daughter] Ursula Gresham (age 21) were married.
On 23 Oct 1556 John Gresham (age 61) died. He was buried at St Michael Bassishaw.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 30 Oct 1556. The xxx day of October was bered ser [John] Gressem (deceased), knyght and merser, and marchand of the [staple] of Callys, and marchand venterer, and late mere [and alderman] of London; with a standard and a penon of armes, [cote-] armur of damask, and iiij pennons of armes ... a elmett, a targett and a sword, mantylles, and ys .... and a goodly hersse of wax and x dosen of [pensels] and xij dosen of skochyons; and he gayff a c blake g[owns] unto pore men and powre women of fyne blake [cloth]; iiij dosen of grett stayffe torchys, and a dosen of .. longe torches; and he gayff a C. d. of fyne blake .... ij unto the mare and the old mare, and to ser Rowland Hylle and to ser Andrew Jude and to boyth the chamburlayns, and to master of Blakwelle, and to master the common huntt and ys man, and to the porters that longes to the stapull, and to all ys farmers and ys tenantts; and all the chyrche hangyd and the strett with blake and armes grett store; and morow iij goodly masses song, on of the Trenete, and a-nodur of owre Lade, and the iij of requiem, and a goodly sermon; master Harpfeld dyd pryche; and after as grett a dener as has bene sene for a fysse-day, for alle that cam to dener, for ther laket nothyng dere.
Note. P. 116. Funeral of alderman sir John Gresham. Uncle to the celebrated sir Thomas (age 37). Biographical notices of him will be found in Burgon's Life of sir Thomas Gresham, vol. i. pp. 11, et seq. He was sheriff in 1537-8, and lord mayor in 1547-8. He was buried at St. Michael Bassishaw and his epitaph is given by Stowe. Sir Rowland Hill and sir Andrew Judd were made overseers of his will. (Ibid. p. 19.) "He dwelled where sir Leonard Holiday now dwelleth." (Wm. Smith, Rouge-dragon.)
The death of so many old persons at this period is attributed by Stowe to "the hot burning fevers [Note. Possibly a reference to the Sweating Sickness]." Seven aldermen died within ten months, - Hardson, Dobbs, Laxton, Hobblethorne, Champneys, Ayloffe, and Gresham: they have all been noticed in these pages.
On 09 Jan 1576 [his former wife] Katherine Sampson (age 80) died.
[his son] William Gresham and Beatrice Guymon were married.
GrandFather: James Gresham
Father: John Gresham