In 1544 William Laxton (age 44) was elected Lord Mayor of London.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 27 Jul 1556. The same day at nyght be-tweyn viij and ix ded ser W[illiam Laxton] (age 56) knyght and late mayre of London, and grocer, in Althermary.

Note. P. 111. Death of alderman sir William Laxton. Sir William Laxton, grocer, was son of John Laxton of Oundle in Northamptonshire; sheriff in 1540, lord mayor 1544. He founded a school at Oundle; see Bridges's Northamptonshire, ii. 410. He had a fair monument in Aldermary church, with a poetical inscription, which will be found in Stowe. He married Joan daughter of William Kyrby and widow of Harry Lodington, but had no issue by her. (MS. Harl. 897, f. 24.)

Henry Machyn's Diary. 09 Aug 1556. [The ixth day of August was buried sir William Laxton (deceased), late lord mayor, in the church of saint Mary Aldermary; with] a goodly hers with v prynsepalles, [and the majesty] and the valans gyltyd, and viij dosen of penselles [and] xiij dosen of skochyons and a half of bokeram; and a standard and iiij penons, and ij baners of [images]; and the howsse, chyrche, and the stret hangyd with blake [and] armes; and a cott armur and helmett, target, and sward, mantylles and crest a teyger-hed with a colynbyn and the slype. [There were two] grett and goodly whyt branchys, and xxxiiij stayffes torchys, and xxxiiij mantyll frysse gownes to powre men, and a c blacke gownes; morners master Loges altherman cheyff mornar and master Machyl secund morner and master Wanton iij morner, and dyver odur, the lord mare and master Whytt and dyvers odur, and alle the thodur althermen in vyolett; and then cam the women morners, lades and mony althermens wyffes and gentyll-women; and after durge to the plasse to drynke and the compene of the Grocers, and after prestes and clarkes, to the place to drynke, and the harolds, and the Waxchandlers and the Penters, to drynke, with mony odur. And the morow iij masses song, ij pryke songe and (the) iij(d) requiem; at masse dyd pryche doctur Harpsfelle archeydekyn; and after to dener, for ther was a grett dener as I have sene at any berehyng, for ther dynyd mony worshepfull men and women.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 30 Aug 1556. The xxx day of August was the monyth myn of ser Wylliam Laxtun (deceased) knyght and grocer, and the hersse bornyng with wax; and the morowe masse and a sarmon, and after a grett dener; and after dener the hersse taken downe.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 25 May 1559. The thursday the xxv day of May master John Whyt altherman and grocer ys chyld was cristened in lytyll sant Barthelmuw be-syd sant Antonys; thes wher the god-fathers' names, my lord marques of Wynchester (age 76) now lord tresorer of England, and my lord byshope of Wynchester docthur Whytt (age 49), and the god-moder my lade Laxtun, lat the [his former wife] wyffe of ser Wylliam Laxtun latt mare of London and grocer; and after ther was waferers [wafers] and epocras grett plente; and after they whent home to the plasse, with the chyld nam(ed) John Whytt; the wyche wyff was master Raff Grenway altherman and grocer of London wyff.