Sir John Champneys (1495–1556) was City of London Sheriff in 1522 and Lord Mayor of London in 1534, when he was knighted.[2]

Life

A merchant, Champneys began the building of Hall Place, Bexley, in about 1537. The son of Robert Champneys of Chew Magna, Somerset, he was a member of the Worshipful Company of Skinners. A contemporary chronicler, John Stow, noted that he was blind in later life: a divine judgment for having added "a high tower of brick" to his house in Mincing Lane, "the first that I ever heard of in any private man's house, to overlook his neighbours in this city."[3]

He married twice. His first wife was Margaret (died by 1515), daughter of Thomas Murfyn, and widow of Roger Hall.[3][4] His second wife was Merial Barret (died 1534) by whom he had three sons:

  • Francis
  • Clement
  • Justinian[3][5]

He died on 3 October 1556 and was buried on 8 October at St Mary the Virgin, Bexley.[3][6]

See also

Notes

References