GLEANE, Sir Peter (1564-1633), of St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, Norf.

A descendant of the Gleanes of Diss, Norfolk, this Member’s father was either a draper or mercer, who served three times as mayor of Norwich and represented the city in Parliament in 1589. Cozens-Hardy and Kent, 73. Gleane also became a leading member of the Norwich corporation. He held licences to sell wine in Diss, Harling and Norwich, and also dealt in timber. PROB 11/165, ff. 148-9. In 1602 he purchased a grove of 41 trees in Newton Wood from the dean and chapter of Norwich Cathedral. Extracts from Min. Bks. Norwich Cathedral ed. J.F. Williams and B. Cozens-Hardy (Norf. Rec. Soc. xxiv), 40.

Gleane married into the wealthy Suckling family of Norwich. His brother-in-law, (Sir) John Suckling*, represented Norwich in 1626 and was comptroller of the king’s Household. It was possibly through Suckling’s influence that Gleane was knighted in 1624. Gleane himself was elected for Norwich in 1628, perhaps as a direct replacement for Suckling, who had died in 1627. In the Commons Gleane made no speeches and was appointed to just one bill committee (1 April). It concerned the searching and sealing of new draperies, a matter of interest to Norwich, which was a main centre of new drapery manufacture. CD 1628, ii. 227.

In 1629 Gleane was involved, as a member of the Norwich corporation, in an attempt to settle the complaints of the Norwich weavers regarding the deceits in manufacture of the spinners and yarnmen of Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk. SP16/153/11, 53. He made out his will on 7 May 1633, in which he divided his various Norfolk properties between his three sons and instructed that his tomb was to be placed on the north wall of the south aisle of St. Peter Mancroft. To this church he had already donated a standing cup and cover, perhaps in memory of his late wife. F. Blomefield, Hist. Norf. iv. 193. Gleane’s friend Richard Rosse* received 40s. for drafting the will, which was overseen by Sir John Hobart* and Sir Robert Heath*. PROB 11/165, ff. 148-9. His grandson, Peter, purchased a baronetcy and represented Norfolk in 1679 and 1681. However, he squandered the family fortune and his son was thrown naked and penniless into the Fleet prison in 1696.