SPRINT, William (d.1592), of Bristol.

Sprint, a cousin of Michael Hickes and of John Sprint, treasurer of Salisbury cathedral,St. Ch. 5/S49/20; DNB (Sprint, John). was a Bristol merchant; his name appears frequently in the local records. In 1586 the Weymouth authorities sent a blank parliamentary election return to the 2nd Earl of Pembroke, in which Sprint’s name was later inserted.Roberts thesis, 205. Sprint was noted in the town records as a friend of Thomas Hannam, recorder of both Weymouth and Bristol.Cat. Charters Weymouth, ed. Moule, 40. The Earl of Pembroke had connexions with Bristol, and it seems likely that he and Hannam together agreed upon Sprint’s nomination at Weymouth. Gregory Sprint sat for Shaftesbury, another Pembroke borough, in this Parliament.

Towards the end of his life Sprint appears to have been in financial difficulties. He owed the Queen £200, a writ of extent was issued against him for two bonds. When his inquisition post mortem was held at Bristol 4 June 1599, it was suggested that he had been involved in fraudulent property transactions. His widow married another Bristol merchant.E178/937/Glos.