BEECHER (BECHER), William (1580-1651), of Durham Gate, The Strand, Westminster and Putney, Surr.

Family and Education

bap. 4 May 1580, 1st s. of William Beecher, Haberdasher, of Old Jewry, London and Judith, da. of John Quarles, Draper, of London.St. Lawrence Jewry (Harl. Soc. Reg. lxx), 17; C78/167/16; Beds. Hist. Rec. Soc. v. 134; Vis. Beds. (Harl. Soc. xix), 81. educ. Westminster; Corpus, Oxf. 1594, BA 1597; Clifford’s Inn; I. Temple 1598. Al. Ox.; I. Temple Admiss. unm. 1 illegit. s. with ?Mary Bolton, seamstress, of Southwark, Surr. PROB 11/216, f. 77. suc. fa. aft. 1613; STAC 8/277/5. Kntd. 16 Nov. 1622. Shaw, Knights of Eng. ii. 180. d. 8 Apr. 1651. Smyth’s Obit. ed. H. Ellis (Cam. Soc. xliv), 30. sig. W[illia]m Becher.

Offices Held

Member, Sir George Carew II’s* embassy to France 1606 – 09; agent in France 1609 – 10, 1617 – 18, Germany 1624 – 25; embassy sec., Russia 1614 – 15, Germany 1622.Handlist of British Diplomatic Representatives comp. G.M. Bell, 104–5, 144, 224; Cott. Julius C.V, f. 266; Lansd. 89, f. 158; J.W. Stoye, Eng. Travellers Abroad, 49, 70–72.

Tutor to Henry, Lord Clifford*, France and Low Countries 1610–12. Winwood’s Memorials ed. E. Sawyer, iii. 213, 226, 335–6; Stoye, 72–4.

Clerk of PC 1623–41; CSP Dom. 1619–23, p. 483; 1640–1, p. 433. sec. to the Council of War 1624–30; Ibid. 1623–5, p. 378. master of Requests (extraordinary) 1624–?41; APC, 1625–6, p. 21. commr. Irish causes 1625 – at least36, maltsters and brewers 1631, 1637, soap monopoly 1634; Ibid. 1623–5, p. 462; T. Rymer, Foedera, ix. pt. 2, p. 70; CSP Dom. 1635–6, p. 340; 1636–7, p. 404; C181/4, f. 186. sec. to Treas. commrs. 1635 – 36; commr. gold and silver thread 1636. CSP Dom. 1635–6, p. 178.

Freeman, Dover, Kent 1625. Add. 29623, f. 67.

Parlimentarian

BEECHER (BECHER), William (1580-1651), of Durham Gate, The Strand, Westminster and Putney, Surr.

Main residences: Durham Gate, The Strand, Westminster; Putney, Surr.

Becher

Author

S.K.A.B.

S.H.

Volume

Commons 1604-1629

Web Title

BEECHER (BECHER), William (1580-1651)