MAYHEW, William (d.1612), of Three Crown’s Court, St. Saviour’s Southwark, Surr.

Mayhew was a substantial Southwark brewer, for at his death, in addition to owning a brewery in his house in the Boroughside district of St. Saviour’s, he possessed two breweries in the parish of St. Olave’s, one producing ale and the other beer. He also owned dray horses and various other accoutrements of the trade. PROB 11/120, f. 125; C142/763/185. Although not formally a member of the London Brewers’ Company until made free by redemption in 1611, Mayhew was admitted by the Company as a ‘brother with our masters’ in 1599. In 1604 he was required to contribute £10 towards a loan from the Company to the Crown, a comparatively high sum, indicating that he was among the more prosperous members of his trade. GL, ms 5445/10, unfol. (1 Feb. 1599); 5445/12, unfol. (30 Aug. 1604).

Mayhew became a vestryman of St. Saviour’s in 1608 and was a friend of another prominent vestryman, William Cownden*, who was returned for Southwark in 1604 and appointed him one of his executors when he drew up his will in early 1610. PROB 11/115, f. 58. Cownden died shortly thereafter, and on 25 Jan. Mayhew offered ‘out of his love’ to build a gallery in Saviour’s church at his own charge. The offer was accepted, as was a similar one made later the same day by another vestryman, John Marshall, but it was Mayhew who was chosen to replace Cownden in the Commons a fortnight later. LMA, P92/SAV/450, pp. 425, 427. Once in the House, Mayhew was named to no committees, though on 29 Mar. ‘the burgesses of Southwark’ were among those appointed to consider the Marshalsea bill. CJ, i. 416a.

In 1611 Mayhew settled property in Southwark on his two married daughters. In his will, which he made on 30 Aug. 1612, he appointed his wife his executrix and residuary legatee. So long as she remained a widow ‘and continue brewing in my dwelling-house’, she was to retain possession of the house and the tools of the trade, after which they would pass to his son-in-law Michael Nicholson, who was in the meantime to receive £50 a year. Mayhew died eight days later, his only son having predeceased him. His heir was a five-year-old granddaughter. None of his descendants are known to have sat in Parliament. PROB 11/120, f. 125.