REMCHINGE (REINCHIN), Thomas (d.1620), of Dale Street, Liverpool, Lancs.

Remchinge was admitted to the freedom of Liverpool in 1590 ‘upon motions before made in that behalf by the right honourable Henry, [4th] earl of Derby’, having previously taken up the post of deputy customer of the port.Liverpool Town Bk. ed. J.A. Twemlow, ii. 566. He probably lived in the customs house before moving to Dale Street in 1592.Chandler, 139-40. His father was executed in 1598 for clipping coins, and Remchinge himself was often involved in scandal.HMC Hatfield, xix. 419; SP46/41/171; CSP Dom. 1598-1601, p. 155. Numerous merchants sued him for overstepping his authority as customer, and in 1609 he was accused of ‘intending to defraud the king of a great part of the customs and to take great sums of money from the merchants of England and Ireland under colour of his office’.SP46/38/158; APC, 1595-6, p. 488. However, he seems to have cleared his name and retained his post, despite this and numerous other slurs.STAC 8/174/3; E112/89/147, 149; Exchequer Depositions ed. C. Fishwick (Lancs. and Cheshire Rec. Soc. xi), 16, 17, 118; Chandler, 223.

Remchinge was appointed bailiff of Liverpool in 1604, became a member of the town assembly, and was responsible for the town’s cellarage of valuable Spanish salt.Chandler, 227. Elected to James’s first Parliament, he was appointed to the committee for the naturalization of the London Brewer James Desmaistres (10 Mar. 1607), and as a Lancashire burgess was entitled to attend the bill committee for the possessions of Ferdinando Stanley, late 5th earl of Derby (3 June 1607).CJ, i. 351a, 378a. He may not have been present for the latter, however, having applied for leave to depart to give ‘special evidence at the assizes against a seminary who might haply escape (as he said) for want of such evidence’. This request was granted on 18 Mar. and entered in the Journal by the clerk, despite the absence of the Speaker.Ibid. 353b. In the fourth session Remchinge’s committee appointments were to consider bills concerning Sir John Byron (21 May 1610), the Isle of Man (19 June), and Richard Orrell (20 June). He was also named to consider ‘messengers’ petitions’ (17 July). Ibid. 430a, 441a, b, 451a. At the dissolution he presented Liverpool’s corporation with a bill for £27 to cover his expenses; he agreed to abate 40s. upon request, and was paid the balance.Chandler, 153.

In 1617 Remchinge made a relatively generous contribution of 10s. towards a levy for the renewal of Liverpool’s charter.Ibid. 198, 220. He died in July 1620; no will has been found. An inventory taken after his death shows that, although not wealthy, he indulged in a wide range of luxuries; his possessions were valued at £143 in total.Lancs. RO, WCW, Thomas Remchinge, inventory, 1620. Remchinge apparently never married, and no other member of his family entered Parliament.