1582 "Thomas Farrington (£6)" was listed in the 1582 Subsidy Roll for the City of London, Tower Warde which included "Saint Dunstones, St. Mary Barkinge (Allhallows Barking), St Olaves, and Alhallowes (Allhallows Staining) parishes." [1]
1583/4 "An. regni 26 Thomas Ferrington & Alice Taylor were maried the third of februarie" at St Mary Woolchurch Haw, London, England. [2]
1584/5 "Marie daughter of Thomas Farrington" was baptized "ye foureteneth" of February at St Dunstan in the East, London, England. [3]
1586 Thomas Farrington's business partner John Combe wrote from Bordeaux about supplying wine in London. [4]
John Combe to Sir Amyas Paulet ... You will have heard long since of Sir Francis Drake's great enterprises and good success. It has greatly troubled the King of Spain and the merchants of Seville, who write that they fear their August fleet falling into his hands, by which they would be undone ... I shall stay here, by reason of my affairs, almost a year more, and if you will employ me in anything, you will find me most ready. For wines, if you make your provision in London, my partner, Mr. Thomas Farrington and I will furnish you with as good and as reasonable as any other.—Bordeaux.—May, 1586. Postscript.—If you have occasion to write to me, Mr. Farrington, who dwells in Tower Street, will convey it to me.
1586 "Elizabeth daughter of Tho Farrington" was baptized "ye xvth" of November at St Dunstan in the East, London, England. [5]
1588 "Susan daughter of Mr Farington" was baptized "ye xxvth" of August at St Dunstan in the East, London, England. [6]
1592 "Martha dau of Tho Farington" was baptized on December 20 at St Dunstan in the East, London, England. [7]
1594 A memorandum recorded the delivery to Thomas Farrington of an obligation for future payments, perhaps an example of Thomas' activity as a banker (see entry dated c 1600 below). [8]
Richard Percivale to Sir Robert Cecil. Sept. 18.—Memorandum of the delivery by Richard Percival, servant to Sir Robert Cecil, to Thomas Farrington, citizen and vintner of London, of an obligation dated 7th August last wherein Sir John Pakington, of Hampton Lovett in the county of Worcester, knight, stood bound unto Sir John Fortescue, knight, in 500l. for payment of 100l. a year to Madam Margaret Medkerck and her five children, and 20l. yearly to Elizabeth Boune, the Queen's starchwoman, during the continuance of a licence for starch made to Sir John Pakington. This bond was delivered before Jasper Germyn, servant to Mr. Justice Young, and Humfrey Pye, servant with James Stanley.
1595 "Baptismi John Farington filius Thoma 4 Octob 1595" at St Peter le Poer, London. [9]
1598 "Cawldwall Farington" was baptized on August 20 at St Peter le Poer, London. [10]
1599 Sept. 22 "The names of such persons as have written with their own hands, to venture in the pretended voyage to the East Indies (the which it may please the Lord to prosper), and the sums that they will adventure, the xxii. September 1599, viz. ... 35. Thos. Farrington, vintner £200 ... Henry Poalstedd [and] George Whitmore £200." [11]
1600 The Levant Company. Anno 1600. [12]
The names of the Levant Company now in being this month of June, with their servants at this present; as also the names of all such their children and servants as have died and been buried in the dominions of Turkey and Venice for the space of 12 years that the said trade of the Levant began by Englishmen. ...
Thomas Farrington. (Sons and servants at present: Thomas Farrington, jun., John Farrington, and Caldwall Farrington, sons, George Eyve, Thomas Jennet, William Temple. Servants deceased : Robert Tompson, Peter Temple.) ...
Sum total :—Freemen of the Company, 83; servants at present to them, 189; total 272. Deceased sons and servants, 57.
1600 Thomas Farrington and Henry Polsted were among the adventurers named in the charter granted to the East India Company by Queen Elizabeth at Westminster on December 31. [13]
Charter of incorporation of the East India Company by the name of the Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies. "A privilege for fifteen years granted by Her Majesty to certain adventurers for the discovery of the trade for the East Indies;" that is to say, to Geo. Earl of Cumberland, and two hundred and fifteen knights, aldermen, and merchants, as follows: ... Thos. Farrington ... Hen. Polsteade.
c 1600 Thomas Farrington contributed to the development of the modern checking account. [14]
Though the old-style desmesne agriculture, with villein services, was dying by 1500, many great men in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries retained direct control of extensive 'homefarms', often added to by purchase or enclosure. Such men were interested in markets for corn or wool or cattle. Late in Elizabeth's reign, for example, the Temples of Stowe sold wool to 'staplers'--the term was becoming used to describe any wool-dealer--and fat beasts to London butchers. They had an agent in London, Thomas Farrington, merchant, who took the proceeds and acted as their banker, paying out to their order--the habit from which the cheque developed--and even lending money of theirs that was lying with him till wanted, like a true banker.
The checking account was further developed in the 1640s. [15]
When King Charles closed the Mint in 1640 and seized the bullion, treasure found its way into goldsmiths' strong rooms for safety. They kept it at call as 'running cash' (our current account) and found they could afford to pay interest on it. Until it was wanted, they could lend it out or buy (discount) bills of exchange. A series of these--say, three months' bills--due for payment one after another, provided a steady inflow of cash to meet depositors' demands. The goldsmiths then began to give people their promises to pay, the first bank notes; and people often wrote notes telling the goldsmith banker to pay, the early cheque, of which a Temple note to Mr. Farrington was a forerunner.
1600/1 March 21 to 1602 April 26. Henry Polsted and Thomas Farrington were among the "Names of those to whom 'Bills of Adventure' have been to sealed in the East India Company, with the date of the bill of adventure and the amount. [Unless otherwise expressed, the sum subscribed by each adventurer is 240l., which includes the bill and supplies; the total amount is 62,880l.] ... Henry Poulsteede ... Thos. Farrington." [16]
1601 "Baptismi Reding Farington the sonne of Mr. Thomas Farington the 3 of Septemb: 1601" at St Peter le Poer, London. [17]
1607 "Court Minutes of the East India Company. April 20.—Spices to be sold on 28th instant. Names of persons ordered to make present payment of their adventure to [Thos.] Farrington, treasurer, with the amounts." [18]
1607 "July 1-31 Court Minutes of the East India Company ... Thos. Farrington elected treasurer; Wm. Leighton, secretary; Thos. Stephens, bookkeeper; and Thos. Evesett, beadle or officer of the Company. The book to be again opened to the Company for nine days to set down their contributions to the stock of 50,000l. for the next two voyages in January 1607-8 and 1608-9. Thirty-three persons adventured before 20th June last." [19]
1608 "Court Minutes of the East India Company. May 13.—The first payment, being one-third part of each man's adventure in the third voyage, to be brought in to Thos. Farrington, treasurer, by 27th inst." [20]
1608 "July 1 Court Minutes of the East India Company. Sir Thos. Smythe elected governor, Wm. Greenwell deputy governor, and the following committees ... Thos. Farrington, treasurer; Wm. Leighton, secretary; Thos. Stephens, account keeper to Michaelmas; and in the meantime to finish the accounts of the first three voyages; and Thos. Evesett, beadle or officer of the Company." [21]
1609 "July 4-6 Court Minutes of the East India Company. Election of officers ... Thos. Farrington, treasurer, and Wm. Leighton, secretary. [22]
1610/11 "Burials Mr Thomas Farrington the elder ye 23 of Januarye 1610" at St Peter le Poer, London. [23]
1618 "Court Minutes of the East India Company ... Names of the Free Brethren ... July 31 John, son of Thos. Farrington, deceased. By Patrimony. 10s. poor box." [24]
Research Notes:
The following burials were recorded in other parishes:
1586 A "Tho Farrington" was buried "v of October" at St Martin Pomeroy, London, England. [25] Could this Thomas have been a twin of Elizabeth who died before she was baptized?
1594 "Thomas Farrington buryed out of the fryers beinge a child" on August 19 at St Dunstan in the West, London. [26]
[1] R.G. Lang, ed., Two Tudor subsidy rolls for the city of London: 1541 and 1582 (London Record Society, 1993), 278-289, [BritishHistoryOnline].
[2] London Metropolitan Archives, St Mary Woolchurch Haw, Composite register: baptisms 1558-1699, marriages 1559-1666 and burials 1558-1665, P69/MRY14/A/001/MS07644, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, [AncestryImage].
[3] London Metropolitan Archives, St Dunstan in the East, Composite register, 1558-1653, P69/DUN1/A/001/MS07857, Item 001, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[4] Sophie Crawford Lomas, ed., "Elizabeth: May 1586, 6-10," Calendar of State Papers Foreign, Elizabeth, Volume 20: September 1585-May 1586 (1921), 605-628, [URL].
[5] London Metropolitan Archives, St Dunstan in the East, Composite register, 1558-1653, P69/DUN1/A/001/MS07857, Item 001, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[6] London Metropolitan Archives, St Dunstan in the East, Composite register, 1558-1653, P69/DUN1/A/001/MS07857, Item 001, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, [AncestryImage].
[7] London Metropolitan Archives, St Dunstan in the East, Composite register, 1558-1653, P69/DUN1/A/001/MS07857, Item 001, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, image 11, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[8] R. A. Roberts, ed., Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House, Vol. 4: 1590-1594 (1892), 614, [HathiTrust].
[9] London Metropolitan Archives, St Peter le Poer, Composite register: baptisms, marriages and burials 1561-1723, banns 1653-1655, P69/PET2/A/001/MS04093, Item 001, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, image 18, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[10] London Metropolitan Archives, St Peter le Poer, Composite register: baptisms, marriages and burials 1561-1723, banns 1653-1655, P69/PET2/A/001/MS04093, Item 001, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[11] W. Noel Sainsbury, ed., Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Vol. 2, 1513-1616 (1864), 100, of 99-100, [InternetArchive].
[12] R. A. Roberts, ed., Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House, Vol. 10: 1600 (1892), 215, [BritishHistoryOnline].
[13] W. Noel Sainsbury, ed., Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Vol. 2, 1513-1616 (1864), 115, noting that where Purchas printed the names differently his spelling is inserted in brackets, for example, [Polstee] next to Polsteade, [InternetArchive].
[14] John Harold Clapham, A Concise Economic History of Britain of Britain from the Earliest Times to 1750 (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1949, reprinted 1951), 193, [GoogleBooks].
[15] John Harold Clapham, A Concise Economic History of Britain of Britain from the Earliest Times to 1750 (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1949, reprinted 1951), 266-267, [GoogleBooks].
[16] W. Noel Sainsbury, ed., Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Vol. 2, 1513-1616 (1864), 123, right column, [InternetArchive].
[17] London Metropolitan Archives, St Peter le Poer, Composite register: baptisms, marriages and burials 1561-1723, banns 1653-1655, P69/PET2/A/001/MS04093, Item 001, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, image 23, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[18] W. Noel Sainsbury, ed., Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Vol. 2, 1513-1616 (1864), 151, [InternetArchive].
[19] W. Noel Sainsbury, ed., Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Vol. 2, 1513-1616 (1864), 155, [InternetArchive].
[20] W. Noel Sainsbury, ed., Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Vol. 2, 1513-1616 (1864), 173, [InternetArchive].
[21] W. Noel Sainsbury, ed., Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Vol. 2, 1513-1616 (1864), 176, [InternetArchive].
[22] W. Noel Sainsbury, ed., Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Vol. 2, 1513-1616 (1864), 187, [InternetArchive].
[23] London Metropolitan Archives, St Peter le Poer, Composite register: baptisms, marriages and burials 1561 - 1723, banns 1653 - 1655, P69/PET2/A/001/MS04093, Item 001, [AncestryImage].
[24] W. Noel Sainsbury, ed., Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Volume 3: 1617-1621 (1870), 229, [GoogleBooks].
[25] London Metropolitan Archives, St Martin Pomeroy, Composite register: baptisms 1539 - 1812, marriages 1539 - 1647/8, burials 1539 - 1812, P69/MTN4/A/001/MS04392, [AncestryImage].
[26] London Metropolitan Archives, St Dunstan in the West, Composite register: baptisms 1558 - 1631/2, marriages 1559/60 - 1631/2, burials 1558 - 1631/2, P69/DUN2/A/001/MS010342, [AncestryImage].