Sir John Meyrick (also spelled Merrick; c.1559 – 1638/9)
was an English merchant in Russia; he became the English ambassador to Russia during the reign of Tsar
Boris Godunov
Boris Feodorovich Godunov (; ; ) was the ''de facto'' regent of Russia from 1585 to 1598 and then tsar from 1598 to 1605 following the death of Feodor I, the last of the Rurik dynasty. After the end of Feodor's reign, Russia descended into t ...
.
Early life and career
Meyrick was the second son of William Meyrick or Merick, at one time of Gloucester, but afterwards of London. The father became one of the original members of the
Muscovy Company
The Muscovy Company (also called the Russia Company or the Muscovy Trading Company; ) was an English trading company chartered in 1555. It was the first major Chartered company, chartered joint-stock company, the precursor of the type of business ...
, which was founded by
Cabot in 1554, and before 1567 seems to have acted as agent of the company in Russia.
Meyrick's youth was spent at the factory of English merchants in Moscow. In 1584 he became the agent of the Muscovy Company at
Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl (; , ) is a city and the administrative center of Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located northeast of Moscow. The historic part of the city is a World Heritage Site, and is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Kotorosl rivers. ...
, and in May 1592 he had a similar position in Moscow. By 1596 he had been admitted to membership of the Company, and had entered into partnership with his elder brother, Richard, who lived in
Leadenhall Street
__NOTOC__
Leadenhall Street () is a street in the City of London. It is about and links Cornhill, London, Cornhill in the west to Aldgate in the east. It was formerly the start of the A11 road (England), A11 road from London to Norwich, but th ...
.
The Company was reliant on the good will of the tsar, so Meyrick became increasingly involved in diplomatic affairs.
Through 1596 and 1597 he forwarded from Russia much political intelligence to
Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to:
Queens regnant
* Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland
* Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms
* Queen B ...
, and on 14 March 1598 he reported the death of Tsar
Feodor I
Feodor I Ioannovich () or Fyodor I Ivanovich (; 31 May 1557 – 17 January 1598), nicknamed the Blessed (), was Tsar of all Russia from 1584 until his death in 1598.
Feodor's mother died when he was three, and he grew up in the shadow of his ...
. In 1600 he came home in the company of Mikulin who was sent as Russian ambassador to England.
In that year he became an early subscriber to the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
.
As ambassador
The new tsar,
Boris Godunov
Boris Feodorovich Godunov (; ; ) was the ''de facto'' regent of Russia from 1585 to 1598 and then tsar from 1598 to 1605 following the death of Feodor I, the last of the Rurik dynasty. After the end of Feodor's reign, Russia descended into t ...
, was anxious to find an English bride for his eldest son, and in February 1602 Meyrick was despatched as ambassador to the tsar, with instructions to strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries, but to treat the matrimonial proposals evasively.
Meyrick was honourably received by the emperor at the Kremlin Palace. He translated Elizabeth's letters to the tsar into Russian in a personal interview, and laid before him a pedigree of the English royal family. Elizabeth (Meyrick declared) had selected a daughter of the Earl of Derby as the tsarevitch's bride; but she was eighteen years old, and seeing that the Russian prince was only thirteen, Meyrick argued that the union was undesirable.
Meyrick remained in Russia till June. On 22 June he had a final audience with the tsar, who promised full protection to English merchants, and sent cordial greetings to Elizabeth, besides entrusting Meyrick with four Russian youths of high birth to be educated in England. Meyrick journeyed home in July. A full account of his embassy, written by himself, was printed by Sir
Samuel Rush Meyrick
Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick, Royal Guelphic Order, KH (16 August 1783 – 2 April 1848) was an English collector and scholar of arms and armour. He lived at Goodrich Court, Goodrich, Herefordshire, and introduced systematic principles to the stud ...
in ''
The Gentleman's Magazine
''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1907, ceasing publication altogether in 1922. It was the first to use the term ''m ...
'' (1824, pt. ii. pp. 226 sq).
After Boris Godunov
Meyrick soon returned to Russia. In 1603 he forwarded as a gift to the
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second-largest library in ...
in Oxford, two Russian manuscripts: a bible and ''Canones Patrum Muscov''. In October 1603 his partner and brother, Richard, died in London, and John was described in the dying man's will as "then residing in Muscovy".
After the death in 1605 of Tsar Boris, the utmost confusion prevailed in Moscow. An impostor known as
False Dmitry I
False Dmitry I or Pseudo-Demetrius I () reigned as the Tsar of all Russia from 10 June 1605 until his death on 17 May 1606 under the name of Dmitriy Ivanovich (). According to historian Chester S.L. Dunning, Dmitry was "the only Tsar ever raise ...
seized the throne, but Meyrick obtained from him protection for English commerce, and when in 1606
Vasily IV became tsar, Meyrick was again successful in obtaining a renewal of the privileges previously accorded to his fellow-countrymen. Political disturbances compelled Meyrick to remove at times from Moscow to
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near its mouth into the White Sea. The city spreads for over along the ...
and
Kholmogory, and late in 1606 he returned to England to report the progress of affairs. He was soon, however, again acting as "agent" in Russia, but paid another visit to London in 1611.
In 1614 he was reappointed English ambassador to the tsar's court, with full powers to use his influence to reduce the anarchy prevailing in the Russian government. Before his departure
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
* James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
* James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
* James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334� ...
knighted him at Greenwich (13 June 1614). He travelled with forty-four people, and with a large sum of money to be advanced, if need be, to the tsar and his ministers.
Mediation between Russia and Sweden
Meyrick's mission proved successful.
Michael I Michael I may refer to:
* Pope Michael I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark in 743–767
* Michael I Rangabe, Byzantine Emperor (died in 844)
* Michael I Cerularius, Patriarch Michael I of Constantinop ...
, of the house of Romanov, was securely installed on the throne, and Meyrick took part in the negotiations for bringing to a close the long-standing warfare between Russia and Sweden.
In 1615 he journeyed to
Staraya Russa
Staraya Russa (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Polist, Polist River, south of Veliky Novgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Its population has steadily decreased over ...
, and met envoys from the two countries, as well as commissioners from Holland, who agreed to take part in the mediation. On 4 March 1616 an armistice for three months was arranged under Meyrick's guidance; on 20 November, owing to his intercession with
, the Swedes raised the siege of Narva; and on 27 February 1617 he helped to secure the
Treaty of Stolbovo
The Treaty of Stolbovo (; ) was a peace treaty that ended the Ingrian War (), which had been fought between the Swedish Empire and the Russian Tsardom between 1610 and 1617.
History
After nearly two months of negotiations, representatives from ...
, which bore his signature as that of one of the contracting parties. In November 1617 Meyrick came again to England, accompanied by an elaborate embassy from Russia, and bearing rich presents from the tsar to James I.
Last years and death
On 19 October 1620 he was reappointed English envoy at Moscow, directed to negotiate a commercial treaty and to recover money recently lent to the tsar. In 1623 a commercial treaty – the first of its kind – was signed by Meyrick and the tsar's councillors. In 1628 he was still in Moscow, and was governor of the Muscovy Company. He died ten years later, credited at the time with more knowledge of Russia than any other Englishman.
In his will he desired that he might be buried in his parish church of
St Andrew Undershaft
St Andrew Undershaft is a Church of England church (building), church in the City of London, the historic nucleus and modern financial centre of London. It is located on St Mary Axe, within the Aldgate ward, and is a rare example of a City church ...
, if he died in London, and he bequeathed £100 to the
Merchant Taylors' Company
The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors is one of the 111 livery companies of the City of London.
The Company, originally known as the ''Guild and Fraternity of St John the Baptist in the City of London'', was founded prior to 1300, first in ...
, with £300 to be lent to scholars of the company's school on their commencing business; he also left legacies to many London parishes and hospitals. His wife Frances, daughter of Sir
Francis Cherry, also a Russia merchant, predeceased him; she had no issue.
See also
*
List of Ambassadors of the Kingdom of England to Russia
*
Time of Troubles
The Time of Troubles (), also known as Smuta (), was a period of political crisis in Tsardom of Russia, Russia which began in 1598 with the death of Feodor I of Russia, Feodor I, the last of the Rurikids, House of Rurik, and ended in 1613 wit ...
References
Attribution
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meyrick, John
1550s births
1638 deaths
Muscovy Company people
Ambassadors of England to Russia
English expatriates in the Tsardom of Russia
17th-century English merchants