Sir Nicholas Rainton (1569–19 August 1646) was an English merchant who was

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...

in 1632.

Life

He was the third son of Robert Rainton of Heighington, Lincolnshire and was baptised in the parish of

Washingborough Washingborough is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Located east of Lincoln and from Sleaford. The population in the 2001 census was 3,356, increasing to 3,482 at the 2011 census and 3,664 at ...

on 10 June 1569. On 16 November 1602 he married Rebecca Moulson at the church of

St Christopher le Stocks St Christopher le Stocks was a parish church on the north side of Threadneedle Street in the Broad Street Ward of the City of London. Of Medieval origin, it was rebuilt following the Great Fire of London in 1666, but demolished in 1781 to make ...

in the City of London. Rainton was a City of London merchant, a member of the

Worshipful Company of Haberdashers The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, is an ancient merchant guild of London associated with the silk and velvet trades. History and functions The Haberdashers' Company received its first ro ...

and was elected

Sheriff of London Two Sheriffs of the City of London are elected annually by the members of the City livery companies. Today's Sheriffs have only ceremonial duties, but the historical officeholders held important judicial responsibilities. They have attended the ...

in 1617 - a position which was not taken up immediately. On 22 June 1621 he was elected an alderman of the City of London for

Tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...

ward. He served as Sheriff of London from 1621 to 1622 and as Master of the Haberdashers Company from 1622 to 1623. In 1632, he was elected

and was Master of the Haberdashers Company again from 1632 to 1633. He was knighted on 5 May 1633. In 1634 he became alderman for Cornhill and president of

St Bartholomew's Hospital St Bartholomew's Hospital, commonly known as Barts, is a teaching hospital located in the City of London. It was founded in 1123 by Rahere, and is currently run by Barts Health NHS Trust. History Early history Barts was founded in 1123 by ...

until his death. In 1616 Rainton bought the manor of Worcesters at Enfield in Middlesex from the Cecil family, and in 1629 began the construction of a house,

Forty Hall Forty Hall is a manor house of the 1620s in Forty Hill in Enfield, north London. The house, a Grade I listed building, is today used as a museum by the London Borough of Enfield. Within the grounds is the site of the former Tudor Elsyng Palac ...

, on the estate. It survives and is preserved as a museum. Rainton was imprisoned in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...

in May 1640 with three other aldermen - John Gayre,

Thomas Soame Sir Thomas Soame (1584 – 1 January 1671) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648. Life Soame was the son of Sir Stephen Soame and his wife Anne Stone daughter of William Stone, haberdasher of London and ...

and Thomas Atkins - for refusing to list the inhabitants of his ward who were able to contribute £50 or more to a loan for King Charles. 'Notes on the aldermen, 1502-1700', The Aldermen of the City of London: Temp. Henry III - 1912 (1908), pp. 168-195. Date accessed: 15 July 2011
/ref> He died at Forty Hall in 1646 and was buried at St Andrew's Church in

Enfield Town Enfield is a large town in north London, England, north of Charing Cross. It had a population of 333,587 in 2021. It includes the areas of Botany Bay, Brimsdown, Bulls Cross, Bullsmoor, Bush Hill Park, Clay Hill, Crews Hill, Enfield Hig ...

, where there is an elaborate monument to him and his wife, who died in 1640. He left his estate to his great-nephew Nicholas. There are two versions of a portrait of Rainton: one at Forty Hall, the other at St Bartholomew's Hospital.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rainton, Nicholas 1569 births 1646 deaths 17th-century English merchants 17th-century lord mayors of London Sheriffs of the City of London