William Rede

  General Notes:

From The Beccles Society (http://www.becclessociety.org.uk/rich.html):

William Rede I, gentleman was the richest man in Beccles by a long way. He was the second richest commoner in Suffolk after Spring, the clothier, of Lavenham. The valuation of his goods was £466. The next wealthiest in Becles was Thomas Garneys, Esquire: £50 in land, the ancestral owner of Roos Hall. Despite his money Rede is not listed as an esquire. It was a rank in society. The total value of Beccles in goods wages land and stock in 1524 was £1781 amongst 307 people, but William Rede was worth between a third and a quarter of the total worth of the town.

In November 1539 Henry VIII through his Commissioners took over Bury Abbey. He also took over Beccles Fen & Common. The chief man in the town was William Rede I, a mercer and merchant, "a man of worship", a justice of the Peace for Suffolk, "one specially beloved & trusted, that did give great alms to the poor and did bestow good sums of money in mending of highways about & near the town." He was an elderly man. William Reed was given the job of buying the fen from the king. Altogether William Rede had a total of £300 - £400 from the town at his disposal.

"Merchant Rede, with the Abbot's grant and the money in his saddle bag, took horse for London. He had his instructions, - to buy the Fen, on the best terms he could, and obtain the land for the town, which had become so essential for its prosperity. At the same time William Rede I's younger son William II was attempting to purchase the manor of Beccles, but was told he should not try to buy the manor until his father had obtained the Fen.

William Rede I - said the inhabitants were very poor , but that he had money, and was willing to pay off £6 of the rent of £6-13-4 at 20 years purchase (which is what the Court of Augmentations was asking), or £120 - leaving 13s-4d as a perpetual ground rent to the Crown. - William Rede I was given the Grant. From the £350 or more at his disposal Rede had paid £120 & his expenses. He appeared to have pocketed the rest. The result of this was that the Redes and the Town were in conflict for the next 60 years, some supported the Redes, but it seems that most were opposed to them.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: MP, 1541, Norwich, Norfolk.

William married Margaret Tooley about 1498. (Margaret Tooley was born about 1475 and died in 1540.)