Sir John York

Sir John York was an English merchant adventurer who worked as Master of the Mint and served as Member of Parliament.

As a member of the family of cloth merchants trading in London and Calais, York was involved in trade abroad and he enriched himself by foreign trade. In 1544 York was appointed the assay master to the mint and three years later, in 1547, he became Master of the Mint of Southwark. As a mint official at Southwark and the Tower, he was allowed to provide bullion at prices higher than those generally in force, and was thus able to make a personal profit.

During his long career, York served as master of the king’s woods, as well as in the secret missions abroad. He was commissioned to repay to the Fuggers the sum of 127,000 florins borrowed by the king in 1550, and another sum of £23,279 borrowed in 1551. In 1555 he was one of the 24 assistants of the company of unknown lands formed under the governorship of Sebastian Cabot. Ten years later, in 1566 York also contributed £6 13s.4d. toward the building of the Royal Exchange. Apart from being a successful businessman, York was also a substantial landowner with lands in Yorkshire and at Woolvich.

He died in 1569 and was buried in the church of St. Stephen Walbrook.