Richard Arnold

Arnold was an English merchant, chronicler and antiquary of London who dwelled in the parish of St. Magnus, London Bridge.

Aronold was a merchant trading with Flanders, and according to will of John Amell the Elder, he was a haberdasher by trade. As he often travelled to Flanders on business trips, during 1488 he was imprisoned in the Castle of Sluys on suspicion of being a spy. Also, it is known that at one period of his life he sought shelter in the sanctuary at Westiminster as he was hard pressed by creditors.

In his work later entitled “Customs of London” in which he deals with London antiquities, Arnold mentioned the chief charters granted to the city, accounts of its customs, and notes on a variety of topics mainly connected with commerce. The most intriguing feature of that work is its introduction of the “Ballade of ye Nottebrowne Mayde” by an unknown author and which enjoyed a great popularity for many years.