Sir William Joynier

Sir William Joynier was an English merchant and financier of the royal court. He made loans to Henry III (r.1216 – 1272) from a young age. From 1219 Joynier supplied the royal household with luxury goods like wine and Spanish cloth, silk cloths and liturgical garments to the royal chapel, and had built an extensive trading network that extended from Scotland and Ireland to Poitou, France. Joynier also provide lons to the government on several occasions. Being so close to the government, Joynier received a number of export licenses for wool, leather and other goods. He also had income from estates in Middlesex and Cambridgeshire, and had a number of tenements in the city in Cheapside, All Hallows Honey Lane and St. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street.

Joynier also had a rich career as a government official. In 1204 Joynier was instructed to investigate the condition of Newgate Prison and Holborn Bridge and authorize repairs. He was made Sheriff of London in 1223, and was subsequently elected to serve as Mayor of London between 1239 and 1240. While serving as Mayor he got into conflict with Henry III for defending the city's privileges. However, he continued to trade with the royal household and was even appointed as one of the custodians of the royal treasure in the Tower of London in 1242.