No. 1519
Thomas Spring
died 1486MerchantEurope · 1486Most named place: Suffolk (approximate)
Thomas Spring was a wealthy English cloth merchant from Lavenham, Suffolk.
Thomas came from Lavenham in Suffolk, a prosperous town which was the centre of the 15th century cloth trade. He inherited and consolidated the wool and cloth business from his father and during his lifetime became among the richest entrepreneurs in England. He invested much of his money in land and his estate was worth around £2.5bn in today's money.
Besides being a successful businessman, Thomas was remembered for his generous donations to the local church. After his death, the business was succeeded by his son Thomas known locally as the “rich clothier”.
