William Cade of St Omer

William Cade was a wealthy merchant and moneychanger from St. Omer in coastal Flanders.

He probably made his initial wealth in cross-Channel commerce as a wool merchant. He was involved in London money market and was one of the earliest Flemish merchants who bought the wool from Cistercian abbeys and paid in advance. By 1154 he was a wealthy financier active in at King Henry II’s court where he remained until his death. He lent the money to various officials, prelates and princes and to king Henry II.
He may have been responsible for the privilege given to Saint-Omer merchants of buying and selling through England and having hostels in London, which in turn extended the market for Flemish textiles in England at the expense of native product.

Although there is no direct evidence that Cade lent money to Archbishop Thomas Becket, both fell from favour in early 1164. The king borrowed no more from Cade and seized his assets in England in 1166, presumably when Cade died.