Francis Sayon

Francis Sayon

Francis Sayon
Person	Francis Sayon
Title
First name	Francis
Middle name(s)
Last name	Sayon
Suffix
Spouse of
Widow of
Occupation	Merchant
Secondary shorebased occupation
Mariner occupation
Associated with ship(s)
Training	Not apprentice
Is apprentice of
Was apprentice of
Had apprentice(s)
Citizen	Unknown
Literacy	Signature
Has opening text	Francis Sayon
Has signoff text	Francis Sayon
Signoff image	(Invalid transcription image)
Language skills	English language
Has interpreter
Birth street
Birth parish
Birth town	Bruges
Birth county
Birth province	Flanders
Birth country	Spanish Netherlands
Res street
Res parish	Saint Peter upon Cornhill
Res town	London
Res county
Res province
Res country	England
Birth year	1594
Marriage year
Death year	1656
Probate date	October 29, 1656
First deposition age	45
Primary sources
Act book start page(s)
Personal answer start page(s)
Allegation start page(s)
Interrogatories page(s)
Deposition start page(s)	HCA 13/53 f.131v Annotate, HCA 13/70 f.678r Annotate
Chancery start page(s)
Letter start page(s)
Miscellaneous start page(s)
Act book date(s)
Personal answer date(s)
Allegation date(s)
Interrogatories date(s)
Deposition date(s)	Apr 25 1637, Feb 5 1656
How complete is this biography?
Has infobox completed	Yes
Has synthesis completed	No
Has HCA evidence completed	No
Has source comment completed	No
Ship classification
Type of ship	N/A
Silver Ship litigation in 1650s
Role in Silver Ship litigation	None

Biographical synthesis

Francis Sayon (b. ca. 1594; d. ca. 1656). Merchant.

Born at Bruges in Flanders. Living in London for over forty years, where he was resident in 1637 and 1656. Living in the parish of Saint Mary at Hill in 1637, and in the parish of Saint Peters in Cornhill, when he wrote his will on October 20th 1656.

Ole Peter Grell (1989) identifies "Franchoys Sayon" as a deacon of the Dutch church in Austin Friars, from March 24th 1636, with the occupation of merchant, and resident in the parish of Saint Mary at Hill, Billingsgate Ward.

There is evidence of the Sayon family in Bruges in the mid- and late C16th. Jozef T. Devreese and Guido Vanden Berghe (2008) identify Vincent Sayon (b. ?; d. bef. 1598), a prominent merchant and Bruges alderman. He was a member of a Calvinist delegation, who was admitted to Bruges town hall on November 3rd 1566 to petition the magistracy. The same source names a Joost Sayon and a Jacob Sayon as Vincent Sayon's brothers and Antoon Sayon as Vincent's son. Citing Vandamme, Jozef T. Devreese, Guido Vanden Berghe (2008) state that Vincent Sayon was a "coopman van tapytserie" (tapestry dealer). They identify Vincent Sayon's father as Antoon Sayon, a weaver and seller of tapestries..

Jozef T. Devreese and Guido Vanden Berghe (2008) state that Vincent Sayon was also active in the silk industry, and carried out extensive trade with the Baltic. He is described as among the wealthiest of the citizens of Bruges in 1580. No details are given of the Sayon family's migration from Bruges following the end of the Calvinist Republic on May 25 1584 and the restoration of Catholic life in Bruges. But it can be assumed that the Sayon family was amongst the 110 Calvinist families to leave Bruges in the years 1586 and 1587.

Francis Sayon had a son named Abraham Sayon (b. ?; d. ca. 1667), also a London merchant.

The will of Francis Sayon, merchant of London, was proved on October 29th 1656.

In his will Francis Sayon gave money to the Dutch and French churches in London

Evidence from High Court of Admiralty

April 1637

Forty-five year old Francis Sayon deposed on April 25th 1637 in the High Court of Admiralty. He gave his residence as Saint Mary at Hill and his occupation as merchant. Sayon identified his Dunkirk factor as John Martell, and stated that Martell loaded two trusses of linnen cloth on board the Seaflower of London (master: Robert Addams) for Sayon's account to be delivered to London. The cloth was a mixture of white Gentish cloth and brown cloth.

August 1651

Edward Arlibeere, a twenty-nine year old mariner in the parish of Saint Mary Matsellon, deposed in the High Court of Admiralty on August 22nd 1651. The case was "On the behalfe of John Cap[?a] and others touching the losse of the shipp Mathew and John of [XXXX) in a businesse of assurance". The assurers are identifies as "Richard Shute and ffrancis Sayon assurers".

February 1656

Sixty-two year old Francis Sayon deposed on February 16th 1656 in the High Court of Admiralty. He was examined on an allegation in the case of "The claime of Balthazar and John Coymans of Amsterdam for their goods in the Hare in the field.

Francis Sayon stated that he had known Balthazar and John Coymans for over thirty years, and that they were citizens, burgers and inhabitants of Amsterdam. Sayon had had merchandising correspondence with them for many years. According to Sayon "they are merchants of very good qualitie and accompt, and this deponent well knew their father there alsoe dwelling, and this deponent beleeveth them to be natives of that citie".

Sayon stated that he himself was born at Bruges in Flanders, but that he had lived for over forty years in London.

Comment on sources

1635

C 8/38/167 Short title: Cope v Curteene. Plaintiffs: Thomas Cope. Defendants: Sir William Cuteene kt, Abraham Dolins, Francis Sayon, Abraham Clearke, Garrett Collens, Adrian De Requigney, Adam Lawrence, Abraham Beard, Robert Holte and others, creditors of Thomas Cope. Subject: money, Middlesex. Document type: bill and answer. 1635

1645

HL/PO/JO/10/1/1 11 January 1645 -- Petition of Dominique Petit, Peter de Liques, and Claudius Fawcault. Pray to be protected from arrest whilst they are fitting, certain ships with their newly invented engines.. Annexed...14 January 1645 -- Remonstrance from the Portuguese Resident concerning the seizure of certain pictures belonging to him: he bought various pictures from Humphrey Weld for £400, and ordered them to be packed in cases and sent to the house of Francis Sayon, a foreign merchant, a Protestant, living near the river, for embarkation, but receiving at this time an order from the King, his master, to stay longer in England, he agreed with the merchant that the pictures should remain in his house. About two months since these pictures were seized by order of a sub-committee of the Committee of Examinations, on the plea that they belonged to a malignant.

1656

PROB 11/258/527 Will of Francis Sayon, Merchant of London 29 October 1656

1662

C 10/65/99 Oxinden and Noke v. Sayon 1662

1667

PROB 11/324 Carr 59-116 Will of Abraham Sayon of Merchant 26 June 1667

- Son of Francis Sayon

1677

PROB 11/355 Hale 96-141 Will of Judith Sayon, Widow of London 01 December 1677

- wife of Abraham Sayon, son of Francis Sayon

PROB 4/18073 Sayon, Mrs., Judith, of St. Andrew Undershaft, London, widdow