Thomas Mildmay, (by 1515-66), of Moulsham, Essex and London^[1]

1515 - 1566  (51 years)

•                     

  Name	Thomas Mildmay  [1]
  Suffix	(by 1515-66), of Moulsham, Essex and London
  Birth	by 1515  [1]
  Gender	Male
  Name	1515 (0 years)  [1]
  	b. by 1515, 1st s. of Thomas Mildmay of Chelmsford, Essex by Agnes Read
  Married	by 1540 (25 years)  [1]
  	m. by 1540, Avis, da. of William Gonson of London, 8s. inc. Thomas† 7da.
  Residence	Abt 1540 (25 years)	manor of Moulsham, Chelmsford, Essex   [1]
  	Three years later [than September 1537]he bought for over £620 the manor of Moulsham, to the south of Chelmsford, where he made his home, reconstructing the hall in such a grandiose style that it was ‘accounted the greatest esquire’s building within the county of Essex’.
  Name	1547 (32 years)  [1]
  	suc. fa. c.1547
  Death	21 Sep 1566  [1]
  Occupation	Mildmay’s knowledge would doubtless have been welcome in the Commons, and through his employment in the duchy of Cornwall he procured his return to Parliament on at least six occasions. [1]
  	1527 (12 years) - Chelmsford  - The distinguished medieval descent claimed by the Mildmays was probably a late 16th century fabrication: the real founder of the family appears to have been a merchant who from small beginnings manning his own stall in Chelmsford market prospered sufficiently to buy ‘Guy Harlings’, the principal house in the town from Richard Rich in 1527 [1]
  	1536 (21 years) - East Anglia  - Throughout 1536 and 1537 Mildmay was engaged in the dissolution of the lesser religious houses in East Anglia and by his diligence he soon established himself as one of the court’s leading officials. He used his position to acquire land for himself and his family [1]
  	1537 (22 years) - [Office] Auditor (1509–1993) of the Duchy of Cornwall, Duchy of Cornwall  - Mildmay’s reputation as an auditor grew steadily: he obtained the reversion with Robert Heneage of the auditorship of the duchy of Cornwall in 1537 [1]
  	Sep 1537 (22 years) - Chelmsford  - September 1537 he made his first purchase (in partnership with his father) of some former monastic property in Chelmsford valued at nearly £80 [1]
  	1545 (30 years) - [Office] Auditor Court of General Surveyors of the King's lands  - jt. (with bro. Walter) auditor ct. gen. surveyors of the King’s lands by 1545 [1]
  	1545 (30 years) - [Office] Auditor Court of General Surveyors of the King's lands  - jt. (with bro. Walter) auditor ct. gen. surveyors of the King’s lands by 1545 [1]
  	24 Apr 1536-1 Jun 1545 (30 years) - Auditor, ct. augmentations, Cambs., Essex, Herts., Hunts., London, Mdx., Norf., Suff., 24 Apr. 1536-1 June 1545 [1]
  	1547 (32 years) - [Office] MP Helston, Helston, Cornwall  [1]
  	Mar 1553 (38 years) - [Office] MP Helston, Helston, Cornwall  [1]
  	Oct 1553 (38 years) - [Office] MP Bodmin, Bodmin, Cornwall  - in the autumn of 1553 he sat for Bodmin where his name was inserted over an erasure on the indenture [1]
  	1545-1554 (39 years) - Auditor, ct. augmentations, Cambs., Essex, Herts., Hunts., London, Mdx., Norf., Suff., 24 Apr. 1536-1 June 1545, jt. (with bro. Walter) 1545-54 [1]
  	1554 (39 years) - His absence from either Parliament of 1554 may have reflected official annoyance at his brother’s opposition to the reunion with Rome, but if that was the reason it had ceased to be an obstacle a year later. [1]
  	1555 (40 years) - [Office] MP Helston, Helston, Cornwall  [1]
  	1538-1556 (41 years) - [Office] Auditor (1509–1993) of the Duchy of Cornwall, Duchy of Cornwall  - jt. auditor, duchy of Cornw. by 1538-c.1556 [1]
  	1558 (43 years) - [Office] MP Helston, Helston, Cornwall  [1]
  	Aft 17 Nov 1558 (43 years) - Essex  - At the accession of Elizabeth, Mildmay was pricked sheriff of Essex and while sheriff he was elected to his last Parliament. [1]
  	1559 (44 years) - [Office] MP Lostwithiel, Lostwithiel, Cornwall  [1]
  	1541-1566 (51 years) - Essex  - j.p. Essex 1541-d. [1]
  	1556-1566 (51 years) - [Office] Auditor (1509–1993) of the Duchy of Cornwall, Duchy of Cornwall  - jt. auditor, duchy of Cornw. by 1538-c.1556, sole c.1556-d.; [1]
  Person ID	I15521	AHP
  Last Modified	2 Mar 2026

  
  

  Family	Avis, d of William Gonson of London,   b. c 1520, London
  Marriage	by 1540
  	Type: William Gonson, treasurer for navy Henry VIII
  Age at Marriage	He : ~ 25 years - She : ~ 20 years.
  Children	1. Thomas Mildmay, II (c.1540-1608), of Moulsham, Essex,   b. c.1540   d. 21 Jul 1608 (Age 68 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]
  Family ID	F4436	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	2 Mar 2026

  
  

• Event Map		Occupation - Mildmay’s reputation as an auditor grew steadily: he obtained the reversion with Robert Heneage of the auditorship of the duchy of Cornwall in 1537 - 1537 (22 years) - [Office] Auditor (1509–1993) of the Duchy of Cornwall, Duchy of Cornwall  Residence - Three years later [than September 1537]he bought for over £620 the manor of Moulsham, to the south of Chelmsford, where he made his home, reconstructing the hall in such a grandiose style that it was ‘accounted the greatest esquire’s building within the county of Essex’. - Abt 1540 - manor of Moulsham, Chelmsford, Essex  Occupation - 1547 (32 years) - [Office] MP Helston, Helston, Cornwall  Occupation - Mar 1553 (38 years) - [Office] MP Helston, Helston, Cornwall  Occupation - in the autumn of 1553 he sat for Bodmin where his name was inserted over an erasure on the indenture - Oct 1553 (38 years) - [Office] MP Bodmin, Bodmin, Cornwall  Occupation - 1555 (40 years) - [Office] MP Helston, Helston, Cornwall  Occupation - jt. auditor, duchy of Cornw. by 1538-c.1556 - 1538-1556 (41 years) - [Office] Auditor (1509–1993) of the Duchy of Cornwall, Duchy of Cornwall  Occupation - 1558 (43 years) - [Office] MP Helston, Helston, Cornwall  Occupation - 1559 (44 years) - [Office] MP Lostwithiel, Lostwithiel, Cornwall  Occupation - jt. auditor, duchy of Cornw. by 1538-c.1556, sole c.1556-d.; - 1556-1566 (51 years) - [Office] Auditor (1509–1993) of the Duchy of Cornwall, Duchy of Cornwall   = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S34] The History of Parliament, The History of Parliament, (The History of Parliament http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/). MILDMAY, Thomas (by 1515-66), of Moulsham, Essex and London. Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982 Available from Boydell and Brewer Biography Detail Constituency Family & Education Offices Held Biography End Notes Related Resources 1509-1558 Members 1509-1558 Constituencies 1509-1558 Parliaments 1509-1558 Surveys Previous Biography Next Biography Constituency Dates HELSTON1 1547 HELSTON Mar. 1553 BODMIN Oct. 1553 HELSTON 1555 HELSTON 1558 LOSTWITHIEL 1559 Family and Education b. by 1515, 1st s. of Thomas Mildmay of Chelmsford, Essex by Agnes Read; bro. of Walter. m. by 1540, Avis, da. of William Gonson of London, 8s. inc. Thomas† 7da. suc. fa. c.1547.2 Offices Held Auditor, ct. augmentations, Cambs., Essex, Herts., Hunts., London, Mdx., Norf., Suff., 24 Apr. 1536-1 June 1545, jt. (with bro. Walter) 1545-54; jt. auditor, duchy of Cornw. by 1538-c.1556, sole c.1556-d.; j.p. Essex 1541-d., jt. (with bro. Walter) auditor ct. gen. surveyors of the King’s lands by 1545, commr. chantries, London, Mdx., Westminster 1545, relief Essex 1550, assessionable manors, duchy of Cornw. 1563; sheriff, Essex and Herts. 1558-9.3 Biography The distinguished medieval descent claimed by the Mildmays was probably a late 16th century fabrication: the real founder of the family appears to have been a merchant who from small beginnings manning his own stall in Chelmsford market prospered sufficiently to buy ‘Guy Harlings’, the principal house in the town from Richard Rich in 1527. Nothing has been discovered about Thomas Mildmay’s early life and education, but presumably he learnt the rudiments of accountancy at his father’s prompting and obtained his first post in augmentations through his father’s dealings with Rich, the court’s first chancellor. Throughout 1536 and 1537 Mildmay was engaged in the dissolution of the lesser religious houses in East Anglia and by his diligence he soon established himself as one of the court’s leading officials. He used his position to acquire land for himself and his family, and in September 1537 he made his first purchase (in partnership with his father) of some former monastic property in Chelmsford valued at nearly £80. Three years later he bought for over £620 the manor of Moulsham, to the south of Chelmsford, where he made his home, reconstructing the hall in such a grandiose style that it was ‘accounted the greatest esquire’s building within the county of Essex’. His fee on entering the court was £20 a year, but when the court was dissolved by Mary he received a pension of £200 to compensate him for the loss of his office.4 Through Rich and Cromwell, Mildmay met William Gonson, the treasurer for the navy under Henry VIII, and his marriage with Gonson’s daughter suggests the acceptance, if not the approval by his superiors of his early promise in the service of the crown. Mildmay’s reputation as an auditor grew steadily: he obtained the reversion with Robert Heneage of the auditorship of the duchy of Cornwall in 1537, and perhaps with the backing of his brother-in-law, Anthony Bourchier, that of the court of general surveyors. In 1544 he was exempted from military service in France on account of his work, but two years later he was sent to Boulogne to survey the captured town. He visited Calais in 1552 for similar reasons and Ireland after the accession of Elizabeth ‘to take order that the records, both of the crown and of the revenue be better kept’. During the last two decades of his life Mildmay was the most important auditor in the government, and his name figures prominently in its money matters.5 Mildmay’s knowledge would doubtless have been welcome in the Commons, and through his employment in the duchy of Cornwall he procured his return to Parliament on at least six occasions. (Under the aegis of Rich or another patron, maybe Sir Thomas Arundell, he could have gained some experience of the House earlier than 1547 since the returns for the last few Parliaments of Henry VIII are incomplete.) Under Edward VI and Mary he usually sat for Helston but in the autumn of 1553 he sat for Bodmin where his name was inserted over an erasure on the indenture. His absence from either Parliament of 1554 may have reflected official annoyance at his brother’s opposition to the reunion with Rome, but if that was the reason it had ceased to be an obstacle a year later. Both in 1555 and 1558 his name was added to the Helston indenture in a different hand.6 At the accession of Elizabeth, Mildmay was pricked sheriff of Essex and while sheriff he was elected to his last Parliament. Described as ‘indifferent in religion’ in 1564 he remained active in public affairs until his death on 21 Sept. 1566.7 https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1509-1558/member/mildmay-thomas-1515-66