Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Saltonstall, Richard (1521?-1601)
SALTONSTALL, Sir RICHARD (1521?–1601), lord mayor of London, second son of Gilbert Saltonstall of Halifax, was born about 1521. He came to London in early life, and became a member of the Skinners' Company, of which he was master in 1589, 1593, 1595, and 1599. He was elected alderman of Aldgate ward 26 Sept. 1587 (City Records, Rep. 21, f. 594), and removed 28 Feb. 1592 to Tower ward, which he represented till his death (ib. Rep. 22, f. 355* b). In 1586 he was one of the city parliamentary representatives, and became sheriff in 1588 and lord mayor in 1597, being knighted during his mayoralty, 30 April 1598. Saltonstall rose to a position of great affluence as a London merchant, and was engaged in numerous financial transactions with the government, both individually and on behalf of the Merchant Adventurers' Company, of which he was the governor (State Papers, Spanish, 1568–79 p. 592, Dom. 1581–90 p. 386). In his official capacity he was frequently abroad at Hamburg, Stade, Emden, and other places (ib. passim), and was a member of various commissions to settle commercial disputes or examine state offenders. He was collector of customs for the port of London, in which office he was assisted as deputy by his son Samuel (ib. Dom. 1598–1601 pp. 138, 507, 1603–10 p. 345).
Saltonstall ‘and his children’ were also among the adventurers of the East India Company in their first voyage, 22 Sept. 1599 (Stevens, Court Records of the East India Company, p. 3). He died on 17 March 1601, and was buried in the parish church of South Okendon, Essex, where he held the manor of Groves and presented to the living in 1590. He also held the manor of Ledsham in Yorkshire, and many other country estates. By his will, dated 1597, and proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 19 May 1601 (Goodhall 32), he left one hundred pounds for provision of money and bread to the poor of the parish of Halifax, and bequests to the city hospitals. The terms of the will were, however, disputed by his sons (State Papers, Dom. 1603–10, p. 345), and by Abigail Baker, alias Saltonstall, a natural daughter (P.C.C. Montague 51). An apocryphal print of Saltonstall was published by W. Richardson in 1794.
He married Susan, only daughter of Thomas Pointz of North Okendon, and sister of Sir Gabriel Pointz. His married life extended over fifty years. He had seven sons and nine daughters, one of whom, Hester, married Sir Thomas Myddelton (1550–1631) [q. v.], lord mayor in 1613–1614; three of his sons—viz. Samuel, Peter, and Richard—were knighted. Through his son Sir Richard, Saltonstall was ancestor of the Norths, earls of Guilford.
[Watson's History of Halifax, pp. 237, 579; Thoresby's Ducatus Leodiensis, ed. Whitaker, 1816, p. 236; Baker's Northamptonshire, i. 526; Clutterbuck's Hertfordshire, iii. 362, 601; Morant's Essex, i. 101; Wadmore's History of the Skinners' Company, p. 58; Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. xi. 513, 3rd ser. i. 350; Appleton's Cyclop. of Amer. Biogr. v. 379; authorities above cited.]