CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <title>LAYER, Thomas (c.1528-1614), of Norwich, Norf. | History of Parliament Online</title> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/files/hop2_favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" />  <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/book/book.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/node/node.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/system/defaults.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/system/system.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/system/system-menus.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/modules/user/user.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/cck3/theme/content-module.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/ctools/css/ctools.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/date/date.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/date/date_popup/themes/datepicker.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/date/date_popup/themes/jquery.timeentry.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/filefield/filefield.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/footnotes/footnotes.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/hovertip/hovertip.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/lightbox2/css/lightbox.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/views_slideshow/contrib/views_slideshow_singleframe/views_slideshow.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/cck3/modules/fieldgroup/fieldgroup.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/modules/contrib/cck3/modules/content_multigroup/content_multigroup.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/themes/custom/hop2/css/style.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/themes/custom/hop2/css/blocks.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/themes/custom/hop2/css/header.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/themes/custom/hop2/css/slideshow.css?W" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/all/themes/custom/hop2/css/uniform.aristo.css?W" />   <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/jquery_update/replace/jquery.min.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/misc/jquery-extend-3.4.0.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/misc/jquery-html-prefilter-3.5.0-backport.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/misc/drupal.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/hovertip/hovertip.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/jquery_aop/misc/jquery.aop.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/lightbox2/js/lightbox_modal.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/lightbox2/js/lightbox.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/views_slideshow/js/jquery.cycle.all.min.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/views_slideshow/contrib/views_slideshow_singleframe/views_slideshow.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/google_analytics/googleanalytics.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/modules/contrib/boost/boost.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/themes/custom/hop2/js/jquery.uniform.min.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/themes/custom/hop2/js/init.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/sites/all/themes/custom/hop2/js/remove_has_js.js?W"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script>  </head> <body class="not-front not-logged-in page-node node-type-member no-sidebars page-volume-1558-1603-member-layer-thomas-1528-1614 section-volume"> <div id="wrapper">   <div id="header"> <div id="meta">  </div> <div id="header-bar"> <h1 id="site-name"> <a href="/" title="Home" rel="home"> History of Parliament Online </a> </h1> <form action="/volume/1558-1603/member/layer-thomas-1528-1614" accept-charset="UTF-8" method="post" id="search-theme-form"> <div><div class="form-item" id="edit-search-theme-form-1-wrapper"> <label for="edit-search-theme-form-1">Search </label> <input type="text" maxlength="128" name="search_theme_form" id="edit-search-theme-form-1" size="15" value="" title="Enter the terms you wish to search for." class="form-text" /> </div> <input type="submit" name="op" id="edit-submit" value="Search" class="form-submit" /> <input type="hidden" name="form_build_id" id="form-pYQbngXenWm6O6rOee8gbPxPmpB6HDvEBES0rCPkwCs" value="form-pYQbngXenWm6O6rOee8gbPxPmpB6HDvEBES0rCPkwCs" /> <input type="hidden" name="form_id" id="edit-search-theme-form" value="search_theme_form" /> </div></form> </div> <div id="navigation"> <div id="block-menu-menu-main-menu" class="block "> <div class="content"> <ul class="menu"><li class="leaf first"><a href="/research" title="Research" class=" active active-trail">Research</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="/explore" title="Explore">Explore</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="/discover-by-gallery" title="Discover by gallery">Gallery</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="/schools" title="Schools">Schools</a></li> <li class="leaf last"><a href="/about" title="About the history of Parliament">About</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="sub-navigation"> <div id="block-menu_block-1" class="block "> <div class="section-title"> <h2 class="title">Research</h2> </div> <div class="content"> <div class="menu-block-1 menu-name-primary-links parent-mlid-63 menu-level-1"> <ul class="menu"><li class="leaf first menu-mlid-65"><a href="/research/members" title="list of MP's">Members</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-64"><a href="/research/constituencies" title="List of Constituencies">Constituencies</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-66"><a href="/research/parliaments" title="List of Parliaments and their Sessions">Parliaments</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-107"><a href="/research/surveys" title="Surveys">Surveys</a></li> </div> </div> <div id="block-menu_block-12" class="block "> <div class="content"> <ul class="menu"> <li class="leaf first menu-mlid-65"> <a href="/research/oral-history" title="Oral History">Oral History</a></li> </ul></div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div>  <div id="main"> <div id="main-content">   <div class="breadcrumb"><a href="/" class="breadcrumb_first">Home</a> <a href="/research">Research</a> > <a href="/research/members">Members</a> > <a href="/research/members/members-1558-1603">1558-1603</a> > LAYER, Thomas (c.1528-1614)</div>  <div id="node-top"> <div id="block-hop-1" class="block "> <h2 class="title">Go To Section</h2> <div class="content"> <ul class="top"> <li class="ss-one"><a href="/research/members/members-1386-1421">1386-1421</a></li> <li class="ss-two"><a href="/research/members/members-1422-1504">1422-1504</a></li> <li class="ss-three"><a href="/research/members/members-1509-1558">1509-1558</a></li> <li class="ss-four"><a href="/research/members/members-1558-1603" class="active">1558-1603</a></li> <li class="ss-five"><a href="/research/members/members-1604-1629">1604-1629</a></li> <li class="ss-six"><a href="/research/members/members-1640-1660">1640-1660</a></li> </ul> <ul class="bottom"> <li class="ss-one"><a href="/research/members/members-1660-1690">1660-1690</a></li> <li class="ss-two"><a href="/research/members/members-1690-1715">1690-1715</a></li> <li class="ss-three"><a href="/research/members/members-1715-1754">1715-1754</a></li> <li class="ss-four"><a href="/research/members/members-1754-1790">1754-1790</a></li> <li class="ss-five"><a href="/research/members/members-1790-1820">1790-1820</a></li> <li class="ss-six"><a href="/research/members/members-1820-1832">1820-1832</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="block-hop-0" class="block "> <h2 class="title">INDEX</h2> <div class="content"> <a href="/research/members/1558-1603/A">A</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/B">B</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/C">C</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/D">D</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/E">E</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/F">F</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/G">G</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/H">H</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/I">I</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/J">J</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/K">K</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/L" class="active">L</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/M">M</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/N">N</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/O">O</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/P">P</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/Q">Q</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/R">R</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/S">S</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/T">T</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/U">U</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/V">V</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/W">W</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/X">X</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/Y">Y</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/Z">Z</a> </div> </div> </div>   <div class="title-wrapper"> <h1 class="title">LAYER, Thomas (c.1528-1614), of Norwich, Norf.</h1> <div id="publish-info">Published in <em>The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603</em>, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981<br />Available from <a href="https://boydellandbrewer.com/the-history-of-parliament-the-house-of-commons-1558-1603-3-vols-hb.html" target="_blank">Boydell and Brewer</a></div> </div>  <div id="sidebar-right"> <div id="member-picture" class="block"> <div class="content"> <img src="http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/files/imagecache/frontpage/silhouette.jpg" alt=""/><div class="member-title"></div> </div> </div> <div class="view_full_wrapper"> <span class="view_full_img"> </span> </div> <div> <div id="block-hop-5" class="block "> <div class="content"> <div id="biography" class="block"> <h2 class="title">Biography Detail</h2> <div class="content"> <ul class="cufon"> <li><a href="#constituency">Constituency</a></li> <li><a href="#family-relations">Family & Education</a></li> <li><a href="#offices-held">Offices Held</a></li> <li><a href="#biography">Biography</a></li> <li><a href="#end-notes">End Notes</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="block-hop-7" class="block "> <div class="content"> <div id="resources" class="block"> <h2 class="title">Related Resources</h2> <div class="content"> <ul class="cufon"> <li><a href="/research/members/members-1558-1603">1558-1603 Members</a></li> <li><a href="/research/constituencies/constituencies-1558-1603">1558-1603 Constituencies</a></li> <li><a href="/research/parliaments/parliaments-1558-1603">1558-1603 Parliaments</a></li> <li><a href="/research/surveys/surveys-1558-1603">1558-1603 Surveys</a></li> </ul> </div></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="member-content-left"> <div> <div id="block-hop-6" class="block "> <div class="content"> <ul class="custom-pager custom-pager-block"><li class="previous"><a href="/volume/1558-1603/member/layer-christopher-1531-1600" title="LAYER, Christopher (1531-1600), of Norwich, Norf.">Previous<br/>Biography</a></li><li class="key"></li><li class="next"><a href="/volume/1558-1603/member/layton-john-1588" title="LAYTON, John (d.1588), of West Layton, nr. Richmond, Yorks.">Next<br/>Biography</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div><div class="hop_short_description"></div><div class="hop_member_node"><div id="member-constituency"><div class="table_row"><h3 id="constituency" class="title header-cons">Constituency</h3><h3 class="title header-dates">Dates</h3></div><div class="table_row"><div class="cons_name"><div class="country-"><a href="/volume/1558-1603/constituencies/norwich">NORWICH</a></div></div><div class="cons_date">1586</div></div></div><h3 id="family-relations" class="title">Family and Education</h3><p><em>b.</em> c.1528, 2nd s. of William Layer, and bro. of <a class="ref" title="Christopher " href="/volume/1558-1603/member/layer-christopher-1531-1600">Christopher</a>. <em>m.</em> (1) Elizabeth, da. of Sir Valentine Browne and sis. of <a class="ref" title="Sir Valentine Browne " href="/volume/1558-1603/member/browne-sir-valentine-1589">Sir Valentine Browne</a>, <em>s.p.s.</em>; (2) Anne, da. of <a class="ref" title="Robert Suckling " href="/volume/1558-1603/member/suckling-robert-1520-89">Robert Suckling</a>, <em>s.p.s.</em><a class="see-footnote" id="footnoteref1_dfpq59c" title="Vis. Norf. (Norf. and Norwich Arch. Soc.), i. 25." href="#footnote1_dfpq59c">1</a></p><h3 id="offices-held" class="title">Offices Held</h3><p></p><p>Common councilman, Norwich 1559, sheriff 1567-8, alderman 1568, mayor 1576-7, 1585-6, 1595-6.<a class="see-footnote" id="footnoteref2_5kpfakw" title="Norwich ass. min bk. 1551-68. ff. 113, 238v; H. Le Strange, Norf. Official Lists, 108-110." href="#footnote2_5kpfakw">2</a></p><h3 id="biography" class="title">Biography</h3><p>Like his brother, Layer was a grocer, with tenements and other property in Norwich and the neighbouring villages. His progress through the normal civic offices was conventional, and he was particularly concerned with the settlement of the Dutch congregation in Norwich. He signed the letter to Burghley in 1585 asking for a lease of the alnage on new stuffs. He was elected to Parliament as a senior alderman, having just completed his second term as mayor. He was named to the committee of the bill for Orford harbour, 7 Nov. 1586. During his Membership he received 5<em>s.</em> a day wages.<a class="see-footnote" id="footnoteref3_e1p485n" title="Reg. Norwich Freemen, ed. Millican, 71, 231; The Walloons and their church at Norwich, ed. Moens (Hug. Soc. i) pt. 2, pp. 247, 249; Lansd. 44, f. 70; D鈥橢wes, 395; Norwich corporation ct. bk. 1582-7, p. 704." href="#footnote3_e1p485n">3</a></p><p>Layer outlived all his younger brothers and most of his contemporaries: he must have been about 86 years old when he drew up his will on 27 Jan. 1614. By it he bestowed mourning gowns and small bequests upon a large number of relatives and friends, and money to his servants and various charities, including the congregation of the Dutch church in Norwich. The heir to his landed property was his nephew William Layer. To his wife, the executrix, he bequeathed the residue and bulk of his estate. She proved the will 7 July 1614.<a class="see-footnote" id="footnoteref4_srw58mf" title="PCC 90 Lawe; Blomefield, Norf. iv. 231." href="#footnote4_srw58mf">4</a></p><h3 id="volumes" class="title blue">Ref Volumes: 1558-1603</h3><h3 id="authors" class="title blue">Author: Roger Virgoe</h3><p></p><h3 id="end-notes" class="title blue">Notes</h3><ul class="footnotes"><li class="footnote" id="footnote1_dfpq59c"><a class="footnote-label" href="#footnoteref1_dfpq59c">1.</a> <em>Vis. Norf.</em> (Norf. and Norwich Arch. Soc.), i. 25.</li> <li class="footnote" id="footnote2_5kpfakw"><a class="footnote-label" href="#footnoteref2_5kpfakw">2.</a> Norwich ass. min bk. 1551-68. ff. 113, 238v; H. Le Strange, <em>Norf. Official Lists</em>, 108-110.</li> <li class="footnote" id="footnote3_e1p485n"><a class="footnote-label" href="#footnoteref3_e1p485n">3.</a> <em>Reg. Norwich Freemen</em>, ed. Millican, 71, 231; <em>The Walloons and their church at Norwich</em>, ed. Moens (Hug. Soc. i) pt. 2, pp. 247, 249; Lansd. 44, f. 70; D鈥橢wes, 395; Norwich corporation ct. bk. 1582-7, p. 704.</li> <li class="footnote" id="footnote4_srw58mf"><a class="footnote-label" href="#footnoteref4_srw58mf">4.</a> PCC 90 Lawe; Blomefield, <em>Norf.</em> iv. 231.</li> </ul> </div></div>  <div id="content-bottom"> <div id="block-hop-1" class="block "> <h2 class="title">Go To Section</h2> <div class="content"> <ul class="top"> <li class="ss-one"><a href="/research/members/members-1386-1421">1386-1421</a></li> <li class="ss-two"><a href="/research/members/members-1422-1504">1422-1504</a></li> <li class="ss-three"><a href="/research/members/members-1509-1558">1509-1558</a></li> <li class="ss-four"><a href="/research/members/members-1558-1603" class="active">1558-1603</a></li> <li class="ss-five"><a href="/research/members/members-1604-1629">1604-1629</a></li> <li class="ss-six"><a href="/research/members/members-1640-1660">1640-1660</a></li> </ul> <ul class="bottom"> <li class="ss-one"><a href="/research/members/members-1660-1690">1660-1690</a></li> <li class="ss-two"><a href="/research/members/members-1690-1715">1690-1715</a></li> <li class="ss-three"><a href="/research/members/members-1715-1754">1715-1754</a></li> <li class="ss-four"><a href="/research/members/members-1754-1790">1754-1790</a></li> <li class="ss-five"><a href="/research/members/members-1790-1820">1790-1820</a></li> <li class="ss-six"><a href="/research/members/members-1820-1832">1820-1832</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="block-hop-0" class="block "> <h2 class="title">INDEX</h2> <div class="content"> <a href="/research/members/1558-1603/A">A</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/B">B</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/C">C</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/D">D</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/E">E</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/F">F</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/G">G</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/H">H</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/I">I</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/J">J</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/K">K</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/L" class="active">L</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/M">M</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/N">N</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/O">O</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/P">P</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/Q">Q</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/R">R</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/S">S</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/T">T</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/U">U</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/V">V</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/W">W</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/X">X</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/Y">Y</a><a href="/research/members/1558-1603/Z">Z</a> </div> </div> </div>  </div>  </div>  <div id="footer-gradient"> </div> <div id="footer"> <div id="copyright"> © Crown copyright and The History of Parliament Trust 1964-2020 </div> <div id="footer-links"> <ul> <li><a href="/about/terms-and-conditions" title="Terms & Conditions">Terms & Conditions</a></li> <li><a href="/help/privacy-and-cookies">Privacy & Cookies</a></li> <li><a href="/about/faqs">FAQs</a></li> <li><a href="/commonly-used-abbreviations" title="Abbreviations">Abbreviations</a></li> <li><a href="mailto:website@histparl.ac.uk">Contact Us</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="ihr-logo"><a href="http://www.history.ac.uk" target="_blank"><img src="/files/IHR-maintained-logo.png" alt="IHR Logo" /></a></div> </div>  </body> </html>