Thomas Poulton d1608

THOMAS POULTON. It is not at all clear what connection Thomas Poulton had with the City of Gloucester, for he was a yeoman who lived in Tewkesbury, where he was buried. He seems to have been a member of the armigerous family of Pulton or Poulton of Newent, and owned property in a number of places, with the result fhat he had interests in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. His brother John Poulton was a draper in the City of London, but he and his wife Alice had no children.

By his will, which he made on the 13 February 1607/8, he left to the town of Cheltenham 'one Booke of Acts and Monum'ts with a Chaine of yron to be plased in the Churche on a deske where everie man that will ll may come and take profitte thereby'. He left the sum of three pounds towards the erecting 'of Uptons Bridge' and four pounds 'towardes the ececting and buyldinge of a Market howse in the Towne of Newent'.

His connection with Gloucester, whatever it was, led him to leave the sum of forty shillings for repairing the highways and bridges in and around Gloucester, but his main benefaction was that he gave 'to the Corporacon of the Maior, Burgesses and Cominaltie of the Cittee of Glocester the sume of Threescore pounds of currant englishe money to be and remaine in their handes and their successors for a Stock of monie to be ymployed for the relief, advancement and profitt of poore Artificers, younge Tradesnen and decayed persons' to be raised out of his property in Tewkesbury. At a later date the Gloucester Corporation Accounts state that his gift of sixty pounds was lent to twelve tradesmen, being five pounds each for three years. From the length of his will and the extent of his legacies it is clear that he was a man of considerable substance, though it is not possible to gather information concerning his activities whilst he was alive.