Thomas Spring of Lavenham
| Thomas Spring | |
|---|---|
| Born | c.1474 |
| Died | 1523 |
| Burial place | Lavenham, Suffolk |
| Occupation | Cloth merchant |
| Spouse(s) | Anne King Alice (surname unknown) |
| Children |
Sir John Spring Robert Spring Anne Spring Rose Spring Bridget Spring |
| Parent(s) | Thomas Spring, Margaret Appleton |
Thomas Spring (c.1474–1523), also referred to as Thomas Spring III or The Rich Clothier, was an English cloth merchant during the early 1500s. From Lavenham in Suffolk he consolidated his father's business to become one of the most successful in the booming wool trade, and was one of the richest men in England in his lifetime.
The Spring family was descended from the Anglo-Norman knight, Sir Henry Spring, and Thomas Spring was the great-grandson of Lord Jermyn of Rushbrooke Hall.
Thomas Spring was the eldest son and heir of Thomas Spring (d. 7 September 1486) of Lavenham, Suffolk, and Margaret Appleton. His father's will mentions Thomas and two other sons, William and James (slain 1493), as well as a daughter, Marian. He had another brother, John Spring, whose daughter, Margaret, married Aubrey de Vere, second son of John de Vere, 15th Earl of Oxford; Aubrey de Vere and Margaret Spring were the grandparents of Robert de Vere, 19th Earl of Oxford.
The will of Thomas Spring's grandfather, also named Thomas (d.1440), mentions his wife, Agnes, his eldest son and heir, Thomas (d. 7 September 1486), another son, William, and two daughters, Katherine and Dionyse.
Thomas inherited the Spring family wool and cloth business from his father, and during his lifetime the cloth trade was at its most profitable. By the time of his death, Spring was believed to be the richest man in England outside the peerage, having invested much of his money in land.
In 1512, 1513 and 1517 his name appears as one of the commissioners for collecting taxation in Suffolk. Spring played a large part in defeating supporters of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, who claimed the throne from Henry VII. However, in 1517, in the reign of Henry VIII, Spring was given exemption from his public duties. At this point, he was probably at the height of his wealth.
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