Davies, Sir Thomas (1631-1680), bookseller

Sir Thomas Davies was the first of very few stationers to become Lord Mayor of London. Born in London and educated at St. Paul’s School, Davies was apprenticed in 1648 to bookseller, Thomas Whitaker, whilst also being bound to his father in the Drapers’ Company. He was freed of the Stationers’ Company in 1655 and set up as a bookseller in St Paul’s Churchyard. Davies took the livery in 1664. He was able to become increasingly involved in London civic life after inheriting a fortune from his great-uncle Hugh Audley (d.1662). In 1667, Davies was made alderman and knighted in quick succession, and was consequently elected to Company Assistant and shortly after Master of the Stationers’ Company. Upon his election to Lord Mayor of London in 1676, Davies transferred to the Drapers’ Company as only a liveryman of one of the Twelve Great Companies could hold the mayoralty. Following his tenure as Lord Mayor, Davies served as Master of the Drapers’ Company and Colonel of the Orange Regiment.

Alderman of Farringdon Without (1667), Sheriff (1667-8), Assistant (1667-1676), Master of the Stationers’ Company (1669-1670), Lord Mayor of London (1676-1677), Master of the Drapers’ Company (1677-1678), Colonel of the Orange Regiment (1677-1680)

John Davies (father), merchant adventurer and draper; Mary Pecock (mother); Elizabeth Ridges (wife); Hugh Audley (great-uncle)

International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3

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Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
C. Rivington, ‘Sir Thomas Davies: the first bookseller lord mayor of London’, The Library, 6th ser., 3 (1981), 187–201