Family and Education

m. a sis. of William Watson, wid. of William Pennington, merchant, at least 1da.

Offices Held

Freeman, York c.1547, chamberlain 1548-9, sheriff 1566-7, alderman 1567-77, ld. mayor 1571-2; constable, merchant adventurers 1549-51, gov. 1568-71.

Biography

Paycock was a lead and cloth merchant. During the 1569 rebellion he relayed to the Earl of Sussex information obtained from three captured fishermen to the effect that there were 200 foot soldiers in Hartlepool, and he gave evidence against a gaoler of York castle who had been sympathetic towards the rebels. Returned MP for the city in 1572, Paycock took an active part in parliamentary business. On 12 May he attended the conference with the Lords to discuss Mary Queen of Scots, and he served on committees on cloth (1 Mar. 1576), to remove the benefit of clergy from rapists and burglars (7 Mar.) and on wharves and quays (13 May). By March 1577 Paycock was requesting the city council to relieve him of the office of alderman, ‘for that he is not of ability, neither of body, nor yet of goods nor living to maintain the part and room of an alderman, and also is not meet nor able to come and assist the lord mayor’, and he received an annuity of £6 13s. 4d. The city sued for a new writ in October 1579, and the seat was filled 1 Feb. 1581, Paycock being put down in the Commons journals as ‘incurably sick and diseased’. His successor’s election was allowed on 18 Mar. 1581. Paycock was still receiving a reduced annuity in 1584.

York City Lib., Skaife mss; York Freemen (Surtees Soc. xcvi), 266-7; (cii), 12; York Mercers (Surtees Soc. cxxix), 324; York Civic Recs. passim; Cott. Calig. B. 9, p. 79; CSP Dom. Add. 1566-79, p. 223; D’Ewes, 206, 251, 308; CJ, i. 95, 109, 111, 114, 135; York chamberlain’s accts. 5, f. 56.

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: A. M. Mimardière

Notes

• 1. Did not serve for the full duration of the Parliament.