Family and Education

m. Mary Garnett, ?s.p.

Offices Held

Biography

Rusham was presumably related to Thomas Risham or Rusham alias Barbor, mayor of Sudbury in 1559 and 1570. He may have been trained as a lawyer: in his will he bequeathed to his brother-in-law, Jasper Garnett, a number of law and Latin books. However, his name does not appear in the Elizabethan inns of court registers. Perhaps he attended an inn of Chancery. He evidently lived at, or near, Sudbury: at one time he was assessed for the 1585 subsidy there at 40s. The account notes him as ‘removed’. His will mentions lands at Cornard Magna, Suffolk, a little over a mile from Sudbury, as still in his possession. In any case, he had enough local influence to be returned to Parliament for the town. His sister Elizabeth, married to William Cole, brother of Martin Cole, was asked to distribute £4 to the poor of Sudbury in the will Rusham made in July 1587, proved on 12 June 1589.

PCC 51 Leicester; Cal. Sudbury Muns. ed. Stokes and Redstone, 52; Sudbury ct. bks. 1563-82, f. 107; 1585-99, f. 6.

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: N. M. Fuidge

Notes