Family and Education

bap. 15 July 1655, o.s. of John Rebow, clothier, of Colchester by Sarah, da. of Francis Tayspil, merchant of Colchester. m. (1) Mary (d. 17 June 1681), da. of James Lemyng of Greyfriars, Colchester, 1s. d.v.p. 1da.; (2) Dec. 1685, Mary, da. of Thomas Macro, apothecary, of Bury St. Edmunds, Suff., 2da.; (3) lic. 19 Nov. 1694, Elizabeth, da. and coh. of Sir William Wiseman, 1st Bt., of Rivenhall, Essex, wid. of John Lamotte Honeywood of Markshall, Essex, s.p. Kntd. 26 Mar. 1693; suc. fa. 1699.1

Offices Held

Commr. for assessment, Essex, Colchester and Suff. 1689-90; j.p. Essex 1690-d.; v.-adm. 1693-d.; freeman, Colchester 1694, mayor, 1716-17; dep. lt. Essex by 1701-d.2

Biography

Rebow was of Flemish extraction. His ancestors probably settled in Colchester as clothiers early in the 17th century, but took no known part in the Civil War. His father married into a prominent merchant family in the town, and was granted arms in 1685. Rebow himself made a fortune in the clothing industry. His income, even in his father’s lifetime, was estimated at £800 p.a. He was returned for the borough in 1689 in a contested election. A moderately active Member of the Convention, he was appointed to 19 committees. The first was on the bill for preventing the export of wool on 18 Mar., but after the recess he was named to two committees of political importance, those to consider the bills for punishing mutiny and desertion and for restoring corporations, in which he supported the disabling clause. He was also appointed to the committee for imposing a general oath of allegiance to the new regime. He lost his seat at the general election, but regained it in 1692, and remained the leader of the Whig faction at Colchester till his death on 6 Sept. 1726. He was buried at St. Mary’s, Colchester. His grandson sat for Colchester as a Whig from 1734 till his death in the following year.3

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Author: Gillian Hampson

Notes

• 1. Regs. of Dutch Church, Colchester (Huguenot Soc. xii), 19, 77; Vis. England and Wales Notes ed. Crisp., ix. 70; C8/260/80.
• 2. Cal. Treas. Bks. x. 46; Essex RO, Q/SR467-509; CSP Dom. 1690-1, p. 252; Ind. 24557; HMC 14th Rep. IX, 276; G. Rickwood, Bailiffs and Mayors of Colchester.
• 3. Essex RO, DDB103; Essex Rev. vi. 174-5; Bodl. North mss 6/1/322.