William Tylcock
Mayor of Oxford 1556/7, 1560/1, 1568/9, and 1575/6
William Tylcock (or Tilcock/Tilcocke/Tilcoke/Tillcock/Trillcock/Tryllcock/Tryllcocke/Tylcocke/
Tylcokks/Tylcoke/ Tylkok/Tylkokk/Tyllcock) (1504–1578)
was an Oxford baker and brewer. He was admitted free in the mayoral year 1536/7.
Tylcock was appointed Senior Chamberlain on 29 September 1542. On 4 November 1543 he paid £16 10s. 8d. towards the subsidy in the North East ward, where he rented the Mitre Inn from Lincoln College; and in the 1544 subsidy he paid £16 5s. 4d.
In April 1545 Tylcock was involved in a dispute with Alderman William Frere and Maurice Vaughan, and at a council on 19 April they agreed to be "lovers and ffrends accordying to the custom of thys Towne".
In September 1545 Tylcock was elected Junior Bailiff, and in October 1547 he contributed a shilling towards Dame Margaret Northern’s coffer.
On 2 August 1549, when the brewers were directed by the University to brew in couples, Tylcock was paired with Mr Hawkins.
In October 1551 Tylcock was appointed jointly with John Wayte to oversee the Frideswide and Austen Fairs.
In September 1554 the council brought in a new arrangement, whereby there should be eight Mayor’s Assistants, and Tylcock was elected as one of the first group
From 23 October 1554 to 14 September 1555 Tylcock was one of the two Members of Parliament for Oxford. In his year of office, on 16 May 1555, the Clerk of the Market fined Tylcock £1 because "unus panis" of his was 4 ounces too light, namely 8 ounces instead of 12 ounces.
In September 1556 Tylcock was elected Mayor and also one of the two Coroners for the city, and at the end of his year of office, on 3 October 1557, he was elected an Alderman.
Tylcock was elected Mayor again in 1560, and during his year of office his apprentice Thomas Scott was admitted free.
On 19 June 1562 Tylcock was dismissed with ten others from the council for subscribing to the maintenance of John Cumber "in his disobedyence agaynst Mr. Mayre and worship of this Citie". On 16 September it was agreed that Tylcock should
stand in dispence for his submyssion for his offence untyll the ffeast of Christmas next comying. And then this house upon his submyssion to take order whether he shalbe admytted agayne to be one of the twelve wch from henceforth shalbe the twelve that is appoynted to be assitants and acounsell wth Mr Mayer for the tyme beynge.
Tylcock was elected Mayor again in 1568.
In October 1574 it was agreed that Tylcock and seven others should attend the Mayor in the business of the City before the Privy Council in London.
In June 1575 Tylcock was appointed one of the group to survey the banks and stoppings of the waters about South Bridge, and in September 1575 started his fourth and last term as Mayor, when he was 71 years old. On 27 September 1576 he was summoned by the bedel to appear before the Vice-Chancellor in Christ Church and was shown the privilege of Henry VIII. He declared that he had not known of its existence when he assessed and taxed privileged persons, and promised not to offend again.
Tylcock died at the age of 78 on 22 June 1578, and appears to have been buried on the same day at the Church of St Thomas the Martyr: An inscription on the north wall of the chancel of that church reads:
I being seventy & four year of age departed
this life the 22 day of June 1578, the xxth
yeare of Queen Elizabeth.Enclosed heare doth William Tyl
Coke lye, whose just deserts did cause
be chosen Mayre fower sondrye times,
but nowe constraind to dye: of earthe
composde, to earth he makes repaire.
This world therefore as vayne and
fraile dispise; Immortall blisse thinke,
hope, to win devise.
On 15 September 1581 it is minuted:
At this Counsell Mris. Alderwoman Tylcock sent in to the use of this Cytie a sylver salte, doble gilte, wayenge xxviijtie ounces, geven unto this Cytie by Mr. Alderman Tylcock in his last will and testament; and hit was receaved at the hands of Mr. Steven Ewen, and delivered unto Mr. John Harteley, nowe Mayor.
On 5 November 1580 (two and a half years after Tylcock’s death), the Vice-Chancellor assigned the day on which a man called Tilcoke was to brew; and thirteen years later again on 7 August 1593 a Richard Tilcocke was again assigned a day for brewing.
See also:
- MS Wills Oxon 186.23