Thomas Treadwell
Mayor of Oxford 1758/9
Thomas Treadwell (c.1718–1776) was the son of James Treadwell, a cook of the University of Oxford who had been matriculated as a "privilegiatus" on 29 November 1721.
On 1 January 1733/4 Thomas was apprenticed for seven years to the grocer William Turner (who was himself to become Mayor in 1743).
Treadwell was first chosen to serve on the Common Council on 30 September 1748. He was sworn in on 7 October, paying £3 10s. and 3s. 4d for not being Constable. He was chosen as City Chamberlain in 1750 and as Senior Bailiff in 1754.
Treadwell had become a hardware merchant by the time that he took on Edmund Leverett as an apprentice in May 1757 and Thomas Willsdon in April 1763.
On 11 April 1757 Treadwell was elected one of the Mayor’s eight Assistants. Just five days later he married Mary Treacher, the niece of the brewer Alderman John Treacher (who himself was three times Mayor), at St Thomas’s Church. Treadwell was then described as being of St Martin’s parish.
In September 1758 Treadwell was elected Mayor. He named William Rowland as his Chamberlain and Vincent Shortland as his Child.
Parson Woodforde made a number of purchases at Treadwell’s shop when he was in Oxford. On 19 February 1762 he paid 4s. 6d. for "an Edinburgh Leathern Snuff Box"; on 25 May 1763 sixpence for "a Mohogany thing to keep Books wide open"; on 8 October 1773 twelve shillings for "a Pair of Pocket Globes with a Map annexed to them"; and on 13 October 1773 2s. 6d. for "a new-fashioned Corke-Screw". On 14 October 1773 he paid four guineas for "an exceeding good Microscope with a Stand & all the Apparatus belonging to it"; on 30 December 1773 two shillings for a pair of mock beaver gloves; and on 28 March and 5 May 1774 two shillings each for another two pairs.
Treadwell’s wife died in 1762. He continued to serve as one of the Mayor’s eight Assistants until 1775, and then moved to Beckley for the change of air. He was buried at Beckley Church on 28 April 1776.
See also:
- Malcolm Graham, Oxford City Apprentices 1697–1800, entries numbered 1552, 2151, and 2262
- PCC Will PROB 11/1020 (Will of Thomas Treadwell, Hardware Merchant of Oxford, proved 13 May 1776)