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Thomas Witham

1420 – 1489

English Chancellor of the Exchequer

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About Thomas Witham

Lived 1420 – 1489 (aged 68–69).

Thomas Witham (or Wytham; c. 1420 – 15 April 1489) was an English Chancellor of the Exchequer under Kings Henry VI and Edward IV.

He was the son of Robert Witham of Grantham, Lincolnshire and the brother of William Witham, the Dean of Wells.

He was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by Henry VI in 1454 and again (for life) in 1456, which was confirmed in 1461 by Edward IV. He was reappointed in 1465 (possibly after illness) and finally resigned the post in 1469 to be replaced by Richard Fowler. Witham's tenure as Chancellor occurred during the Great Bullion Famine and the Great Slump in England. He then served the future Richard III as a counsellor.

He died in 1489 and was buried at St Helen and the Holy Cross Church, Sheriff Hutton, where he had endowed a chapel. He had married Agnes Thweng of Cornburgh but left no surviving children. However, his will of 1474 left money to several grandchildren.

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Important facts

Born
1420, Grantham
Birth century
Died
1489

People in Thomas Witham's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Thomas Witham's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Thomas Witham?

English Chancellor of the Exchequer

When was Thomas Witham born?

Thomas Witham was born in 1420 in Grantham.

When did Thomas Witham die?

Thomas Witham died in 1489.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Thomas Witham

· Wikidata: Q7795267

· DBpedia: Thomas Witham

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Thomas Witham. https://biography.guide/thomas-witham/

MLA: "Thomas Witham." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/thomas-witham/.

Chicago: "Thomas Witham." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/thomas-witham/.

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