William More

Sir William More (30 January 1520 – 20 July 1600), of Loseley, Surrey, was the son of Sir Christopher More. The great house at Loseley Park was built for him, which is still the residence of the More Molyneux family. Of Protestant sympathies, as Sheriff and Vice-Admiral of Surrey he was actively involved in local administration of the county of Surrey and in the enforcement of the Elizabethan religious settlement, and was a member of every Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was the owner of property in the Blackfriars in which the first and second Blackfriars theatres were erected. He has been described as "the perfect Elizabethan country gentleman" on account of his impeccable character and his assiduity and efficiency of service. William was the grandson of a London citizen and Fishmonger, John More, and his wife Elizabeth. After the death of Margaret Mugge, More's father married, by 1535, Constance Sackville (died 1554), daughter of Richard Sackville and relict of William Heneage, but there was no issue by this second marriage.

He avoided entanglement in the political affairs of King Edward's reign, and in particular kept clear of the Duke of Northumberland's attempt to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne in 1553. described as 'the best house of its date in the county'. (the year after he received the dignity of knighthood), and he was Sheriff of Surrey a second time for 1579–80.

Southampton's confinement at Loseley More was appointed a commissioner for ecclesiastical causes in 1572, More was also a friend of Montague's son-in-law, Henry Wriothesley, 2nd Earl of Southampton, who was twice confined under his guardianship at Loseley. On 15 July 1570 the Privy Council placed Southampton in More's custody after it was learned that he had secretly met with John Lesley, Bishop of Ross, in Lambeth Marsh. More was instructed to induce Southampton to take part in Protestant devotions in his household. Southampton, having done so, was allowed his freedom in November 1570.

However, in September 1571 the Bishop of Ross, under questioning about the Ridolfi plot, incriminated Southampton by revealing the entire contents of their secret conversation at Lambeth. Southampton was arrested at the end of October and confined to the Tower for eighteen months. When released on 1 May 1573, he was again placed in More's custody at Loseley until 14 July. Montague expressed his undying gratitude for More's hospitality, whose relations with Southampton remained more than cordial. On 6 October 1573 Southampton wrote elatedly to More to announce the birth of his son and heir, Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton.

More and the Blackfriars On 12 March 1550, Edward VI granted to Sir Thomas Cawarden (More's friend) a large part of the site of the former Blackfriars monastery in London, which Sir Thomas had been leasing since 4 April 1548. Cawarden died in 1559, and More, his executor, acquired the property in that year from Lady Cawarden. According to More's own memoranda, and other documents, he leased part of that property on 10 June 1560 to Sir Henry Neville and subsequently (at Neville's request) to Richard Farrant, who converted the premises into a playhouse for the Children of the Chapel. Farrant also sublet part of the premises, which caused More to claim that Farrant had forfeited his lease: but, before More could regain possession, Farrant died on 30 November 1580 bequeathing the lease to his widow, Anne daughter of Richard Bower (died 1561), Master of the Choristers of the Chapel Royal.

Farrant having died, Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester intervened on behalf of William Hunnis, Master of the Children of the Chapel, and on 20 December 1581 the widow Anne Farrant sublet the Blackfriars premises to Hunnis and John Newman. Hunnis and Newman later transferred their interest to a Welsh scrivener, Henry Evans. Evans sold his sublease to Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, who retained it for some months before granting it in June 1583 to his servant John Lyly. and in Michaelmas term 1583 Anne Farrant, having appealed to Sir Francis Walsingham, brought suit against Hunnis and Newman. In November 1583 Hunnis petitioned the Queen, Finally, after a year's delay, More had judgement in his favour against Evans: he was granted possession of the Blackfriars property in Easter term 1584, and the first Blackfriars Theatre was closed.

In January 1596 More sold part of his property in the Blackfriars for £600 to James Burbage, who turned it into the second Blackfriars Theatre. He received (as it appears) two further visits of the Queen at Loseley Park, in 1583 and again in 1591. In Parliament, More sat again as Knight of the Shire for Surrey in 1584 and 1586, as Member for Guildford in 1589, for the Shire again in 1593, and lastly for Guildford in 1597.

More died 20 July 1600. He was buried in the Loseley Chapel in St. Nicolas' Church, Guildford, where a monument depicts More, his second wife, Margaret Daniel, and their three children. His tomb was a large altar monument with recumbent figures in alabaster of Sir William and his wife Margaret, and was set up by his son Sir George More. Sir William was shown in armour, with a large sword and a long beard. A lengthy inscription is surmounted by two small statues, one of a youth blowing bubbles, and one of Time, with scythe and hour-glass.

Many letters and other documents concerning Sir William More have survived in the Loseley manuscripts. Among these are a series of letters from his servant Charles Bradshawe who was buying paintings from a painter, "Master Wanslee" in London, with frames and labels. Bradshaw asked the painter to copy portraits, including the queen's, owned by the Earl of Lincoln.

Marriages and issue More married first, before 12 June 1545, Mabel Dingley, the daughter of Mark or Marchion Dingley of Wolverton Manor, Shorwell, in the Isle of Wight. There was no issue of the marriage, and after her death More married, by 1551, Margaret Daniell, the daughter and heiress of Ralph Daniell of Swaffham, Norfolk, by Katherine Marrowe, by whom he had a son and two daughters: and secondly Constance Michell, daughter of John Michell the younger of Stammerham, near Horsham, Sussex. Sir George More had a son, Sir Robert More, and five daughters: Mary, who married Sir Nicholas Throckmorton, later Carew; Margaret, who married Sir Thomas Grimes; Frances, who married Sir John Oglander; Elizabeth, who married Sir John Mill; and Anne, who married the poet John Donne. Elizabeth More, who married first Richard Polstead (died 1576), secondly Sir John Wolley, and thirdly, Lord Chancellor Egerton. Anne More (died 1624), who married Sir George Mainwaring (died 5 May 1628) of Ightfield, Shropshire.