CHARACTERS FROM CHESTER - STARTING "F"

BY PHILLIP E JONES

[Ferdinando], [F H Crossley], [Francis Gamull], [Francis Gell], [Francis Talbot], [Fulk Aldersey], [Fulk Dutton]

Ferdinando (the Lord Strange)

He was elected as a city Alderman in 1586. As Lord Derby he was approached by an agent called Hesketh in 1593, who was acting on behalf of Philip of Spain who was opposed to the English monarch Elizabeth I. They were thought to have offered Ferdinando, the crown of England in return for his support in helping to depose Elizabeth. Instead, he arrested Hesketh and transported him to London, where he was tried, convicted and executed for his treachery.  

F H Crossley

He was the designer of the hammer beam roof in the Refectory of the city’s cathedral, which was built in 1939.

Francis Gamull

Francis Gell

In 1698, Gell was reported to have put forward plans to reinvigorate Chester’s dwindling medieval port. As with other plans and proposals that were submitted on other occasions, these plans received little backing from the city authorities and were not adopted

Francis Talbot (the 5th Earl of Shrewsbury)

The Talbot family were reported to be the “Sergeants” of Chester’s ancient Bridge Gate and were responsible for collecting the taxes and tolls which were attached to that post. The family home in Chester was the “Bear and Billet” in Lower Bridge Street. John Talbot was created a peer by King Henry VI in 1442, thus becoming the first Earl of Shrewsbury.

Francis Talbot, who was the 5^th Earl, survived the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I. He had succeeded to the title following the death of his father in 1538 and before his own death in 1560 had risen to become one of the most powerful and wealthy men in England.

Fulk Aldersey

He was a member of the wealthy and, landed Aldersey family who was Mayor of Chester three times and whose later term of office was disrupted by the large number of soldiers that mustered in Chester, prior to their departure for Ireland.

In reaction to their unruly behaviour, Aldersey arranged for a Gibbet to be erected at the city’s High Cross and imprisoned a number of soldiers, prior to them being punished as an example to their comrades. Fortunately for the miscreants, the intervention of their officers saved them from serious harm and they were quickly shipped out of the city.

Fulk Dutton

A leading city draper and property owner who donated one of his properties in the city’s Northgate Street which enabled the extension of Chester’s St Peter’s church around 1530. Dutton was recorded as having been Mayor of Chester in both 1537 and 1548.

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