Thomas Tesdale

Infobox Person
name = Thomas Tesdale


caption =
birth_date = 1547
birth_place = Stanford Dingley, Berkshire
spouse = Maud Stone
death_date = 13 June 1610
death_place = Glympton, Oxfordshire
other_names =
known_for = Benefactor of Abingdon School and Pembroke College
occupation = Malter, Woed Dyer
nationality =

Thomas Tesdale (1547-1610) was an English maltster, benefactor of the town of Abingdon in the English county of Berkshire (now Oxfordshire) and the primary founding financier of Pembroke College, Oxford.

Thomas was born in Stanford Dingley in Berkshire, the son of Thomas Tesdale (1507–1556), farmer and trader, and his second wife, Joan (d. 1548). Following his father's death Tesdale was brought up by his uncle, Richard Tesdale, a saddler who lived in Abingdon, and was the first scholar admitted to John Roysse's Free School in Abingdon (now Abingdon School).

By the age of twenty he had taken over the malt-making side of the family business and in June 1567 married Maud (1545–1616). None of their children survived infancy. He became weathly as maltster in Abingdon, and he served as master of Christ's Hospital. In 1581 he was elected mayor, but did not serve his term as he had left the borough when he purchased the manor of Ludwell in Oxfordshire. Soon after 1586 he moved to Glympton near Woodstock, Oxfordshire, where he rented the manor house and successfully engaged in the production of woad for dyeing, in addition to other agricultural enterprises. He died at Glympton on 13 June 1610 and was buried at Glympton church, where he was commemorated by a black marble tombstone with a brass figure and inscription. Following his widow's death in 1616 a fine alabaster monument to husband and wife was erected close by his original tombstone.

He left no children when he died, but bequests from his will, dated 31 May 1610, gave £5,000 for the education of seven fellows and six scholars from from Abingdon School at Balliol College, Oxford. In 1623, this money was augmented by Rev Richard Wightwick of East Ilsley and used instead for the transformation of Broadgates Hall into Pembroke College, named after the Chancellor, William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke.

References and External links

* H. Savage, "Balliofergus, or, A commentary upon the foundation, founders, and affaires, of Balliol colledge", (1668)
* D. Macleane, "A history of Pembroke College, Oxford, OHS, 33" (1897)
* [http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/ttesdale.html Royal Berkshire History: Thomas Tesdale]