Richard Platt (brewer)

Richard Platt (died 28 November 1600) was an English brewer of the City of London, who served as Sheriff of London, and founded Aldenham School and almshouses in his home village in Hertfordshire.

For others, see Richard Platt (disambiguation).

Life

Little is known of Platt’s early life, except that he was the son of Hugh Platt, of Aldenham, and was apprenticed to a London brewer.[1] He later became a master brewer of the Worshipful Company of Brewers.[2]

In 1591, Platt was appointed as a governor of Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet, and was then a citizen of London who had served as Sheriff of London. [1]

In 1596, Queen Elizabeth I gave Platt letters patent to build at Aldenham a "Free Grammar School and Almshouses", and a foundation stone was laid in 1597,[3] at Boyden’s Hill, Aldenham.[4] By a deed dated 18 January 1599, Platt endowed two charities, the grammar school and six almshouses,[1] with land at Aldenham and some twenty acres of pasture at St Pancras, and woodland there, placing the endowments in the care of the Worshipful Company of Brewers.[4]

Platt’s son Hugh Platt had been educated at St John's College, Cambridge, and Platt gave instructions that when there was a vacancy for a Master of the grammar school, the college was to nominate three Masters of Arts, from whom the Brewers' Company would appoint one. He also provided a house, with a garden and orchard, and a salary to go with the position of £20 a year,[5] equivalent to £4,492 in 2019.

Platt died on 28 November 1600[1] and was buried on 4 December at St James Garlickhythe, London.[6]

In his will, Platt provided for the Brewers’ Company to pay the boys of his new grammar school beer money, as the water was not safe to drink.[2] Pupils at Aldenham School continue to visit Brewers' Hall once a year to receive £5.[2]

Wife and descendants

Platt married Alice, a daughter of John Birchells, of Birchells, Leicestershire. His children included Sir Hugh Platt, an author, of Kirby Castle, Bethnal Green, and William Platt (died 1637), of Highgate, the founder of fellowships at St John's College, Cambridge.[1]

Arms
Arms of Platt, now used by
Aldenham School

Platt's coat of arms was blazoned or fretty sable plattée, with a crest of a demi-lion rampant proper holding in the paws a plate.[1]

Notes
  1. "PLATT, Richard, gent." in Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archæological Society, Vol. 5 (Bishopsgate Institute, 1881), p. 74
  2. Emma Hutchings "The school of beer drinking", Borehamwood & Elstree Times, 18 May 2006, accessed 4 February 2021
  3. "Aldenham" in William Page (ed.), A History of the County of Hertford, Vol. 2 (Victoria County History, 1908), pp. 149–161, archived 2 February 2009 at archive.org
  4. Nicholas Carlisle, "ALDENHAM near Watford" in A Concise Description of the Endowed Grammar Schools in England, Vol. 1 (Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, 1818), p. 528
  5. Richard Platt, Alderman in Alfred Freer Torry, Founders and benefactors of St. John's college, Cambridge (Cambridge: W. Metcalfe & Son, 1888), p. 14
  6. Parish Register of St James Garlickhythe, p. 96 ancestry.co.uk, accessed 4 February 2021 (subscription required)
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