Homepage

Record

Authorised form of namePlayer; Sir; Thomas (- 1686); merchant and politician
Dates - 1686
NationalityBritish
Date of death14 January 1686
DatesAndPlacesBurial:
Hackney, London, England, Europe (20 January 1686)
ActivityCareer:
Captain (1642), subsequently Colonel of the Yellow Regiment of the trained bands; Colonel of the White Auxiliary Regiment of Militia (1660); Commissioner for Assessment for Middlesex (1661-1680), and for London (1673-1680); Deputy Lieutenant of London (1662-1677); Leader of the Honourable Artillery Company (1669-1677); Assistant, Royal Africa Company (1672-1675); Lieutenant-Colonel, afterwards Colonel, Orange Regiment of Milita (1672-1677); Chamberlain of London (1672-1683); Commissioner for Recusants for Middlesex (1675); MP for the City of London (1678-1681); Commissioner for Disbandment (1679); fined 500 marks for participating in a riot at the election of sheriffs (1682)
Honours:
Kt 1660
Memberships:
Haberdashers' Company (1659)
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election27/11/1673
ProposerSeth Ward
Date of ejection or withdrawal22 July 1685
Other Royal Society activityProposed on 20 November 1673;
Admitted on 1 December 1673;
Expelled due to non-payment of arrears
RelationshipsParents: Sir Thomas Player and Rebecca Player
Married: Joyce Kendall
OtherInfoPlayer was vocally opposed to a Catholic succession to the throne and as a member of parliament also sat on the committee to investigate the 'Popish Plot'. This did not facilitate a reconciliation with the Duke of York in 1685, when his estate was temporarily seized.

Player was also an assistant in the Royal African Company (RAC). The RAC was a British trading company established by Royal Charter in 1660 which enslaved and sold African people. The company was chartered by Charles II, the founding royal Patron of the Royal Society, which was also chartered in 1660. The RAC was made up of and funded by members of the Stuart royal family and London merchants many of whom were, or went on to become, Fellows of the Royal Society. The Royal Society itself held shares in the company from 1682 until 1699. The RAC held a monopoly on English trade on the west coast of Africa. The principal interest of the company was originally gold and secondarily other natural resources. The Company's second charter in 1663 mentions trade in enslaved people, who were mainly sold into slavery on British owned estates in the West Indies and America.
SourceSources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB (father's entry); Henning; ODNB
Virtual International Authority Filehttp://viaf.org/viaf/62949523
CodeNA3498
Add to My Items
    Papers of Colin Pillinger

    Papers of Colin Pillinger

    Useful Links

    Collection highlights

    Browse the records of some of our collections, which cover all branches of science and date from the 12th century onwards. These include the published works of Fellows of the Royal Society, personal papers of eminent scientists, letters and manuscripts sent to the Society or presented at meetings, and administrative records documenting the Society's activities since our foundation in 1660.

    The mammals of Australia
    The mammals of Australia
    Papers of Robert Boyle
    Papers of Robert Boyle
    Early Letters
    Early Letters
    New Letter Books
    New Letter Books
    Browse Collections

    The Royal Society

    The Royal Society is a Fellowship of many of
    the world's most eminent scientists and is the
    oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.
    Registered charity number 207043

    Website design ©CalmView



    CONTACT US

    + 44 207 451 2500
    (Lines open Mon-Fri, 9:00-17:00. Excludes bank holidays)

    6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG

    Email Us →

    SUBSCRIBE

    Subscribe to our newsletters to be updated with the
    latest news on innovation, events, articles and reports.

    Subscribe →

    © CalmView