Church of St John Maddermarket, Norwich, Norfolk, mural monument on wall of south aisle to w:Nicholas Sotherton (died 1540), Mayor of Norwich. He married Agnes Wright (d.1576) (Source: Farrer, Edmund, Church Heraldry of Norfolk, Vol 3 (1893) Lynn, Norwich, Thetford, Yarmouth , pp.69-70[1]). See also his monumental brass in same church (farrer, p.71): Quarterly : — 1 and 4, Sotherton ; 2 and 3, Hetherset. The inscription is gone. Blomefield, History of Norfolk recorded it thus: (Bl, Nor, vol.iv. p.291): " Here lieth the body of Master Nicholas Suttherton, latte Mayer and Aldeman of this Worschipfull Cite, which the nexte yere after that he was Mayer, descessit out of this transetorie lyfe, that was the yere of our Lord, 1640, the x day of Nov.'

Heraldry

Three shields:

• 1: Quarterly of 4:
  • 1&4: Argent, a fesse and in chief two crescents gules (Sotherton) (Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p.949 "Norwich; granted to Thomas Sotherton by Harvey, Clarenceux, 1562")
  • 2&3: Azure, a lion rampant guardant or (Hethersett)
• 2: Gules, a castle triple-towered argent in base a lion passant guardant or (City of Norwich)
• 3: Barry nebulée of six argent and azure, a chief quarterly gules and or on the first and fourth quarters a lion passant guardant of the fourth on the second and third quarters two roses gules barbed vert (The Merchant Adventurers, incorporated Edward I. 1296).

Inscription

Which may be translated: Read ye, a man and his wife Nicholas and Agnes, from the House of Sotherton, whom earth covers as one, June finished her on the 26th, November destroyed him on the Nones. He whom the year of our Lord fertilised the fortieth one thousand and five hundred ordered him to go to God. She added 38 years above to these which she saw all as a widow to go away ... He of this City was Mayor when he was living and the father not without praise twice of the capital sex (i.e. of male issue (two sons)). With equal .. lying down six births and little girls four to his wife he ...

Wikipedia text

Nicholas Sotherton (died 1540), of Norwich, Norfolk, was an English politician. He was a Grocer, Alderman and Mayor of Norwich 1539–40. In the chancel of St. John the Baptist's Church in Madder-Market, Norwich: Here lieth buried the Body of master Nicholas Sutherton, latte Mayer and Alderman of this Worschipfull Cite, whiche the nexte yere after that he was Mayer, discessid out of this transeitorie Lyfe, that was the yere of our Lord 1540, the x Day of Nov. On whose Soule say yow, Jesu have Mercy, For as he is so schall ye be.

Sotherton, arg. a fess, in chief two crescents gul. impaling Hetherset, az. a lion rampant guardant or.

The monument is still extant. He and his wife Agnes (d.1576) had six sons and five daughters. Children of Nicholas Sotherton and Agnes Wright:

• Thomas Sotherton, (by 1525 – 1583), Member of Parliament for Norwich in 1558 and 1559 and mayor of the city in 1565–66,[5] m. Elizabeth, the daughter of Augustine Steward, mercer, alderman and Mayor of Norwich, and had four sons and four daughters[5]
• George Sotherton, m. Elizabeth, at least one son, five daughters[1]
• John Sotherton of Norwich, gentleman, m. Mary Steward, daughter of Augustine Steward,[5] and had Mary Sotherton, John Sotherton, Thomas Sotherton and Anne Sotherton.[6] His brother Thomas was married to Mary's sister Elizabeth Steward, a double marriage between the two families.
• (Probably) Nicholas Sotherton, Sheriff of Norwich in 1572, the author of the only known surviving eye-witness account of Kett's Rebellion, The Commoyson in Norfolk, 1549.[7] He is described as being 'son of a Norwich mayor'.
• Elizabeth Sotherton, who married John Aldrich (by 1520 – 1582), Member of Parliament for Norwich in 1555 and 1572 and mayor of the city in 1570–71[8]