Hamersley's family estate was at Pyrton Manor near Oxford, but he rose to prominence in London as a businessman.

6 NOV 1597 He married Marie (Mary) Dereham

• daughter of Baldwin Dereham and Margaret nee Hethe,
• at the Church of St. Mary Magdalen*, Milk Street, London.

(*later destroyed in the Great Fire of London, 1666)

Sir Hugh Hamersley was the Lord Mayor of London 1627, after which he was knighted by King Charles I. [Source: A History of the Office of the Lord Mayor of London: The office of the Lord Mayor of London was instituted in 1189. Each Lord Mayor is elected for a 1 year term and, by custom, does not usually serve more than once although there have been a number of Lord Mayors that have served more than one term]

Portrait and copy of Coat of Arms in Haberdashers Hall, London.

Sir Hugh was also

• Eldest Alderman and First Colonel of the City of London 1619-1633,
• President of Christ's Hospital Charitable School (1634),
• President of the Artillery Garden (now the Honourable Artillery Company).
• During the 1620s he was on the board of several merchant companies, including Governor of the Company of Russia Mercants
• and those of the Levant, Spain, E. India, France and Virginia.
• Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.

The Second Virginia Charter - May 23, 1609 - signed by Sir Hugh Hamersley

UK, Extracted Probate Records

• Text: Dereham, Derham, Nich., d. overseas. To Hugh Hamerslie, cred., 1606 , p. 42.
• Book: Index to Acts of Administration in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury 1596 - 1608 (Acts of Administration)
• Collection: England: Canterbury - Administrations in The Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1596-1608

After his death a memorial was erected by his widow in the church of St Andrew Undershaft, London. and his Tomb and monument 1637. In his will, Hugh left £50 to buy bread for the poor, but only £35 was left over after his debts were paid. Mary made up the difference in 1640. 

Sir Hugh Hamersley has been the topic of some controversy. The subject of the controversy is the Asbourne Portrait, allegedly of Shakespeare, but suggested to actually be of Sir Hugh himself. The following links relate to this issue.

       * http://www.shakespeare-oxford.com/ashbour2.htm

       * http://shakespeareauthorship.com/ashbourne.html

       * http://www.shakespearefellowship.org/Newsletter/Ashbourne-Part_II_Winter_2002.pdf 

       *  The Ashbourne Portrait of Shakespeare: Through the Looking Glass, by William L. Pressly, Shakespeare Quarterly, 1993, pp. 54-72.  

The Hamersley coat of arms was given to Hugh Hamersley.

More information can be sought at Oxford University: Bodleian Library, Western Manuscripts - Record Reference MDD SS Ducat Hamersley.

• This covers 1439-1891:
• title deeds 1663-1882,
• estate papers 1439-1891 - Pyrton Manor
• family and personal papers 1834-89