Peter Seaman (mayor)

[1] He was the son of Thomas Seaman of the parish of Heigham,[1] now part of the western suburbs of Norwich, also a brewer, who served as High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1688.

In pursuit of this honour he had obtained the support of the influential Norfolk gentleman Colonel Horace Walpole, MP, who in 1710 wrote on his behalf to Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (1702–1710), first minister of Queen Anne: The Norwich people are very desirous that Colonel Seaman should be knighted and when I told them that it would be objected that he was a brewer, 'twas answered that worse than he that had not one half of his estate had been knighted ... he has actually £2,000 per annum besides his stock in trade, which is considerable.

[1] He worshipped at the Church of St Gregory in Norwich, the 1712 churchwarden accounts for which record that he had "new lined his pew on the north side of the chancel part of the nave", where his mayoral irons, inscribed "Sir P. S.", were placed.

[1] He died in 1715, aged 53, and was buried in the Church of St Gregory, Pottergate, Norwich, near the north chancel door.

[1] It is inscribed in Latin as follows:[3] P(erpetuae) M(emoriae) S(acrum) Petri Seaman Equitis Aurati Cuius exuviae hic juxta sitae sunt.

The formal objective is "to provide grants for the promotion of education, including social and physical training, of young persons of the City of Norwich who are under the age of 21 and who, in the opinion of the Trustees, are in need of financial assistance".