RICHARD, William, of Lelant, Cornw.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421, ed. J.S. Roskell, L. Clark, C. Rawcliffe., 1993
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

May 1421
Dec. 1421

Family and Education

gds. of John Berchampstede of Callington, Cornw.

Offices Held

Biography

In 1407 Richard acquired three messuages and some 200 acres of land in Penryn, Goldwest and Gwarder in west Cornwall, and he later filed a suit in Chancery against two Cornishmen who refused to hand over muniments relating to the same property. But he seems to have lived mainly at Lelant near St. Ives.1

Richard is recorded acting as an attorney in the King’s bench on several occasions from 1410 onwards, and through his legal practice he established important contacts among the gentry of Cornwall. In April 1410 he is mentioned as being the ‘guardian’ of William, 3rd Lord Botreaux, as such conducting the young man’s case in a suit with his grandmother over her dower portion of the manor of Upton Meoles in Berkshire. Twice in 1416 he provided securities in Chancery (in bonds for a total of £140) promising to bring one Walter Wylby or Willi to court when summoned to do so. Although not himself elected to the Parliament of 1419, it was he who as ‘of Furnyvalesyn’ (Furnival’s Inn in London) was made responsible for delivering the Cornish electoral returns to the clerk of the Parliaments. He often came into close contact with other parliamentary burgesses for the Cornish boroughs: in the same year he was associated with Thomas Beville I* as co-recipient of land in the parishes of Sancreed and Morvah; he witnessed deeds on behalf of John Fursdon* in 1424 and for John Polruddon in 1429; and in 1431 he agreed to act as executor of the will of John Trereise*. Richard also developed business interests in London: it was there that in the 1430s he brought several actions for debt.2

Richard is last recorded in March 1445 when, calling himself William Richard ‘otherwise Newland’ he conveyed to Nicholas Aysshton*, j.c.p. (who had been his fellow Member for Helston 20 years earlier), property in Callington in east Cornwall, which had once belonged to his grandfather.3

Ref Volumes: 1386-1421

Author: L. S. Woodger

Notes

  • 1. Cornw. Feet of Fines (Devon and Cornw. Rec. Soc. 1950), 866; C1/32/151.
  • 2. CCR, 1409-13, p. 33; 1413-19, pp. 298, 376; 1422-9, pp. 119, 142, 463; KB27/597, rot. attorneys, 602 m. 23d, 606 m. 32, 610, rot. attorneys, 617, rot. attorneys, 622 m. 94; C219/12/3; Cornw. Feet of Fines, 935; CPR, 1429-36, pp. 93, 94, 318; PCC 15 Luffenham.
  • 3. CCR, 1441-7, pp. 282, 290.