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Family and Education
b. c. 1588,E. Calamy, A Pattern For All (1658), title page, claims he was 70 at d., while in Aug. 1619, at the time of his father’s i.p.m., he was said to be older than 30: C142/384/165. CP claims, without revealing its authority, that he was born in May or June 1587. 1st s. of Robert, 3rd Bar. Rich (Robert Rich†) and 1st earl of Warwick and his 1st w. Penelope, da. of Walter Devereux, 1st earl of Essex; bro. of Henry*. educ. Eton c.1602-3; Emmanuel, Camb. 1603, MA 1624, incorp. Oxf. 1624; I. Temple 1605. Eton Coll. Reg. comp. W. Sterry, 279 (we are grateful to Mr. Christopher Thompson for this information; Al. Cant.; CITR, ii. 10. m. (1) 12 Feb. 1605, Frances (d. Nov. 1623), da. and h. of Sir William Hatton alias Newport† of Holdenby, Northants., 4s. (1 d.v.p.) 4da. (1 d.v.p.); Her. et Gen. v. 445, 449; D. Lysons, Environs of London, ii. 483-4; Chamberlain Letters ed. N.E. McClure, ii. 527; CSP Dom. 1637, p. 308. (2) aft. 12 Mar. but bef. 7 Nov. 1625, Susan (bur. 21 Jan. 1646), da. of Sir Henry Rowe of Shacklewell, Mdx., Mercer and ld. mayor of London 1607-8, wid. of William Halliday (d.1624), Mercer, alderman of London and gov. of E.I. Co. 1621-4, ?s.p.; Chamberlain Letters, ii. 605; C2/Chas.I/M14/16; Ld. Mayors and Sheriffs of London comp. G.E. Cokayne, 32, 35; St. Lawrence Jewry, London (Harl. Soc. Reg. lxx), 155. (3) 30 Mar. 1646, Eleanor (d. 20 Jan. 1667), da. of Richard Wortley of Wortley, Yorks., wid. of Sir Henry Lee, 1st bt. (d.1631) of Quarendon, Bucks. and Edward, 6th earl of Sussex (Sir Edward Radcliffe*, d.1643), ?s.p. Her. et Gen. v. 446-7; CP (earl of Warwick). cr. KB 25 July 1603; Shaw, Knights of Eng. i. 154. styled. Lord Rich 1618; suc. fa. as 2nd earl of Warwick 1619. d. 18 or 19 Apr. 1658. 18 Apr.: Leics. RO, DG7/2/1/20, p. 11; English Rev. III: Newsbooks 5 ed. G.E. Aylmer et al., xvii. 187; Smyth’s Obit. ed. H. Ellis (Cam. Soc. xliv), 46; 19 Apr.: Calamy (title page); T. Crofton Croker, Autobiog. of Mary, Countess of Warwick (Percy Soc.), 15. sig. Ro[bert] Riche.
Offices Held

Freeman, Maldon, Essex 1610, Southampton, Hants 1626; Essex RO, D/B 3/1/19, f. 33; HMC 11th Rep. iii. 24. commr. repair of highways and bridges, Essex 1615-at least 1622; C181/2, f. 225v; 181/3, f. 68v. j.p. Essex 1617 – 27, 1628 – at least38, 1640 – 42, 1644 – 53, 1654 – d., Northants. 1617 – at least25, 1628 – at least50, Suff. 1626–?, 1628-at least 1650, Mdx. and Norf. 1628-at least 1650; C231/4, ff. 45, 207, 228, 259–61; 231/5, ff. 419, 530, 533; C193/13/2; HMC 10th Rep. iv. 502–9; T. Rymer, Foedera, viii. pt. 2, pp. 8, 11–12; Names of JPs (1650), pp. 21, 34, 38, 40, 52; Essex Q. Sess. Order Bk. 1652–61 ed. D.H. Allen, xxxix. A report that he was ousted from the Essex commn. of the peace in Sept. 1626 was false: T. Birch, Ct. and Times of Chas. I, i. 149. commr. survey, L. Inn Fields, Mdx. 1618, Rymer, vii. pt. 3, p. 82. sewers, highways and bridges, Essex 1618, Chipping Ongar to Ilford bridge, Essex 1620, Essex, Mdx. and Kent 1622 – at least25, Canvey Is., Fobbing, Mucking and Corringham, Essex 1627 – at least34, Rainham bridge to Mucking mill, Essex 1627 – at least44, Dengie and Rochford hundreds, Essex 1633 – at least54, R. Blackwater, Essex 1634, Gt. Fens 1635 – 39, Stepney marshes, Mdx. 1639, Essex and Kent 1642, Lincs. and Notts. 1642, R. Lea, Essex, Herts. and Mdx. 1645 – at least57, Essex 1645, Mdx. 1645, C181/2, f. 318v; 181/3, ff. 19, 42v, 152, 158v, 218v, 233; 181/4, ff. 137v, 150; 181/5, ff. 9, 101, 142, 222v, 227v, 245, 249, 252, 262; 181/6, pp. 64, 221. oyer and terminer, Midland circ. 1618 – at least42, Norf. circ. 1618 – at least41, Home circ. 1618-at least 1642, C181/2, ff. 314, 316; 181/5, ff. 199v, 219v, 221v. Mdx. 1621-at least 1645, C181/3, f. 20v; 181/5, f. 246. London 1621 – 27, 1629-at least 1641, C181/3, ff. 20v, 211, 234v; 181/4, f. 15v; 181/5, f. 214. Newgate 1621, Essex 1621-at least 1645, C181/3, ff. 22v, 28v; 181/5, f. 254. charitable uses 1619 – 20, 1629 – at least30, 1641; C93/8/5; C192/1, unfol. v. adm. Essex 1620-at least 1649; HCA 30/820, nos. 3, 46; CSP Dom. 1649–50, p. 206. commr. subsidy, Essex 1621 – 22, 1624, C212/22/20–1, 23. survey Tiptree Heath, Essex 1623; C181/3, f. 95. ld. lt. Essex 1625–6 (jt.), 1629–42 (jt.), 1642–? (sole), Norf. 1642–?; Sainty, Lords Lieutenants, 20; A. and O. i. 1–2. commr. to compound for provisions, Essex 1625, Forced Loan 1626–7, Maynard Ltcy. Bk. 1608–39 ed. B.W. Quintrell, 318; Bodl. Firth C4, p. 593. gaol delivery, Newgate 1626 – 27, 1629-at least 1641, C181/3, ff. 211, 234v; 181/4, f. 33v; 181/5, f. 214. liberty and town of Bury St. Edmunds, Suff. 1644, Essex 1645; C181/5, ff. 233, 254. recorder, Warwick, Warws. 1628–41; P. Styles, ‘Corporation of Warwick, 1660–1835’, Trans. Birmingham Arch. Soc. lix. 24. commr. knighthood fines, Essex 1630-at least 1632, E178/5287, ff. 4, 9, 13. swans, Staffs. and Warws. 1635, Suff. and Essex 1635; C181/4, f. 199v; 181/5, f. 28. gov. Charterhouse hosp. London 1641–50; G.S. Davies, Charterhouse in London, 853; LMA, Acc/1876/G/02, f. 113v. commr. perambulation of Waltham Forest, Essex 1641; C181/5, f. 208. kpr. Hyde Park, Mdx. 1648. LJ, x. 524b.

Member, Virg. Co. 1612 – 24, cttee. c. 1619; member, Somers Is. Co. 1615, gov. c. 1627 – c.54; member, Africa Co. 1618, Amazon River Co. 1620, E.I. Co. 1628, Providence Is. Co. 1630, Bahamas Co. 1630; cttee. Council for New Eng. 1620, pres. by 1630-at least 1632. CSP Col. 1574–1660, pp. 17, 25, 123; CSP Col. E.I. 1625–9, p. 600; Select Charters of Trading Cos. ed. C.T. Carr (Selden Soc. xxviii), 99; A. Brown, Genesis of US, 543, 796–7, 981; Recs. Virg. Co. ed. S.M. Kingsbury, iii. 332; iv. 20, 80; Procs. of American Antiquarian Soc. 1867, pp. 64, 84, 97, 108.

Member, Sir Henry Wotton’s* embassy to Savoy 1612. Life and Letters of Sir Henry Wotton ed. L. Pearsall Smith, ii. 2.

Adm. privateering expedition 1627, CSP Dom. 1627–8, p. 98. summer guard 1642 – 44, winter guard 1642 – 43, fleet 1648; LJ, v. 174a; Docs. relating to Civil War 1642–8 ed. J.R. Powell and E.K. Timings (Navy Recs. Soc. cv), 8, 42, 69, 138, 374. capt.-gen. of forces about London 22 Oct. 1642–22 Nov. 1642; LJ, v. 415b, 454a. ld. warden of Cinque Ports by 1643–9; CSP Dom. 1641–3, p. 477; A. and O. ii. 13. ld. high adm. 1643 – 45, 1648–9; LJ, vi. 330a-b; x. 290b-291a; CSP Dom. 1649–50, p. 9. gov. and ld. high adm. of plantations in W. Indies 1643-at least 1646; A. and O. i. 331, 840. member, admlty. cttee. 1645–8; N.A.M. Rodger, The Safeguard of the Sea, 422, 425, 508. gov. Guernsey and Jersey 1645–7; LJ, vii. 599b; viii. 495a-b, 506a. cdr., Eastern Assoc. 1645. Ibid. vii. 555b.

Commr. swans, Eng. 1628, C181/3, f. 267. execution of poor laws 1632, PC2/42, f. 54. treaty with Scots 1640, regency 1641; Rymer, ix. pt. 3, pp. 35, 61. PC 1641; PC2/53, p. 126. member, cttee. of both kingdoms 1644, Derby House cttee. 1648. CJ, iii. 392b; CSP Dom. 1648–9, p. 1.

Speaker, House of Lords 15 Nov. 1642, 16–17 and 29 Feb. 1648. LJ, v. 447a; x. 44b, 46b, 78b.

Elder, Essex classis 1646. H. Smith, ‘Presbyterian Organisation of Essex’, Essex Review, xxviii. 16.

Parlimentarian
RICH, Sir Robert (c.1588-1658), of Wallington, Norf., Hackney, Mdx. and Allington House, Holborn, Mdx.; later of Leez Priory, Essex
Main residences: Wallington, Norf.; Hackney, Mdx.; Allington House, Holborn, Mdx.; Leez Priory, Essex.
Author
A.D.T.
Volume
Commons 1604-1629
Web Title

RICH, Sir Robert (c.1588-1658)

Will
Estates
Oxford 1644
No
Addresses
Religion
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