Richard Champernown

Sir Richard Champernown (also Champernowne ) (* around 1558; † June 1622 ) was an English nobleman and politician who was once elected as a member of the House of Commons .

Origin and youth

Richard Champernown was the eldest son of Henry Champernown and his wife Catherine Edgcumbe. His father was killed in France in 1570 when he was helping the Huguenots there as a volunteer in the Third Huguenot War. While Richard was a minor, his great-uncle Sir Arthur Champernowne took over the management of his inheritance. Champernown studied at the Middle Temple in London in 1575 .

Political activity

After Champernown came of age around 1579, he took over the management of his inheritance at Modbury in Devon . From about 1583 he was Justice of the Peace in Devon and in the general election in 1586 he was elected as a member of Parliament for the borough of West Looe in Cornwall . He probably owed this choice to the influence of Minister William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , and in addition Champernown in Cornwall had influential relatives like his uncle Peter Edgcumbe and friends like William Carnsew . In the general election in 1588 and in the subsequent elections, however, he did not run again. Instead he took on various local offices, such as that of the Sheriff of Devon from 1592 to 1593. From 1596 he was Deputy Lieutenant of Devon. In 1599 he was knighted.

Marriage and inheritance

In 1581 Champernown had married Elizabeth Popham († 1637), a daughter of the judge John Popham . The marriage remained childless. Champernown died in June 1622 without leaving a will. He was buried on June 28th. His property initially fell to his widow.

Champernown employed several boys as singers in his house. According to rumors, he had her castrated to prevent her voice from breaking.

Web links

• NMS: CHAMPERNOWN, Richard (c.1558-1622), of Modbury, Devon . (History of Parliament Online, Ref Volumes: 1558–1603)