Sir Richard Blount, Kt., of Mapledurham

'BLOUNT, Sir Richard (d.1564), of Mapledurham, Oxon. and Dedisham, Suss.

Family and Education

'2nd s. but event. h. of Richard Blount† of Iver, Bucks. and Mapledurham by Elizabeth, da. and h. of William Delaford of Iver. m. by 1529 Elizabeth, da. of Sir Richard Lyster of Southampton, 2s. Michael and Richard Blount II 2da. Kntd. bet. Dec. 1550 and duly 1551.2

Offices Held

• Keeper of Caversham park July 1544; steward of Great Marlow manor Feb. 1545; gent. usher of privy chamber by 1537; j.p. Oxon. from 1537; collector of customs, Southampton 17 Oct. 1552-3; jt. (with Sir Francis Knollys) ld. Lt. Oxon. 1559-61; lt. of the Tower from 1560.3

Biography

The Blounts of Iver and Mapledurham were a cadet branch of the Mountjoy family, Blount himself acting as executor to Charles, 5th Lord Mountjoy, in 1544. After coming of age he played a fairly active part in local affairs, though his career lay mainly in the royal household, where he had probably been serving for some years before his name is first recorded as a gentleman usher. He was in high favour in the last years of Henry VIII and under Edward VI and, after lying low in Mary’s reign, became Elizabeth’s lieutenant of the Tower.4

Blount’s main estates were in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and his return as knight for the former county in 1563 reflects his local as well as his national position. He had a number of grants of local offices and lands in other parts of the kingdom, and his will, dated 23 May 1560, mentions lands in Buckinghamshire, Devon, Middlesex, Oxfordshire, Somerset and Sussex, purchased in the previous 20 years. Most of the lands descended to his elder son Michael, but he left Dedisham to his younger son Richard. He died on 11 Aug. 1564 and was buried in the Tower. A memorial to him is in the chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula there. His will was proved 26 Aug. by his widow.5

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: Roger Virgoe

Notes

• 1. Did not serve for the full duration of the Parliament.
• 2. PCC 20 Adeane; A. Croke, Gen. Hist. Croke Fam. ii. 257-9; CPR, 1550-3, p. 153; 1553 and App. Edw. VI, p. 357.
• 3. LP Hen. VIII, xiii(2), p. 499; xix(1), p. 622; xx(1), p. 124; Stowe 571, ff. 55, 60; CPR, 1553 and App. Edw. VI, p. 380; SP 12/12, f, 16.
• 4. Croke, 274; LP Hen. VIII, xix(1), pp. 153, 272; (2), p. 118; PCC 20 Adeane; APC, ii. 423, 428; iii. 166.
• 5. LP Hen. VIII, xix(1), p. 622; xx(1), p. 124; Stowe 571, ff. 55, 6od; PCC 25 Stevenson; CPR, 1563-6, p. 495; J. Bayley, Hist. Antiq. Tower of London (1821), 123.

From: http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/bl...

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From Extracts from the Family Trees of Charles Blount, 8th Lord Montjoy - Lord Deputy / Lieutenant of Ireland 1600-1604, and Oliver St. John, 1st Viscount Grandison - Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1615-1622:

http://www.riggs.org.uk/OldSite/IREBlount.htm

Parents:

• Father: Richard Blount of Iver, Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire (d 30.11.1508)
• Mother: Elizabeth (or Dorothy) de la Ford (dau of William de la Ford of Iver)

Sir Richard Blount of Maple Durham Gurney (d 09/11.08.1564)

Spouse:

• Eizabeth Lister (d 1582, dau of Sir Richard Lister, Chief Justice)

Children:

• 1. Sir Michael Blount of Maple Durham or Mapledurham, Sheriff of Buckinghamshire then Oxfordshire (b 1529, a 1597) m. Mary Moore (d 23.12.1592, sister of Thomas Moore of Bicester)
• 2. Sir Richard Blount m. Elizabeth West (d 1595, dau of Sir William West, 1st Lord De La War)
• 3. Elizabeth Blount m. Nicholas St. John of Lydiard Tregoze (d 1589)

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From Mapledurham House - A Short History:

http://www.mapledurham.co.uk/history/manorhouse/

The Blounts claim descent from a Norman family, Le Blond, who came over with William the Conqueror. Richard Blounts great-grandfather, Sir Walter who married Sanchia de Ayala, a Spanish noblewoman, was Henry IV's standard bearer at the Battle of Shrewsbury (1403); Shakespeare portrays his violent death in Henry IV, part 1. His son, Sir Thomas (d.1456), was Treasurer of Normandy in the early years of Henry V's reign; from his eldest son Sir Walter, 1st Lord Mountjoy (d.1474), sprang the line which ended so illustriously with the Earl of Devonshire (1563-1606). Richard Blount, purchaser of Mapledurham, was the son of Sir Thomas' second son.

His son Sir Richard (d.1564) who married Elizabeth Lister, daughter of the Lord Chief Justice, succeeded him; in 1558 he was appointed Lieutenant of the Tower of London, a post also held by his son Sir Michael (d.1610) (pictured left). Father and son lie beneath a splendid tomb in the Chapel Royal in the Tower.

From a description of St Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London, Tower Hill, London EC3:

http://www.touruk.co.uk/london_churches/stpeteradvincula_church1.htm

In the sanctuary there is an impressive monument to Sir Richard Blount, who died 1574, and his son Sir Michael, died 1596, both Tudor Lieutenants of the Tower who would have witnessed many of the executions.

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From the book "Tower of London", pg. 41 "St. Peter's Chapel":

http://books.google.com/books?id=mR8w7FRBZIQC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=L...

On the north side of the chancel is a handsome double monument to the memory of Sir Richard Blount and to his son Sir Michael; both these Blounts were Lieutenants of the Tower. Sir Richard, clothed in armour, is represented as praying; behind him kneel his two sons, whilst facing him, upon their knees, are Lady Blount and two daughters. Sir Richard died in 1564. Sir Michael, whose effigy, also clad in armour, was placed near that of his father 32 years later, and his family, consisting of his wife, three sons, and one daughter, are also devoutly kneeling. Below the Blount monument is a little inscription to the memory of Lyster Blount, a child of two years old: it ends with these hopeful words: "Here they all lye to expect ye coming of our sweet Saviour Jesu. Amen, Amen."

• _________________________________
• 'Richard Blount
• 'M, #54001, b. circa 1505, d. 11 August 1564
• Father Richard Blount b. c 1464, d. 30 Nov 1508
• Mother Elizabeth de la Ford b. c 1474
• ' Richard Blount was born circa 1505 at of Maple Durham, Oxfordshire, England. He married Elizabeth Lister, daughter of Sir Richard Lister, Chief Justice of England and Jane Shirley, circa 1554. Richard Blount died on 11 August 1564.
• 'Family Elizabeth Lister b. c 1530, d. 1570
• Child
  • Richard Blount, Esq. b. c 1555, d. bt 1618 - 1625
• From: http://our-royal-titled-noble-and-commoner-ancestors.com/p1797.htm#...
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• 'Sir Richard Blount1
• M, #244975
• Last Edited=18 Sep 2007
• ' Sir Richard Blount lived at Maple Durham, Oxfordshire, England.1
• 'Child of Sir Richard Blount
  • 1.Sir Richard Blount1
• Citations
• 1.[S37] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 1, page 1075. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 107th edition.
• From: http://www.thepeerage.com/p24498.htm#i244975
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