Richard Becon facts for kids

Richard Becon or Beacon was an English official and lawyer who worked in Ireland around 1594. He was also a writer who focused on political topics. He is most famous for his book called Solon his follie, which was about how Ireland should be governed.

Early Life and Education

Richard Becon was born in Suffolk, England. We don't know much about his parents. He went to St. John's College at Cambridge University in 1567. He earned his first degree (Bachelor of Arts) in 1571 and his master's degree (Master of Arts) in 1575.

After university, he studied law at Gray's Inn in London starting in 1577. He became a lawyer in 1585, which meant he was officially allowed to practice law.

Working in Ireland

In 1586, Richard Becon was given an important job in Ireland. He became the Queen's lawyer for the area called Munster. His yearly pay was about £17. As the Queen's lawyer, he was automatically a member of the Council that helped the Lord President of Munster govern the region. However, Becon and the Lord President often disagreed.

Becon's main job was to manage land grants from the Crown (the Queen's government). He helped decide who would get land. He also received land grants himself in County Cork and County Waterford. He then rented these lands to other English settlers. When English settlers like Becon got land, it often meant that the Irish people who lived there before lost their homes. This was a common practice during the Plantation of Munster, which was when the English government encouraged English people to settle in Ireland. This often led to legal disputes and sometimes even fighting.

Becon was known for being a bit difficult to get along with. He often argued with other English settlers and even with important government officials. For example, he had problems with Sir Nicholas Walsh, who was a judge, and Sir Thomas Norris, the Lord President of Munster, who even had Becon put in prison for a short time.

Later, Becon was fired from his job by Sir William FitzWilliam, who was the Lord Deputy of Ireland (the Queen's main representative). Becon's relationship with FitzWilliam had always been very bad. By 1591, someone else had taken over his job as the Queen's lawyer in Munster. Even though he was no longer living in Ireland, records from 1611 still show him as a landowner there. He was known to be in Dublin in 1595, working in a smaller official role.

Compared to many other English settlers at the time, Becon had a somewhat milder view of the native Irish people. For example, his boss, Jesse Smythes, the Chief Justice of Munster, refused to have any Irish tenants on his lands, but Becon was not as strict.

Solon his Follie

Richard Becon wrote a political book about Ireland called Solon his follie; or a politique discourse touching the reformation of common weales conquered, declined, or corrupted. It was published in Oxford in 1594.

The book is dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I. It is written as a conversation between three famous ancient Greek figures: Solon, Epimenides, and Pisistratus. They discuss what policies Athens (which represents England) should use when dealing with Salamina (which represents Ireland).

In this book, Becon suggests that the English government should use strong measures to try and get rid of Irish national feelings. He used ideas from other famous writers like Jean Bodin, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Francesco Guicciardini, as well as military ideas from Matthew Sutcliffe.