Richard Bunny (died 1584) facts for kids

Richard Bunny (born by 1525 – died 1584) was an English politician who lived in Wakefield, Yorkshire. He was known for his work in the English Parliament and for managing his family's lands.

Family Life and Education

Richard Bunny was the son of Richard Bunny and Rose Topcliffe. His mother was the only daughter of Sir John Topcliffe, who was a very important judge in Ireland. Richard studied law at Gray's Inn, which was a famous place for legal education in London, starting in 1538.

He married Bridget Restwold, and they had three sons. Two of his sons were named Richard and Edmund Bunny. The younger Richard also became a Member of Parliament, just like his father. Edmund became a vicar, which is a type of priest, in a place called Bolton Percy.

Richard Bunny wanted his eldest son, Edmund, to follow in his footsteps and become a lawyer. However, Edmund chose to join the Church instead. Because of this, Richard decided to leave most of his land to his younger son, Richard, rather than Edmund. In his will, he explained that he didn't have any bad feelings towards Edmund for his choice.

His Career and Challenges

Richard Bunny served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for different areas in England. He was an MP for Bramber in 1547 and for Boroughbridge in 1559. He also held several important jobs for the government, including being the Treasurer of Berwick-upon-Tweed from 1550 to 1554.

During his time as Treasurer, Richard faced some serious accusations about how he handled money. He always said he was innocent of these claims. Because of these issues, he left his job and went away from England for a while. He said he was leaving because he was a strong Protestant, and he felt unsafe during the reign of Queen Mary, who was Catholic.

When Elizabeth I became Queen, Richard Bunny returned to England and continued his political work. A lot of his time was spent buying and managing land. He also often had legal disagreements with his neighbors, even over small things like where someone could put a seat in the local church.

Richard Bunny passed away on April 30, 1584, at his son Edmund's home in Bolton Percy. In his will, he explained that he didn't leave land to Edmund because he felt his own past financial troubles had made the estates difficult to manage. He didn't want to burden Edmund with these problems. He also used his will to again state that he was innocent of the accusations made against him when he was Treasurer of Berwick many years before.

Images for kids

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  All Saints Church, Bolton Percy, where Bunny's son Edmund was a vicar.