Richard Duke (1652–1733) facts for kids
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Richard VI Duke (1652–1733) was an important person who owned a large estate called the manor of Otterton in Devon, England. He was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for the town of Ashburton four times. He served in Parliament in 1679, 1695, 1698, and 1701. Being an MP meant he helped make laws and represent his area.
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Who Was Richard Duke?
Richard VI Duke was born in 1652. His father was Richard V Duke, who also owned the Otterton estate. His mother was Frances Southcott. Her family came from a place called Buckland-Tout-Saints.
Richard Duke's Family Life
Richard Duke was married two times. His marriages were important for his family's future.
First Marriage and Family Plans
Richard Duke first married Isabella Yonge. She was the daughter of Sir Walter Yonge, 2nd Baronet, who was also an MP. Richard and Isabella had one daughter named Elizabeth Duke. She was expected to inherit everything.
In 1705, Elizabeth was planned to marry Robert Rolle. He was also an MP and came from a very wealthy family. The Rolle family owned large estates nearby, like Stevenstone and Bicton. This marriage was meant to join two of the biggest land-owning families in Devon. It would have made their combined estates even larger and easier to manage.
However, Elizabeth and Robert did not have any children. This meant the plan to combine the estates through this marriage did not work out. The Rolle family still wanted to own Otterton. They tried to arrange other marriages between the two families, but these also failed.
How Otterton Manor Changed Hands
The Rolle family finally bought the Otterton estate in 1786. Denys Rolle paid a very large sum of £72,000 for it. He bought it from the family of the last Robert Duke. This Robert Duke had married Denys Rolle's sister, Isabella Charlotte Rolle, but they also had no children.
Second Marriage and Young Children
Richard Duke's second wife was Elizabeth Cholwich. She was the daughter of John Cholwich from Farringdon. Richard and Elizabeth had two children, but sadly, both died when they were very young.
- Frances Duke (1707–1711)
- Robert Duke (1712–1714)
Richard Duke's Passing and Who Inherited His Estate
Richard VI Duke passed away in 1733. He did not have any children who lived longer than him. Because of this, his will stated that his estate would go to his second cousin once removed, Richard VII Duke (1688–1740). This shows how important family connections were for inheriting land and wealth in those times.
