Richard Elyot facts for kids

Sir Richard Elyot (who died in 1522) was an important English landowner and judge. He was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Salisbury in 1495. An MP is a person chosen by voters to represent them in the country's parliament, where laws are made.

Who Was Sir Richard Elyot?

Sir Richard Elyot came from the Elyot family, who lived in a place called East Coker. Many years later, a very famous writer named T. S. Eliot was also a descendant of this family.

Sir Richard Elyot owned large areas of land, known as estates, in Wiltshire. He had a successful career in law and government.

Elyot's Legal Career

In 1503, Sir Richard Elyot became a serjeant-at-law. This was a very high rank for a lawyer in England at that time, like being a top legal expert. He also became the Attorney-General for the Queen consort, Elizabeth of York. An Attorney-General is the chief legal advisor to the government or, in this case, to the Queen.

Soon after, he started working as a Justice of Assize on the western circuit. This meant he traveled around a specific region to hear legal cases and make judgments. By 1513, he became a judge in the Court of Common Pleas. This was one of the most important courts in England, dealing with common legal disputes between people.

Sir Richard Elyot's Family Life

Sir Richard Elyot was married twice. His first wife was Alice, who was the daughter of Sir Thomas de la Mare. Alice was also a widow.

With Alice, Sir Richard had a son and two daughters. His son, Thomas Elyot, grew up to become a well-known author. One of his daughters, Margaret, later became the mother of George Puttenham, who was also a writer.

Later, Sir Richard Elyot married Elizabeth. She was the widow of Richard Fettiplace and the daughter of William Bessels.