Richard Fulmerston facts for kids

Richard Fulmerston (born around 1516, died 1567) was an important person in England. He lived in Ipswich, Suffolk, and Thetford, Norfolk. He was a politician, a businessman, and someone who gave money to good causes.

Family Life

Who Was Richard Fulmerston's Family?

We don't know for sure who Richard Fulmerston's parents were. His father might have also been named Richard Fulmerston. His family probably came from a place called Fulmodeston in Norfolk.

Richard married a woman named Alice. Her father was 'Lonzam' from Suffolk. Alice was also the widow of Thomas Hayward, a merchant and Member of Parliament from Ipswich. Thomas Hayward had died in 1534. Richard and Alice were married by March 1539. They had at least one daughter.

Richard Fulmerston's Career

What Did Richard Fulmerston Do?

Richard Fulmerston worked for a powerful family, the Howards. He was a servant to Thomas, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. The Fulmerston family had been connected to the Norfolk family for a long time.

Gaining Land and Property

During the 1530s, many religious buildings in England were closed down. This was called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In 1537, St. George's Priory, a place where nuns lived, was closed. Richard Fulmerston was given the buildings and land. He turned the old buildings into a house. Later, a new house called Nunnery Place was built there. The old church became a barn. Today, the British Trust for Ornithology uses this site.

In 1538, he also bought the Blackfriars Friary, another religious building that had been closed. He also rented the Priory of St. Mary from the Duke of Norfolk. He bought land from the chantry of the College of Saint John the Evangelist of Rushworth. Because he owned so much land, he became very important in his community.

Serving in Parliament

Richard Fulmerston was a Member (MP) for several areas in England. An MP is someone elected to represent people in the country's government.

He was an MP for:

• Southwark in 1547
• Great Bedwyn in October 1553, April 1554, and November 1554
• Horsham in 1558
• New Shoreham in 1559
• Thetford in 1563

In 1553, he supported Queen Mary when she became queen.

Supporting Education

Richard Fulmerston cared about education. He helped to restart The Grammar School in Thetford. This school had been very old, even before the Norman Conquest, but it closed during the Dissolution.

In his will, Richard Fulmerston asked his family to set up a free grammar school in Thetford. After he died, they built a schoolhouse on part of the Blackfriars land. The school building from the 16th century still uses parts of the old Dominican Friary church. It is still used by Thetford Grammar School today.