Richard More (Parliamentarian) facts for kids

Richard More (born around 1576 – died 1643) was an important English landowner and politician. He was a member of the English Parliament from 1640 until his death. During the English Civil War, he strongly supported the Parliamentary side.

Richard More's Early Life and Family

Richard More was the son of Robert More, who lived in Linley, Shropshire. In the early 1500s, Richard's grandfather had moved south to work for King Henry. However, by 1583, the family moved back to Shropshire. Richard More was likely born in 1576, when his family owned land in Barby, Northamptonshire.

Richard was very smart as a child. By the age of ten, he could read the Old Testament in Hebrew. Even with this talent, he did not go to university. This might be because he married early, in 1592, to Sara Harris. Sara was the daughter of a merchant from Shrewsbury. By 1602, Richard More was in charge of the family's lands. In 1603, he added a large estate called Downton in Herefordshire. His father, Robert, passed away in 1604.

The Mayflower Children

Richard More's oldest son, Samuel, married his cousin, Katherine, in 1611. After their marriage, Samuel More worked for Edward, Lord Zouche. Lord Zouche was involved with the Virginia Company, which helped set up colonies in America.

During this time, a difficult situation arose between Samuel and Katherine. After several years and many court meetings, it was decided that four of their children would travel to Virginia. These children were placed on the ship Mayflower in 1620. This happened without their mother knowing.

The ship faced bad winter weather and landed far north at Cape Cod Harbor. Sadly, three of the four children did not survive that first winter. Only five-year-old Richard More survived the journey and the harsh first winter.

Richard More's Public Life

Richard More was involved in trade in Bishop's Castle. In 1619, he became the High Sheriff of Shropshire. This was an important role, like a chief law enforcement officer for the county. In 1623, he was elected to the town's council.

Richard More was a Puritan, which meant he had strong religious beliefs. He also wrote about religious topics. In 1633, after a local murder case, a clergyman from Shrewsbury wrote that the murder was caused by Puritan beliefs. Richard More wrote a reply called "True Relation of the Murders." However, he was not allowed to print it until 1641. In 1637, More became the bailiff of the borough, another important local position.

Parliamentary Career

In April 1640, Richard More was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Bishop's Castle. This was for a short meeting of Parliament. He was chosen again for the Long Parliament in November 1640 and served until he died in 1643.

He strongly supported the Parliament against the King during the English Civil War. He even gave his valuable silver plate to help the Parliamentary cause. He was also part of important committees that dealt with religious matters and property during the war. In 1643, he published his own translation of a book called Clavis Apocalyptica by Joseph Mede. Richard More passed away in the same year.