Richard Percivale facts for kids
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Sir Richard Percivale (born 1550, died 1620) was an important English official and politician. He was also known for his knowledge of Spanish and for writing dictionaries. He wrote a Spanish grammar book and a dictionary called Bibliotheca Hispanica in 1591. This book helped English people learn Spanish. Later, another writer named John Minsheu made the dictionary even bigger.
Early Life and Family
Richard Percivale was the oldest son of George Perceval. His family lived in Sydenham, near Bridgwater, in Somerset, England. His family got the Sydenham estate (a large area of land with a big house) through marriage. Richard was born at Nailsea Court.
His Career and Work
Richard went to St Paul's School, London for his education. He later studied law at Lincoln's Inn in London. During this time, he married Joan Young, but she did not bring any money with her, which upset his father.
Richard then moved to Spain and lived there for four years. After his wife passed away, he returned to England. He tried to make up with his father, but it was difficult.
A friend helped him meet Lord Burghley, who was a very powerful government official. The Queen gave Richard a special payment, and later a job in the Duchy of Lancaster, which managed the King's lands. When Lord Burghley's son, Robert Cecil, became head of the "court of wards" (a special court that looked after young heirs and their money), Richard became his secretary.
As Richard became more successful, his father finally accepted him again. Richard inherited a good amount of money from his family's property. Near the end of Queen Elizabeth I's reign, he was sent to Ireland. His task was to see if the "court of wards" could make money for the crown there. However, his report said it would not be profitable.
In 1603, Richard became a Member of Parliament for Richmond in Yorkshire. He worked on matters related to trade and money. He also took part in discussions about joining England and Scotland.
In 1610, Richard became one of the officials in charge of the "court of wards" when the previous head was removed. After his boss, Robert Cecil, died in 1612, Richard lost his jobs in England. But in 1616, he got a new job in Ireland as a clerk for the "court of wards" there. He sold much of his family's land in England and bought land in County Cork, Ireland. In 1618, he went back to England to protect his job from someone else who wanted it. He had to give up some of his salary, but he kept his position and cleared his debts to the crown.
In 1609, Richard Percivale was listed as a member of the Virginia Company. This company was set up to start settlements in North America. In 1610, he also gave money to help the new settlement in Virginia.
Family Life
Richard Percivale was married twice:
- His first wife's name is not known, but they had three sons and two daughters.
- His second wife was Alice Sherman. They had two sons and two daughters, including Sir Philip Perceval. Philip later became the ancestor of the Earls of Egmont.
Death
Richard Percivale passed away in Dublin, Ireland, on September 4, 1620. He was 69 years old. He was buried in St. Audoen's Church in Dublin.
His Published Works
Richard Percivale wrote the Spanish-English dictionary called Bibliotheca Hispanica, containing a Grammar with a Dictionarie in Spanish, English, and Latin. It was published in London in 1591. He dedicated this book to Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. A doctor named Thomas D'Oylie, who was good at languages, helped a lot with the early work on the book.
A second edition of the dictionary, updated and made bigger by John Minsheu, came out in 1599. It was called A Dictionarie in Spanish and English. This edition had two parts: one for the dictionary and one for the grammar. A third edition was published in 1623.
