Richard Southby facts for kids

Richard Southby (born 1623 – died 1704) was an English politician. He was a member of the House of Commons, which is like a big meeting place where elected people discuss laws for the country. He served there in 1659 and again from 1679 to 1689.

Richard Southby was the son of John Southby, who lived at Carswell Manor in a place called Buckland. At that time, Buckland was in Berkshire, but now it's part of Oxfordshire. His mother was Elizabeth, whose father was William Wiseman from Steventon. Richard's father, John Southby, was also a Member of Parliament for Berkshire.

When Richard was 17, in 1641, he started studying at Lincoln College, Oxford. Later, in 1646, he joined Gray's Inn, which is a place where people study to become lawyers.

Richard Southby's Political Career

Richard Southby became a politician just like his father. He was involved in the English Parliament during a time of change in England's history.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 1659, Richard Southby was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for a town called Cirencester. This happened during the Third Protectorate Parliament, which was a special government assembly in England.

Serving for Berkshire

In 1660, Richard Southby tried to become an MP for Berkshire in the Convention Parliament, but he didn't win that time. However, he was successfully elected as the MP for Berkshire in 1679. He continued to serve in this role until 1689.

High Sheriff of Berkshire

Besides being an MP, Richard Southby also held another important position. In 1696, he became the High Sheriff of Berkshire. A High Sheriff was a very old and important local official, responsible for keeping peace and order in the county.

Family Life and Passing

Richard Southby married a woman named Katherine. She was the daughter of Robert Strange from Somerford Keynes in Wiltshire. Richard and Katherine had a large family with nine children. Richard Southby passed away in 1704 and was buried in Buckland, the same place where he grew up.