Richard Waldegrave (politician) facts for kids

Sir Richard Waldegrave (born around 1338 – died 2 May 1410) was an important English knight. He was also a Member of Parliament, which means he helped make laws for the country. He even served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from November 1381 to February 1382. This was a very important job in the government!

Richard's Early Life and Family

Richard Waldegrave was born around the year 1338. His father was also named Sir Richard Waldegrave. His father owned land in a place called Lincolnshire and had been a Member of Parliament too. When his father passed away in 1340, young Richard inherited his family's lands.

Around 1363, Richard married a woman named Joan. She was the widow of Sir Robert Bures and owned several large estates, called manors, in Suffolk.

Richard's Adventures as a Knight

Richard Waldegrave started his career working for the powerful de Bohun family. He joined the household of William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton. As one of the Earl's men, Richard probably fought in King Edward III's army when they attacked Paris in 1360.

When Earl William died, Richard continued to serve his son, Humphrey. In 1363, Richard went with Earl Humphrey on a trip to Poland. There, they helped the Teutonic Order in their battles. Richard traveled a lot during his military career. He even fought for the King of Cyprus against the Turks. He was also present when an important agreement, the Treaty of Attalia, was signed in 1364.

By 1369, Richard was serving John of Gaunt, a powerful duke, during his military campaigns in France. In 1371, he returned to serve Earl Humphrey again. The next year, Richard joined Humphrey's army to help English forces at La Rochelle. Earl Humphrey died in 1373, but Richard stayed connected to the family, especially Humphrey's widow, Joan.

Working for the King and Parliament

Richard Waldegrave had always been close to the Holland family, especially Sir John Holland. When Sir John's half-brother, Richard II, became king in 1377, Richard Waldegrave became even more involved with the royal court. He was known as a 'King's knight'. On December 6, 1377, he was given the castle of Moresende for his loyal service.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Richard was first chosen as a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1376. He was elected again in 1377, 1378, and 1381. From November 1381 to February 1382, he served as the Speaker of the House of Commons. This was right after the Peasants' Revolt. During his time as Speaker, Parliament mainly worked on canceling special agreements that King Richard had made with the peasants during the revolt. Richard continued to be elected to Parliament in 1383, 1386, 1388, and 1389-90.

Close to the King

By 1382, Richard was clearly very important to King Richard II. He was put in charge of the estates that belonged to Queen Anne. The King thought highly of Waldegrave. In May 1384, he gave Richard a special charter that allowed him to hunt freely on his lands in Northamptonshire. In the summer of 1385, Richard went with King Richard on a difficult military campaign against Scotland. He led a group of seven knights and eighteen archers.

Waldegrave also became friends with other important people in the King's court, like Sir Nicholas Brembre. But he also kept good relationships with some of King Richard II's opponents, such as Richard Fitzalan, 4th Earl of Arundel and his brother Thomas. This showed he was good at getting along with different groups. When a group called the Lords Appellant took control of the government in 1388, they didn't see Richard Waldegrave as an enemy. He was even chosen to help fix problems in the royal government.

Despite this, he stayed close to King Richard II. On November 2, 1393, he was appointed to the King's Council, where he served for the next four years. In 1396, he was one of the King's representatives during important talks with Scotland.

When King Richard II took strong control in 1397, Waldegrave was part of the Parliament that made decisions against the Earl of Arundel and Archbishop Thomas. He was pardoned on November 14 for any past connections to the Lords Appellant. He also asked to be excused from further royal service, wanting to retire. Unlike many others, Waldegrave seemed to prefer not to serve the King during this difficult time.

Later Years and Passing

By the time Henry IV became king in 1399, Waldegrave was older and not very interested in government affairs. However, he was still called to important meetings in 1401 and 1403. He also occasionally served on royal committees. In 1404, he was finally allowed to stop holding public office.

Sir Richard Waldegrave passed away at Smallbridge on May 2, 1410. He was buried in the church of St. Mary at Bures in Suffolk. He had a son, also named Sir Richard Waldegrave, who survived him.