Richard Corbet (died 1606)
Sir Richard Corbet (c.1545–1606) was an English landowner and politician of the
Background and education
Richard Corbet the second son of
- Council in the Marches of Wales for a quarter century and its leader and vice-president from 1574–77.[2]
- Jane Needham, daughter of Sir Robert Needham of Shavington Hall, Shropshire.
His parents' marriage had been arranged by Sir Andrew's uncle,
. Richard was born in about 1545, two or three years after his brother. His name had been common in the Corbet family for generations but the choice might have been a tribute to his great-uncle Richard, who remained close to Sir Andrew and his family even after the wardship ended in 1543. Sir Andrew and Jane were to have four more sons and six daughters.Richard Corbet was probably educated at Shrewsbury School.[1] The family historian Augusta Corbet, maintained that:
- "It was during this decade (the 1550s) that Sir Andrew's three elder sons were being polished by learning at the Shrewsbury School, where both scholars and Master were justly famous, and Shrewsbury was then as now proud of them. We find that 3s. 9d. was spent on some occasion "upon Mr Corbet's sones" and Mr. Aston. It was to the unremitting fostering care and his (Mr. Aston's) renown for learning that the School in great measure owed its first years of prosperity."[4]
However, the school was not opened until 1552 and Ashton was not appointed until 1561, so it is unlikely that Richard studied under his headship for more than a couple of years, if at all. It is unclear from such scanty evidence which of Sir Andrew's sons studied at the school, although the argument for Richard being among the three mentioned is much stronger than for his elder brother. The Corbets had numerous links to the school. Reginald Corbet, another of Sir Andrew's uncles, had been a leading figure in agitating for its establishment. The first head, Thomas Ashton knew Sir Andrew well and wrote to Burghley praising him.[2] The school had a Calvinist ethos and was the obvious place for Protestant gentry to send their sons: Philip Sidney was placed there by his father, Henry Sidney, the president of the Council in the Marches, and a close friend of the Corbets.
Landowner
Lands and finance
Richard Corbet, as a younger son, was not destined to inherit the Corbet estates. He married Mary Morgan, daughter of Morgan Wolfe of Meriden, then in Warwickshire. Corbet is said to have adopted as his main residence Meriden, "which his first wife had received as her dower."[1] However, this seems to rest on Augusta Corbet's construction of events, i.e. that he "lived chiefly at Meriden, where he had inherited his first wife's property in Warwickshire."[5] The term dower generally refers to property signed over to a woman by her husband or his family. Corbet's wife, Mary, was the widow of Thomas Lee of Clattercote, Oxfordshire. It was Clattercote that was she held for life after her first husband's death, although the reversion was held by Lee's nephew, William Watson.[6] Corbet bought the reversion from Watson in 1582, securing Clattercote for himself, should his wife die, and it was possibly their main residence. He later left it to his second wife, Judith Austin, for her life.
Corbet did buy one of the two manors called Alspath or Meriden, a property subsidiary to the main manor, which belonged to the
Robert Corbet, Richard's older brother, died on 30 May 1583, having contracted bubonic plague while visiting their uncle Walter in London.[9] As Robert had no male heirs, Richard succeeded him. He inherited from his brother property in many parts of Shropshire and manors in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Essex, and Herefordshire.
He also inherited and attempted, but failed to complete the unfinished Italianate extension his brother was building at Moreton Corbet castle. As Moreton Corbet must have been a large building site, his Shropshire residence seems to have been at nearby
It was typical of Corbet that he would start a new and costly project before he had finished the first. He was already in debt by the time he inherited. Although the estates were large, so were the calls on his resources, and he consistently overspent. His brother's two young daughters had to be married and large estates had to be committed in their settlements: Elizabeth, the eldest, took the newly acquired Meriden, among others, on her marriage to Sir Henry Wallop.[7]
Corbet tried to improve his income and wealth by a range of methods. One was the pursuit of property disputes, particularly against William Watson, brother of the poet Thomas Watson. As well as Clattercote, his wife Mary had received the use for life of a number of other estates belonging to her deceased husband, Thomas Lee.[10] Most important was the manor of Cropredy, which would revert on her death to Watson, to whom she had to pay an annual rent of £32 9s 10d. Corbet Challenged Watson's right to the manor doggedly through the courts, gaining ownership only in his later years.[11]
Corbet also hoped for income through investment in industry.
Law and order
Corbet was appointed to posts consistent with his status in the county:
In 1589 Corbet and his entourage attacked the house of a widow called Elizabeth Vernon, made off with her goods and cattle and laid waste her corn.[16] As he had great power in the region, both formal and informal, the Privy Council wrote that "the poor widow feareth she shall not receive such good measure in justice for her repossessing and restitution as were requisite."[1] They advised him to think "how deeply it would touch you in credit if this foul disorder be not speedily reformed." It was "an extraordinary episode for a gentleman of his standing," although not unique: it was the sort of behaviour indulged by coal and iron magnates of the region, like Lord Dudley and Gilbert Lyttelton.
Corbet could be zealous in enforcing the law. In 1591 he set out to deal with Walter Lea, who had been MP for Bridgnorth with his uncle Jerome Corbet in 1584. Issuing a warrant for the arrest of Lea and his accomplices, Thomas and Anthony Acton, the Privy Council described Lea as a "notoryus bad and evill disposed person."[17] However, in 1585 Lea had come to the notice of the Council for his large debts to a widow called Mrs Knotesforth and for fraudulently getting her to assent to a deed of gift in his favour.[8] Investigations at the time revealed that Corbet was one of a number of gentlemen in debt to Lea. He was ordered not to make any further payments to Lea before he was interviewed the Council. Lea was probably a Catholic, as the Actons certainly were,[18] although he would have had to take the Oath of Supremacy in order to sit as an MP. He was in a good position to commit fraud, as he was a trained lawyer, a member of the Inner Temple.[19] It is unclear whether Corbet was pursuing Lea disinterestedly or because he was a creditor.
In 1596, during a serious food shortage, Corbet was instructed by the Privy Council to clamp down on the brewing operations of two
Despite the ambiguities in his record, Corbet was appointed
Parliamentary career
Corbet was elected a
Parliament had been summoned in September and assembled on 15 October. It lasted only until the following March. Nothing is known of Corbet's parliamentary work, but as first knight, he would have been the county's representative on the subsidy committee, a key financial body dealing with taxation.[1] This was appointed on 22 February 1587.
Death
Corbet died in 1606 and was buried at Moreton Corbet. By the time of his death, he owed more than £5700.[1]
His will, dated 12 July 1606, shows that among the largest of his debts was at least £800 owed to his own sister, Mary, in connection with his underwriting the debts of Richard Leveson.
Corbet died without issue, but was optimistic to the end, in this as in financial matters. His will concluded with a memo, including the words:
- "My Will is that if the child wherewith it hath pleased GOD to grant that my wife hath nowe conceived shall happen to be a Daughter I doe appointe £4000 to be paid her at 16 from all the rentes and of all my Manors."
In fact, his heir was his brother, Vincent Corbet, who already had a son to succeed him, Andrew Corbet.
Marriages and family
Corbet had married twice:
- Mary Wolfe, the daughter of Morgan Wolfe of Meriden, Warwickshire and the widow of Thomas Lee of Clattercote, Oxfordahire. The marriage was without issue. Mary had considerable resources of her own as her jointure from her marriage to Lee. The date of her death is unknown.
- Judith Austin or Austen (1566-1640), the daughter of Thomas Austin of Oxley, Staffordshire, and Mary Cresswell.
Judith was twice widowed before marrying Corbet.
Judith was apparently pregnant when Corbet died, but the child must have miscarried or died shortly after birth, and Richard Corbet's brother Vincent inherited his estates, the marriage being without issue. However, Judith was still the ancestress of the remaining Corbet line, since Elizabeth Boothby, her daughter from her first marriage, married Vincent's son and heir, Andrew Corbet. Judith long outlived her husbands and chose to be buried at Blore, under effigies of herself, William Bassett and her daughter by him.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "P.W. Hasler (editor): History of Parliament Online: Members 1558-1603 - CORBET, Richard (c1545-1606), of Moreton Corbet, Salop - Author: N. M. Fuidge". Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- ^ a b "P.W. Hasler (editor): History of Parliament Online: Members 1558-1603 - CORBET, Sir Andrew (1522-78) - Author: J.J.C." Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ S.T. Bindoff (editor): The History of Parliament: Members 1509-1558 - CORBET, Richard (Author: Alan Harding) Archived 28 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine, accessed August 2013
- ^ Corbet, Augusta Elizabeth Brickdale: The family of Corbet; its life and times, Volume 2, p.277 at Open Library, Internet Archive, accessed 12 September 2013.
- ^ a b c Corbet, Augusta Elizabeth Brickdale: The family of Corbet; its life and times, Volume 2, p.302-307 at Open Library, Internet Archive, accessed 12 September 2013.
- ^ Alan Crossley (editor), Christina Colvin, Janet Cooper, N. H. Cooper, P. D. A. Harvey, Marjory Hollings, Judith Hook, Mary Jessup, Mary D. Lobel, J. F. A. Mason, B. S. Trinder, Hilary Turner (1972). "Parishes: Clattercote". A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 10: Banbury hundred. Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 19 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
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has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c L. F. Salzman, ed. (1947). "Parishes: Meriden". A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 4: Hemlingford Hundred. Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 19 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ a b John Roche Dasent, ed. (1897). "Acts of the Privy Council of England, Volume 14: 15986-1587, p.16-17". Acts of the Privy Council of England. Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ P.W. Hasler (editor): History of Parliament Online: Members 1558-1603 - CORBET, Robert (1542-83), of Moreton Corbet, Salop - Author: A. M. Mimardière Archived 28 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine, accessed September 2013.
- ^ Will of Thomas Lee, dated 12 April 1572 and proved 25 June 1572 Archived 5 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine from the National Archives, PROB 11/54,ff.172-4, available at The Oxford Authorship Site, accessed 13 September 2013.
- ^ Alan Crossley (editor), Christina Colvin, Janet Cooper, N. H. Cooper, P. D. A. Harvey, Marjory Hollings, Judith Hook, Mary Jessup, Mary D. Lobel, J. F. A. Mason, B. S. Trinder, Hilary Turner (1972). "Parishes: Cropredy". A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 10: Banbury hundred. Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
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has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "P.W. Hasler (editor): History of Parliament Online: Members 1558-1603 - LEVESON, Walter (1551-1602) - Author: J.J.C., accessed 13 September 20113". Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ John Roche Dasent, ed. (1890). "Acts of the Privy Council of England, Volume 19: 1590, p.315". Acts of the Privy Council of England. Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ G C Baugh, C R Elrington (Editors), A P Baggs, D C Cox, Jessie McFall, P A Stamper, A J L Winchester (1985). "Lilleshall: Economic history". A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 11: Telford. Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
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has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ John Roche Dasent, ed. (1901). "Acts of the Privy Council of England, Volume 22: 1591-1592, p.112". Acts of the Privy Council of England. Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ John Roche Dasent, ed. (1890). "Acts of the Privy Council of England, Volume 19: 1590, p.120". Acts of the Privy Council of England. Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ John Roche Dasent, ed. (1901). "Acts of the Privy Council of England, Volume 21: 1591, p.280". Acts of the Privy Council of England. Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ "P.W. Hasler (editor): History of Parliament Online: Members 1558-1603 - LEE, Walter (c.1550-aft.1597), of the Inner Temple, London and Langley, Salop. - Author: J.J.C." Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ "Inner Temple Admissions database, record 10253". Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ John Roche Dasent, ed. (1902). "Acts of the Privy Council of England, Volume 26: 1596-1597, p.335". Acts of the Privy Council of England. Institute of Historical Research. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ P.W. Hasler (editor): The History of Parliament: Constituencies 1558-1603 - Shropshire (Author: P.W. Hasler) Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 14 September 2013
- ^ Andrew Thrush and John P. Ferris (editors): History of Parliament Online: Members 1604-1629 - OWEN, Sir Roger (c.1573-1617)) - Author: Simon Healy Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 14 September 2013.
- ^ Kathy Lynn Emerson (2008-13): A Who’s Who of Tudor Women: A Archived 2 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine