Richard Lovelace, 1st Baron Lovelace

Richard Lovelace, 1st Baron Lovelace (1564 - 22 April 1634) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1601 and 1622. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Lovelace in 1627.

Lovelace was born in Hurley in Berkshire, the son of Richard Lovelace and his wife, Anne, the daughter of Richard Warde of Hurst,[1] also in Berkshire. He was educated at Merton College, Oxford.[1]

Lovelace became a soldier and commanded a force under the Lord Lieutenant in Ireland, after which he was knighted by the Earl of Essex (Dublin, 1579).[1] His association with the earl led to a brief period of imprisonment on charges of plotting against Queen Elizabeth I but he was released without charge.[1] He was summoned as Member of Parliament for Berkshire[1] in 1601. In 1604 he was elected MP for Abingdon. He was appointed High Sheriff of Berkshire in 1610. In 1621 he was elected MP for Berkshire again. He was High Sheriff of Oxfordshire in 1626.[1][2]

In 1627 he was created Baron Lovelace of Hurley by Charles I.[1]

Lovelace died in Hurley in 1634.[1] He had married twice: firstly, Katherine, daughter of Sir George Gyll and widow of William Hyde of Denchworth in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire) (no children) and, secondly, Margaret, daughter and co-heir of a rich merchant, William Dodworth, with whom he had four sons and five daughters.[1] The eldest son was his heir John Lovelace, 2nd Baron Lovelace and a daughter Elizabeth married the regicide Henry Marten.[1] His son Francis should not be confused with the person of the same name who became the second Governor of the New York colony but who was however the grandfather of the John Lovelace who was a later Governor.[1]

References

Parliament of England
Preceded by
Sir Henry Norreys
Francis Knollys
Member of Parliament for Berkshire
1601
With: George Hyde
Succeeded by
Sir Henry Neville
Francis Knollys
Preceded by
Robert Ryche
Member of Parliament for Abingdon
1604-1611
Succeeded by
Sir Robert Knollys
Preceded by
Sir Henry Neville
Sir Thomas Parry
Member of Parliament for Berkshire
1621-1622
With: Sir Robert Knollys
Succeeded by
Edmund Dunch
Sir Richard Harrison
Peerage of England
Preceded by
New creation
Baron Lovelace
1627–1634
Succeeded by
John Lovelace