Richard Dyer (abt. 1554 - bef. 1605)

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

Sir Richard Dyer was the son and heir of Laurence Dyer and Jane Southe of Rousewell House, Wincanton, Somerset. He was a gentleman of the privy chamber to King James I, a soldier, and a landowner.

Marriage
Richard married Mary (Maria) FitzWilliam, daughter of Sir William FitzWilliam and Anne (Agnes) Sidney on 20 October 1578 in Great Staughton.
In their 1888 publication Notes & Queries for Somerset and Dorset, Norris, Mayo, and Weaver recorded the following:

Sir Richard Dyer, Kt., only son of Laurence Dyer, and heir to his great uncle. Sir James Dyer. He was aged 22 years and more on the 20 March, 21 Elizabeth, 1579, B.A. 28th February, 1575-6; created knight 4 April, 1585. He inherited all the estates of his great uncle, and the residue of his father’s estates. He lived at Great Staughton, where he married 20 October, 1578, Mary, daughter of Sir William Fitzwilliam, Kt., of Milton, CO. Northants, Lord Deputy of Ireland, (see Pedigree of Earls of Fitzwilliam). He was one of the Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber to King James I. His will is dated 8 December, 1605, with codicil 9 December, 1605, and proved 12 February, 1605-6, by Sir William Dyer, Kt., his son (6 Stafford). He leaves a bequest that a tomb should be set up in Great Staughton Church to his great uncle. Sir James Dyer, and his wife Margaret, and to himself and his late wife, Mary. He was buried in the Chancel 18 December, 1605, and his wife buried there 22 October, 1601. He had issue, 1. James Dyer. 2. William Dyer. 3. Francis Dyer. 4. Richard Dyer. 5. Edward Dyer. 6. Anne Dyer. ^[1]

They had five sons and two daughters that are known of from Sir Richards will and Bridport's book^[1]:

1. James Dyer, 1580 -1599
2. Elizabeth Dyer, ? (See research notes).
3. Sir William Dyer, 1583-1621
4. Francis Dyer, 1584-
5. Anne Dyer, b. <1585, d.1639
6. Richard Dyer, 1588 - 1601.^[2]
7. Edward Dyer, 1594 - ^[1][3]

Education
Richard was admitted to Cambridge University from Kings College in 1572. He graduated with a B.A. in 1575/76. ^[4]

Residence
Sir Richard succeeded his great uncle Sir James Dyer in the Manor of Beachamstead, Place House in Great Staughton when Sir James died without issue in 1582. The Manor of Beachamstead was purchased by Sir James Dyer, of Wincanton, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, who then came to reside at Great Staughton in Place House.^[5][6]

Great Staughton is a civil and ecclesiastical Parish in the County of Huntingdonshire. The village of Great Staughton is in this parish. The area corresponding to modern Huntingdonshire was first delimited in Anglo-Saxon times. Its boundaries have remained largely unchanged since the 10th century, although it lost its administrative function in 1974 and is now a local government district in Cambridgeshire. Wikipedia:Huntingdonshire

Knighthood
Richard was made a knight bachelor during the reign of Elizabeth I on 4 April 1585. ^[7]

Military
In August 1588 Sir Richard was said to be one of those in charge of the men raised in Huntingdonshire at Tilbury along with Sir George Walton and Sir Oliver Cromwell (not the Lord Protector but his uncle). The English troops were called out to repel the expected invasion of the Spanish Armada. It was at Tilbury where Queen Elizabeth I made her much discussed speech to the troops in encouragement. In the end the Spanish were in no condition to attack the well prepared English and went home.^[8][9] Wikipedia:Richard_Dyer_(d._1605)

Death
Richard died in about December 1605 in Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire. He was buried on 18 December 1605 in the parish church of St Andrew in Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England.^{[10] [11]}

Will and Legacy
His will passed probate on 12 February 1605/06.^[12][13]

In his will, dated 8 December 1605, Sir Richard asked his executors to have a tomb built in the Chancel of the Parish Church of Great Staunton in remembrance of Sir James Dyer, once Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and his wife Dame Margaret, sometime wife of Sir Thomas Elliott, and of himself and his late wife Mary. To his daughter, Ann Dyer, who already had been promised the Manor of Upton, he bequeathed £300 to be paid when she was 21 years old. To his sister Frances Honnings he bequeathed £4 quarterly for the rest of her natural life. To his sister Margerie Smyth (Smith) he bequeathed twenty marks (about £13). He also left various amounts to his servants and the servants of his children and others. He willed that the yearly rent of 100 marks per annum be assured to his three sons, Francis, Richard and Edward, to be paid yearly by his son Sir William and his heirs until his sons reach the age of 21. Also if his son Richard is bound into an apprenticeship then he should receive the sum of £50 as promised. All residue he bequeathed to his son Sir William Dyer. He appointed his good friend Stephan Lakes, Doctor of Law, his overseer for the effectual execution of his will.

In a Codicil he detailed the care of his house and his stock and pastures and for his servants not previously mentioned as well as the tenants of his various properties. The various houses and gardens were to be left to his daughter Elizabeth Clarke’s sons and their offspring. Elizabeth’s eldest son Hastings Tatum Clarke was appointed sole Executor and Sir Henry Hastings of the Abbey was to be overseer.

Sir Richard owned many houses and Close's with cottages and gardens, These are listed in his will.

Memorial
The tomb ordered for Sir Richard's great uncle, Sir James was built as requested in the chancel of the parish Church of St Andrew in Great Staughton. Sir Richard's son Sir William added the memorial to his parents. British History Online describes the monument thus:

In the chancel is a large double monument to Sir James Deyer, kt., d. 1582, and Margaret (Barrowe) his wife, d. 1560, and Sir Richard Deyer, kt., his great-nephew, d. 1605, and Marie (Fitzwilliam) his wife, d. 1601. The monument is of two bays with Corinthian columns supporting a cornice surmounted by obelisks and Elizabethan strap-work inclosing two shields of arms; in each half are kneeling figures of husband and wife facing each other under a double arch; the monument is carried by a heavy bracketed corbel enriched with shields of arms; and the whole is painted in colours; the eastern half was made by Sir Richard and the western half by his son. ^[6]

Research Notes

• Richard's birth date is taken from "The Peerage" and may not be accurate.
• The statement in "The Peerage" that Richard was born in Great Staughton seems unlikely as his father, Laurence, lived and died in Wincanton. Richard inherited Place House in Great Staughton on the death of his great uncle, Sir James in 1582. - Book: Bridport [etc.]Printed by C. J. Creed [etc.]; Norris, Hugh, ed; Mayo, Charles Herbert, 1845-1929 ed; Weaver, F. W. (Frederic William), 1853-1933, ed, Notes & queries for Somerset and Dorset., Bridport [etc.] Printed by C. J. Creed [etc.]; 1888; page: (126 of 448), Internet Archive (accessed 28 March 2024)
• [Dyer-3313|Sir John Dyer] and [Irye-1|Alice Iyre] were removed parents as they are his grandparents.
• The knighthood record states that Richard was the son and heir of the "late lord chief justice of the Common Pleas" however that was his great uncle James Dyer. His father, Laurence, was never Lord Chief Justice.
• Little has been found about Sir Richard's military activities beyond the comments in Henry Watson's book that he was present at Tilbury. The History of Parliament talks about Cromwell and Walton (MP's) assembling men from Huntingdonshire to go to Tilbury. It is however clear from the various accounts that Dyer was closely connected with both Walton and Cromwell and Ann Dyer married Oliver Cromwell's son.
• Richard's supposed daughter, Elizabeth, has only been seen in his will. None of the history books found to date record her (Norton-10741 22:18, 27 March 2024 (UTC)).
• There is a definite connection between Elizabeth and the parliamentarian Sir Henry Hastings of Leicester Abbey, however it is not clear what. Sir Richard owned a house on High Street in Leicester. See [Hastings-3830|Henry Hastings]
• Of interest, an Hastings Tatum Clark was married in Leicestershire in 1620 - "Britain, Marriage Licences", Archive: previously hosted on mocavo.com; Page: 93, FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 28 March 2024), Hastings Tatam Clark marriage to Ingarsby in 1620 in Leicestershire, England.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Notes & queries for Somerset and Dorset., V.10 by Bridport [etc.]Printed by C. J. Creed [etc.];
   Norris, Hugh, ed; Mayo, Charles Herbert, 1845-1929 ed; Weaver, F. W. (Frederic William), 1853-1933, ed, Notes & queries for Somerset and Dorset., Bridport [etc.] Printed by C. J. Creed [etc.];
   1888; page: 105, Internet Archive (accessed 13 February 2024)
   
2. ↑ Baptism of son Richard Dyer: "England, Huntingdonshire Parish Registers", citing Digital film/folder number: 007562844; Image number: 23, FamilySearch Record: 7TVN-QDMM (accessed 7 April 2024) FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-896D-SFR7, Richardi Dyar's son Richardus Dyar baptism on 15 Dec 1588 in Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England, United Kingdom.
3. ↑ Baptism of son Edmond Dyer: "England, Huntingdonshire Parish Registers", citing Digital film/folder number: 007562844; Image number: 27, FamilySearch Record: 7TVY-3MT2 (accessed 7 April 2024) FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-L96D-SN3Z, Richi Dyar's son Edmondus Dyar baptism on 28 Jul 1594 in Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England, United Kingdom.
4. ↑ Cambridge University Richard Dyer Richard DYER. Matric. Fell.-Com. from KING'S, Michs. 1572. Perhaps adm. at the Middle Temple, Nov., 1576, as s. and h. of Laurence, of Wincanton, Somerset.
5. ↑ Historic England PlaceHouse
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Parishes: Great Staughton, in A History of the County of Huntingdon: Volume 2, (London, 1932) pp. 354-369. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hunts/vol2/pp354-369 [accessed 25 March 2024]
7. ↑ The Knights of England. A complete record from the earliest time to the present day of the knights of all the orders of chivalry in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of knights bachelors, incorporating a complete list of knights bachelors dubbed in Ireland by Shaw, William Arthur, 1865-1943; Burtchaell, George Dames, 1853-1921 Richard Dyer. Page 83: ”1585, Apr. 4. RICHARD DYER, son and heir to the late lord chief justice of the Common Pleas.”
8. ↑ Book: Watson, Henry George, b. 1838 or 9, A history of the parish of Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, St. Neots, P.C. Tomson; 1916; page: 15, Internet Archive (accessed 1 February 2024)
9. ↑ Assembling of the Troops Tilbury Fort
10. ↑ Burial:"England Deaths & Burials 1538-1991"
    FindMyPast Transcription (accessed 1 February 2024)
    Richardus Deyer burial on 18 Dec 1605 in Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England.
11. ↑ Burial:"England Deaths and Burials, 1538-1991"
    citing Digital film/folder number: 007562844; FHL microfilm: 1040755; Image number: 35; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: I03144-1
    FamilySearch Record: J8QD-J5H (accessed 1 February 2024)
    FamilySearch Image: 3QSQ-G96D-SNNT
    Dns Richardus Deyer burial on 18 Dec 1605 in Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England.
12. ↑ Will: "England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858", The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Series PROB 11; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 107, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 5111 #929721 (accessed 1 February 2024), Will of Richd Dyer, granted probate on 12 Feb 1605. Died about 1605 in Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, England.
13. ↑ Will, Will of Sir Richard Dyer of Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire, ref. PROB 11/107/116. National Archives

See also:

• The Peerage, Sir Richard Dyer et al
• Pertenhall Parish advowson, British History Online
• Nativity for Lodowick Dyer b. 10 Mar 1606 University of Cambridge Casebooks (astrological chart)
• WALTON, George (1540-1606), of Great Staughton, Hunts. The History of Parliament
• CROMWELL, Oliver (?1566-1655), of Godmanchester and Hinchingbrooke, Hunts. The History of Parliament
• Some Records of the Dyer Family, by Catherine Cornelia Dyer, 1884. Sir Richard Dyer