Richard Brydges

Richard Brydges (1500–1558) was an English politician.[1]

For those of a similar name, see Richard Bridges (disambiguation).

Sir Richard Brydges was the Member of Parliament for Berkshire from 1539 to 1540 and, at other times, for Ludgershall. The Brydges family leased and then owned the manor of Ludgershall in Wiltshire for much of the sixteenth century.

Richard was the son of Henry Brydges (or Bruges), Esq., of Newbury, Berkshire by his wife, Margery (Hungerford) Bedford, daughter of John Hungerford, Esq. Richard was also a first cousin to John Brydges, 1st Baron Chandos. He served as the High Sheriff of Berkshire in 1554.

Family

He married twice, firstly to a granddaughter of William Norreys, Esquire of the Body to King Edward IV, and secondly to Lady Jane Spencer, the daughter of Sir William Spencer (1483–1558) of Wormleighton & Althorp in Northamptonshire. Richard died on 1 August 1558, after which Jane later married Sir Simon Harcourt.

Sir Richard Brydges and Lady Jane Spencer were the parents of the following children:

  • Jane Brydges, born c. 1542
  • Anthony Brydges, born c. 1544, m. Barbara Pexsall, 1562
  • Edmund Brydges, born c. 1548, d. after 1594 West Bradley, Somerset, m. Alice, daughter of Richard Goddard and Marie Alleyne.[2]
  • Frances Brydges, born c. 1553, who married in 1574, Nicholas Stephens, Esq. of Burderop Park near Chiseldon, Wiltshire (1555 - 1611)[3]

Ludgershall Lodge in Wiltshire and Great Shefford Manor in Berkshire were his chief residences, and he and his second wife Lady Jane Spencer are remembered by a large effigial monument in Ludgershall Church.

References
  1. T.F.T. Baker, 'Brydges, Richard (c.1500-58), of West Shefford, Berks.', in S.T. Bindoff (ed.), The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558 (Boydell and Brewer 1982).
  2. Visitation of Wiltshire 1623 - Goddard of Cleve or Cliff
  3. 'Chiseldon: Manors and other estates', in R.W. Dunning, K.H. Rogers, P.A. Spalding, C. Shrimpton, J.H. Stevenson and M. Tomlinson, A History of the County of Wiltshire Vol. 9, ed. E. Crittall (V.C.H. London, 1970), pp. 6-23. (British History Online accessed 30 May 2016)

Sources
  • Royal Berkshire History: Great Shefford Manor
  • "Brydges, John" , Dictionary of National Biography, London: Smith, Elder & Co, 1885–1900 (which erroneously describes Richard as Lord Chandos' brother)
  • Ludgershall Church Monument


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