2nd son but eventual heir
Knighted December 1550/July 1551.
Offices Held
Gent. usher of privy chamber by 1537-53 or later j.p. Oxon. 1537-d.; parker and steward, Caversham, Berks. July 1544; steward, Great Marlow, Bucks. Feb. 1545; commr. relief, Oxon. 1550; collector of customs, Southampton, Hants 17 Oct. 1552-3; parker, Langley, Oxon. by 1553; keeper, Dedisham by 1553; jt. (with Sir Francis Knollys) ld. lt. Oxon. 1559-61; lt. of the Tower 1560-d.
Biography
The Blount family of Iver and Mapledurham was a cadet branch of the baronial family of Mountjoy; in 1544 Charles Blount, 5th Lord Mountjoy, named Richard Blount one of his executors. Blount's lofty connexions, which included through his kinsfolk of Kinlet, Shropshire, a distant one with Henry, Duke of Richmond, doubtless smoothed his introduction to the royal household; he was to add to them by his marriage to a daughter of the chief baron of the Exchequer and future lord chief justice, whose position at Southampton must have contributed to Blount's appointment as customer there. In 1540 Blount accompanied Sir Thomas Wyatt I on his embassy to Brussels, and in 1544 he commanded jointly a company of 80 footmen in the French expedition, to which he contributed four horsemen and eight foot. During these years he began to receive grants, among them the stewardship of Caversham, the keepership of Langley Park and the stewardship of Great Marlow, all conveniently near his home.
Blount continued to prosper under Edward VI. The date of his knighthood is unknown but it had been conferred before July 1551 when as Sir Richard Blount, gentleman usher of the privy chamber, he was granted the manor and park of Dedisham, valued at nearly £15 a year. Dedisham, west of Horsham, was part of the honor of Petworth, of which the 12th Earl of Arundel was steward; as that honor included property in and around Steyning, the borough for which Blount was to be returned to the Parliament of March 1553, his election there can be seen as a sequel to the grant, with the earl as his most likely patron. If so, Arundel may have been prompted from above, for Blount's son Michael was to sit in the same Parliament for Winchelsea, where such a youngster would hardly have been accepted save as a nominee of the crown. Blount's long service in the Household could have evoked the King's own support and his Worcestershire kinsman Thomas Blount's comptrollership to the Duke of Northumberland may also have played its part.
Blount sued out a pardon in October 1553. He was retained on the Oxfordshire bench but probably lost his Household post, and he neither sat in Parliament nor served in any other capacity as long as Mary remained on the throne. The accession of Elizabeth transformed his prospects: made lord lieutenant of his county and lieutenant of the Tower, he might have risen still higher but for his death on 11 Aug. 1564. 1
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Named as a beneficiary in his father's Will (1506)
Named as a beneficiary in and co-Executor of the Will of his father-in-law Sir Richard Lyster
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Will of Sir Richard Blounte of Mapledurham, Oxfordshire, written 23 May 1560, proved 26 Aug 1564.
[paragraphed for easier reading]
In the Name of God Amen, the xxiiith Daye of Maye in the yere of our Lorde God One Thousand five hundreth and threscore I Rychard Blounte knighte of Mapulderham in the Countie of Oxforde make and ordaine this my present testamente and Laste Will in forme following (revoking and adnulling all former testaments and Wills heretofore by me had made Written or spoken, and this to be my firme and last Will.)
First I bequeath my soule unto almightie god my only maker and redemer my Boddie to the yerth according to the laudable instance?
And concerning the disposition order and assignements of all my mannors Landes tenements and all other my hereditaments whatsoever they be sett lyeing and being in the Counties of Suffox, Oxforde, Buckingham, Middelsex, Devonsheire, Somersettsheire, or else where within the Realme of England and of all the issues and proffitts of the same I declare thro my present testament and Laste Will the order and disposition thereof in manner and forme following.
First I Will to th'executors of this my Last Will and testamente the mannor of Frenington for the terme of six yeres to th'intent that with the issues and revenues thereof they shall paye my debts. And yf my saide Executors shall or maye paye my debts with the issues and revenues thereof in any shorter tyme Then I Will that the saide mannor shall goe in coorse of discente presently to myne heire.
To Mighell Blounte myne eldest sonne I give the Lease of my howse at the White Fryers in London with all my stuff that is therein, and all my apparrell wheresoever yt be. I give to my saide sonne my interest and Lease of Hornesey in the Countie of York. I give my saide sonne Mighell Blounte my best bason and yewer of silver and parrell gilte that I have.
Also I give and bequeath to my sonne Richard Blounte my --?-- and Lordeshipp of Dedesam with the parke to the same belonginge in the Countie of Suffox To have to hym and to the heires males of his boddie Lawfully begotten. To Richard Blounte my sonne I give my next best bason and Ewer of silver and parrell gilte.
To my Wyef Dame Elizabeth Blounte I give my best bason and Ewer of silver and dubble gilte.
To my sonne Saintion I give the best gelding that I have. To my daughter his Wief I give one Ring of fyne golde, weing thurtee shillings, and to every one of theire children one Ringe of fyne golde weing twentie shillings.
To my sonne Sherley I give the next best gelding that I have, and to every one of my sonne Sherleys children by my daughter I give one Ringe of fyne golde weing twentie shillings.
To Edmond Wilde and Thomas Aprice? I give either of them fortie shillings in rewarde. To every one of the reste of my men and women servants as well retayners as others I give six shillings and eighte pence in rewarde.
All the rest of my goods cattall and plate I give and Will unto my welbeloved Wief Dame Elizabeth Blounte. I make ordayne and appointe my Wief Dame Elizabeth Blounte my sole Executrix.
In witness whereof I have hereunto sett my signe and seale the daye and yere above written. By me Richard Blounte. 2
[Probate follows in Latin.]
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