The Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall records the birth in 1209 of "Ricardus secundus filius regis". Matthew Paris records that "Isabel Anglorum regina" gave birth in 1208 to “Johanni regi filium legitimum...Ricardum”.
He was designated Comte de Ponthieu before 14 Aug 1225. Created Earl of Cornwall 30 May 1227. In 1236, he was suggested as intermediary to negotiate an Anglo/imperial alliance proposed by Emperor Friedrich II but did not take up the post. The Continuator of Florence of Worcester records that "Ricardus comes Cornubiæ frater Henrici regis Angliæ" went to Jerusalem in [1239]. Implementing a crusading vow taken in 1236, Richard arrived at Acre in Palestine 11 Oct 1240, re-established some order in the kingdom of Jerusalem, and left in May 1241. He renounced the county of Ponthieu in Dec 1243. Richard was one of the proposed candidates to replace Heinrich Raspe as anti-king of Germany in 1247, and in 1250 may have been offered the Sicilian crown by Pope Innocent IV. According to Matthew Paris, he refused the kingdom of Sicily on the Pope's terms, after which the Pope offered it to King Henry who accepted it on behalf of his son Edmund. In Dec 1256, Richard was offered the German crown by the archbishops of Köln and Mainz to whom promises of payment of 8,000 marks had each been made, supported by Ludwig II Duke of Bavaria, who was betrothed to the daughter of King Henry III with a dowry of 12,000 marks, and subsequently by Otakar II King of Bohemia. Richard accepted the offer before the English parliament, and sailed for Germany. The offer was confirmed by a limited election outside Frankfurt 13 Jan 1257, entry into the city being barred by Arnold Archbishop of Trier.
He was crowned RICHARD King of Germany on 17 May 1257 at Aachen Cathedral with his wife. Although his rival Alfonso X King of Castile had initially enjoyed the support of France and the Pope, King Henry III's peaceful settlement with Louis IX King of France in Jan 1257 provided the basis for Pope Alexander IV to modify his own position and on 30 Apr 1259 he secretly invited Richard to Rome for his imperial coronation, although Richard was unable to leave England because of the deteriorating relations with the barons. He was elected Roman senator in Apr 1261, with the support particularly of cardinals John of Toledo and Ottobono Fieschi. Pope Urban IV was less sympathetic to his cause, obtaining a more powerful military ally to protect his position in Italy in Charles Comte d'Anjou. The dispute was unresolved by the Papal Bull Qui Cœlum dated 27 Aug 1263 which found that both candidates for the German throne were king-elect. However, in 1266 Pope Clement IV appears to have favoured Richard's candidacy over a possible election of Konradin. After the latter's execution in 1268, Friedrich von Meissen emerged as a new possible candidate for the German throne and Richard renewed his efforts to increase his authority in Germany, in particular by his third marriage to a relative of Engelbert Archbishop of Köln.
Richard suffered an apoplectic stroke in [Oct] 1271 which paralysed his left side and affected the balance of his mind. The Annales Halesiensibus record the death "1272 Berhamstede IV Non Apr" of "rex Ricardus Alemanie" and his burial "apud Heles". The Continuator of Florence of Worcester records the death "IV Non Apr apud Berhamstede" [1272] of "Ricardus Alemannia rex" and his burial "apud monasterium de Hayles" which he had founded. A writ dated 5 Apr "56 Hen III", after the death of "Richard king of Almain", records "Edmund his son, aged 22 on the day of St Stephen last, is his heir". 1
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Inquisition Post Mortem
808. RICHARD KING OF ALMAIN. 2
Mandate from the king's escheator to the subescheator in cos. Oxford and Berks, reciting writ dated 5 April, 56 Hen. III. [1272]
Sir Edmund, his son, aged 22 on the day of St. Stephen last, is his heir.
BERKS. Extent, Friday before Palm Sunday, 56 Hen. III.
Walingford borough, with the advowsons of the churches of All Saints, St. Peter and St. Michael, held of the king of England in chief, service unspecified.
BERKS. Extent, Thursday before Palm Sunday, 56 Hen. III.
Arewelle manor with the advowson (extent given), held of the bishop of Winchester in chief by 1 knight's fee, rendering nothing except scutage when it runs, and then to the bishop.
OXFORD. Extent, Friday before Palm Sunday, 56 Hen. III.
Bensindon manor, with 4 ½ hundreds and the advowson of the church of Henele which pertain to the said manor, held in chief of the gift of the king of England.
Walingford castle with the honour, with 2 mills, held of the king of England by service of 3 knights, and 120 ½ knights' fees pertain to the said castle and honour.
OXFORD. Extent, Tuesday before Palm Sunday, 56 Hen. III.
Erdinton manor (extent given), held of the bishop of Lincoln in chief by service of 2 knights, but he owed nothing to him but scutage when it runs.
Esthalle hamlet (extent given), held of the king of England by service of ½ knight's fee; and Estallingeleye, a hamlet of Esthalle, was held by the abbot of Butlisden of the said king of Almain for ½ knight's fee.
OXFORD. Extent, The eve of Palm Sunday, 56 Hen. III.
Watlington manor (extent given), held of the king of England in chief by service of 1 knight and scutage when it runs.
Witham, Croultone, and Losmere were held of the said king of Almain by service of 2 knights.
OXFORD. Extent, Monday, the morrow of Palm Sunday, 56 Hen. III.
Henele manor with the advowson of the church (extent given), held of the king of England in chief by free marriage. Endorsed, This is the Inquisition made of the honour of Walery and of the borough of Walingforth, and of the 4 ½ hundreds of Bunsinton and Henele.
OXFORD. Extent, Wednesday before Palm Sunday, 56 Hen. III.
Beckele manor with the advowson (extent given), held, with Ambresdone, Blakethurne alias Blakehurne, and Willarston, by barony of the honour of St. Valery.
Orton (extent given).
Ambredone manor and Blakehurne, with the advowson of Ambredone church (extent given).
Willarston manor, with the advowson of Mixebury church (extent given).
Combe. 1 knight's fee, held by Simon de Sancto Licio.
Norton. 7 knights' fees, held by William le Brun and Robert de Fretevelle.
Horspahe, held by the Templars at fee farm, rendering £9 yearly.
Norhoseneye manor, of the honour of St. Valery, 59s. 4d. rent of assize.
BUCKINGHAM. Inq. and Extent, Thursday before Palm Sunday, 56 Hen. III.
Risseberg manor with the park (extent given), held of the king in chief by service of 1 knight's fee.
BUCKINGHAM. Inq. and Extent Friday before Palm Sunday, 56 Hen. III.
Scipinham alias Scpinpinham manor with the park and the advowson of the chapel (extent given), held of the abbot of Westminster and others.
Mandate, &c. to the subescheator in cos. Essex and Hertford, reciting writ dated 5 April, 56 Hen. III.
ESSEX. Extent and Inq. Friday before St. Mark, 56 Hen. III.
Neuport manor (extent given), including 2 watermills and a fishpond, held of the king in chief, service unknown. The dean of St. Martin le Grand (Magnus), London, has always the church to his own uses, but the advowson pertains to the king.
HERTFORD. Inq. and extent, 56 Hen. III.
Bercam [sted] borough (extent given), held, with Hemelhamsted, of the king in chief by knight's service; and 6 knights' fees are held in the county of the honour of Bercam [sted].
Hemelhamsted with the advowson (extent given).
C. Hen. III. File 42. (1.)
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Inquisition Post Mortem
203. RICHARD SOMETIME KING OF ALMAIN. 3
Writ of extent and appraisement to the sheriff of Gloucester, to be made in the presence of Edmund de Alem[annia], earl of Cornwall, and of Beatrice late the wife of the said king, 24 Nov. 4 Edw. I. [1275]
GLOUCESTER. Extent, Friday before St. Thomas the Apostle, 4 Edw. I.
Lechlade. The manor and borough (extent given). And because those
(acting) on behalf of the said Edmund were content with no article of
this extent, seisin remained to be done to the said queen, whose party gainsaid nothing but the appraisement of the meadow.
GLOUCESTER. Extent (undated) .
Langheberge. The manor and town (extent given), including 4 virgates land in villenage and herbage in Frogghemor, 3s. 4d. rent of assize in Wynchecumbe, and sale of pasture in Saltemor, Merwelle, Sappewelle, Whatewell, Aswelle, Colemede, the garden, Buribrugge, Medenhulle and Watergall, worth 34s. yearly ; all which the said Edmund holds.
Similar writ to the sheriff of Essex, 24 Nov. 4 Edw. I.
ESSEX. Extent, Friday after the Circumcision, 4 Edw. I.
Neuport. The manor (extent given), including a pasture called Nortonmade, meadow at Aylmar' mill, and pasture at the lord's grange.
Similar writ to the sheriff of Northampton, 24 Nov. 4 Edw. I. Endorsed : —
The attorneys of the said earl and Beatrice were agreed in no particular upon this extent, and therefore the escheator has not caused the said Beatrice to have seisin of any part of the manor.
NORTHAMPTON. Extent (undated).
Welledon. The manor (extent given).
Memorandum (Undated) of a mandate to divers sheriffs, by the assent of the attorneys of the queen of Almain and the earl of Cornwall in the king's presence, to give seisin to the queen in part of 500 marks land which the said earl has granted to the said queen in dower for her life, viz. —
GLOUCESTER. Lechelade. The manor, extended at £98.
ESSEX. Neuport. The manor, extended at £48 12d.
NORTHAMPTON. Weledon. The manor, extended at £26 9s. 11d.
LONDON. Queenhithe (ripe Regine). £50 of farm which the sheriffs owe to the earl yearly.
WILTS. Wyntreslawe. £20 which Richard son of John owes from the manor.
Malmesbiri. £20 of farm which the abbot of Malmesbiri owes.
SALOP. Holegod. 50 marks of farm of the castle which the master of the Knights of the Temple owes.
GLOUCESTER. Langeberg. The manor to be extended without delay according to the form of the writ made in the Bench, and in the meantime, by the assent of the said attorneys, the said queen to have
seisin of the demesne sowing, with the villeins' works &c., saving
to the earl his reasonable claims if contention shall arise about the
extent.
C. Edw. I. File 15. (10.)
Research Notes: