Sir Edwin Rich (c. 1594 – 16 November 1675) was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640. Rich was born at Thetford, Norfolk, the son of Sir Edwin Rich of

Mulbarton, Norfolk Mulbarton is a village and civil parish located south of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of . The place-name 'Mulbarton' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as ''Molkebertuna'' and ''Molke ...

and his wife Honora Worlick, daughter of Charles Worlick.

William Kempe William Kempe (c. 1560–c. 1603), commonly referred to as Will Kemp, was an English actor and dancer specialising in comic roles and best known for having been one of the original players in early dramas by William Shakespeare. Roles associat ...

remarked on the generous hospitality after Edwin senior provided entertainment for him during the "Nine Daies Wonder", a dance he performed on road ways between London and

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

passing through Thetford. Here he spent an enjoyable weekend at Edwin Rich's house. The rich family later moved to Norwich and Edwin went on to be educated at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

and

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

.Arthur Collins ''The English baronetage: containing a genealogical and historical account''
/ref> In April 1640, having no local connections, Rich was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Fowey Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...

in the

Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that was summoned by King Charles I of England on the 20th of February 1640 and sat from 13th of April to the 5th of May 1640. It was so called because of its short life of only three weeks. Aft ...

. He did not stand again and was appointed Vice-Admiral of Norfolk in 1644, remaining until 1649. In 1647, he became Master in Chancery to hear and determine causes in Chancery. In 1651, he was appointed Commissioner for Assessment for the County of Middlesex After the Restoration, Rich was knighted, on 10 July 1666.Knights of England
/ref>

Death

Rich died at the age of 81 and was buried at

Swardeston Swardeston is a village four miles (6 km) south of Norwich in Norfolk, England, on high ground above the Tas valley. It covers an area of and had a population of 619 at the 2011 census. History One of the earliest mentions of this place ...

. His memorial bears his own composition as he did not trust anyone else to write it.

And here resteth the Bones of Sir Edwin Rich, Knight, Son of Sir Edwin Rich, who died the 16 Day of November, 1675.
Our Lyef is like an Hower Glasse, and our Riches are like Sand in it, which runnes with us but the time of our Continuance here, and then must be turn'd up by an other. :So speake to God as if Men heard your talke, :Soe lyve with Men as if God sawe your walke; :When thou art young, to lyve well thou must strive; :When thou art old, to dye well then contryve. :Thetford, gave Breath, and Norwich, Breeding, :Trinity-Collidg, in Cambridg, Learning; :Lincolns-Inn, did teach me Law and Equity, :Reports I have Ade, in the Courte of Chancery ; :And though I cannot skill in Rymes, yet know it, :In my Lyfe I was my own deathles Poett. :For he who leaves his work to others truste, :May be deceived when he lyes in the Duste. :And nowe I have traveld through all these wayes, :Here I conclude the Storye of my Dayes. :And here my Rymes I ende, then ask no more, :Here lyes Sir Edwin Rich, who loveed the Poore.

Rich gave £200 for repairing the roads, between Wymondham and

Attleborough Attleborough is a market town and civil parish located on the A11 between Norwich and Thetford in Norfolk, England. The parish is in the district of Breckland and has an area of . The 2001 Census recorded the town as having a population of 9 ...

in Norfolk and the justices of Norfolk, ordered a pillar to be erected by the road side in remembrance of this gift. He also gave £100 for building a bridge, and money to the poor of Thetford. Rich married Jane Suckling, widow of Sir John Suckling and daughter of Reeve but had no children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rich, Edwin 1594 births 1675 deaths People from Mulbarton, Norfolk People from Thetford Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Members of Lincoln's Inn Members of the pre-1707 English Parliament for constituencies in Cornwall English MPs 1640 (April)

Edwin The name Edwin means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "ƿine" (friend). The original Anglo-Saxon form is Eadƿine, which is also found for Anglo-Saxon figures. People * Edwin of Northumbria (died ...