Richard Barwis (1601 – 13 April 1648) was an English politician who sat in the

House of Commons of England The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which incorporated Wales) from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of ...

between 1628 and 1648. He supported the Parliamentarian side during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

. He was known as "Great Richard" Barwis because of his remarkable strength. Barwis was the son of Anthony Barwis (1580–1616) and his wife Grace Fleming, daughter of William Fleming of Rydal. He lived at Ilekirk Hall.C.Roy Huddleston, F.S.A. & R.S.Boumphrey ''Cumberland Families and Heraldry''
/ref> In 1628, Barwis 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

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...

and held the seat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament. In 1634 he leased the Crosscanonby Salt Pans for 21 years on a lease which included plans for the construction of saltpans and cottages. He was

High Sheriff of Cumberland The sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or ...

in 1635 and

Mayor of Carlisle The role of Mayor of Carlisle dates from 1231. Originally the mayor was elected by the Freemen of the borough but since 1835 has been chosen by elected councillors. List of mayors The following were mayors of Carlisle, Cumbria, England: Before ...

for 1636–37 and 1648–49. Barwis was re-elected MP for Carlisle in April 1640 for 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 ...

and in November 1640 for the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septem ...

and held the seat until his death in 1648. In summer 1645, in an incident known as the "Barwis Affair", Barwis and his associates were accused by the Scots commissioners in London of protecting royalist delinquents and of depriving the Scottish forces in the area of proper maintenance. Barwis was so strong that he was known as "Great Richard" and stories have been passed down of his exploits. There is a large stone at Ilekirk which it is claimed he could easily throw the length of the courtyard. He is said to have walked round the courtyard of Ilekirk Hall, carrying, at arm's length, his wife on one hand, and an enormous stone on the other. It is also said that he once walked along Eden Bridge, at Carlisle, holding his wife seated on his hand held over the battlements.Images of Cumbria - Westward
/ref> Barwis died at the age of 47. Barwis married Frances Musgrave, daughter of Sir Edward Musgrave of Hayton Castle. He died without issue. He had an uncle John Barwis of Waverton (d. 1662), who was High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1648, 1649 and 1652, and whose son Colonel Thomas Barwis (1621–1648) fought on the Parliamentary side at the siege of Carlisle.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Barwis, Richard 1601 births 1648 deaths High Sheriffs of Cumberland English MPs 1628–1629 English MPs 1640 (April) English MPs 1640–1648 Mayors of Carlisle, Cumbria