Sir Richard Fowler (c.1425-1477) was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
administrator.
He was the son of
William Fowler of Preston manor in
Buckinghamshire. He inherited the manor after his father's death.
He held several posts including king's solicitor from 1461 to 1470 (the first to hold this post) and
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a ministerial office in the Government of the United Kingdom. The position is the second highest ranking minister in the Cabinet Office, immediately after the Prime Minister, and senior to the Minist ...
from 1462 to 1477, before being appointed
Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1469 to 1471 and Under-Treasurer of England in 1471. He was knighted by
Edward IV in 1467. Fowler's tenure as Chancellor occurred during the
Great Bullion Famine
The Great Bullion Famine was a shortage of precious metals that struck Europe in the 15th century, with the worst years of the famine lasting from 1457 to 1464. During the Middle Ages, gold and silver coins saw widespread use as currency in Eur ...
and the
Great Slump in England.
Richard Fowler was the nephew of Sybil Quartermain and whilst the Quartermains lived at
Rycote
Rycote is a hamlet southwest of Thame in Oxfordshire. The Oxfordshire Way long-distance path passes through.
Saint Michael's chapel
Richard and Sybil Quartermayne, lord and lady of the manor of Rycote, founded Saint Michael's chapel as a cha ...
,
Oxfordshire,
[ National Archives; Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas; Year: 1433; CP40/689; image at: http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT1/H6/CP40no689/aCP40no689fronts/IMG_0231.htm (Richard Quatermaynes, of Magna Rycote, Oxon, gentleman) ] Richard Fowler lived at the Quartermain family's ancestral home at
North Weston,
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
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, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
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, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
. The Quartermains had no surviving children and their estate at Rycote passed to Fowler.
He died on 3 November 1477 and was buried at St Rumwold's church in Buckingham. He had married Joan, the daughter of Henry Danvers, a London mercer. They had issue, including a son and heir Richard and a daughter, Sybil. His brother Thomas (
Esquire of the body of King Edward IV) was mentioned in his will. Richard's descendants became the
Fowler baronets of Harnage Grange.
He bequeathed money to rebuild
St Rumwold's shrine in Buckingham.
Notes
References
Westminster Abbey History - William Fowler
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fowler, Richard
1477 deaths
People from Buckinghamshire
Chancellors of the Exchequer of England
Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster
Year of birth uncertain