Richard Kirkby (c. 1625 – 9 September 1681) 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 ...

politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

from 1661 to 1681. Kirkby was the son of Roger Kirkby or Kirby of

Kirkby Ireleth Kirkby Ireleth is a civil parish in the South Lakeland district of the English county of Cumbria. It includes the villages of Grizebeck and Kirkby-in-Furness; and the hamlets of Beanthwaite, Beck Side, Chapels, Soutergate, Wall End and Woodla ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

and his wife Agnes Lowther, sister of Sir John Lowther, 1st Baronet. Kirkby was a justice of the peace for Lancashire from 1663 until his death and

custos rotulorum ''Custos rotulorum'' (; plural: ''custodes rotulorum''; Latin for "keeper of the rolls", ) is a civic post that is recognised in the United Kingdom (except Scotland) and in Jamaica. England, Wales and Northern Ireland The ''custos rotulorum'' is t ...

for the same county, also until death. He 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 o ...

for Lancaster in 1661 for the

Cavalier Parliament The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter-century reign of C ...

and retained the seat until his death in 1681. Kirkby married three times. His first wife was Elizabeth Murray by whom he had children Roger Kirkby (c.1649–1709), Agnes and Temperance. He married secondly Isabel Huddleston, daughter of Sir William Huddleston of Millom and had children Capt. Richard Kirkby, RN (c.1657–1703), shot for cowardice, William Kirkby (b. c.1658) and Elizabeth Kirkby. His third wife was Helen Maxey and he had children Greville Kirkby (b. 1662) and Mary Kirkby.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirkby, Richard 1620s births 1681 deaths English MPs 1661–1679 English MPs 1679 English MPs 1680–1681 English MPs 1681