Sir Richard Head, 1st Baronet (ca. 1609 – 18 September 1689) was an English politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, 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 ...

from 1667 to 1679. Head was the son of Richard Head, of Rochester, and his wife Anne Hartridge, daughter of William Hartridge, of Cranbrook.

William Betham William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

''The Baronetage of England Volume 2''
/ref> In 1667 Head was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Rochester in the

Cavalier Parliament The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. With the exception of the Long Parliament, it was the longest-lasting English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring ...

and held the seat until 1679. He was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

, of The Hermitage in the County of Kent on 19 June 1676. In 1689 Head entertained King James II and his small court as the King was about to leave the country. The king was so pleased and surprised by this hospitality that he presented Head with an emerald ring. Head died in 1689 and by his will left several houses and lands in Higham to the mayor and citizens of Rochester for charitable purposes. Head married firstly Elizabeth Merrick, daughter of Francis Merrick, alderman of Rochester and had three sons (including Francis Head, who died while his father was alive and Sir John Head (2nd son)) and a daughter. He married secondly, Elizabeth Willy, of Wrotham, Kent and had two sons, and three daughters.

References

1600s births 1689 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of England Year of birth uncertain English MPs 1661–1679 English MPs 1679 {{1679-England-MP-stub