Sir Richard Abberbury the Elder | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1331 |
| Died | April 1399 |
| Occupation | Chamberlain to Anne of Bohemia |
| Known for | Serving as Chamberlain to Queen Anne of Bohemia, Founding Donnington Hospital charity |
| Notable work | Construction of Donnington Castle |
| Spouse | Agnes Shareshull |
| Children | Richard Abberbury the Younger |
| Parent | Thomas Abberbury |
Sir Richard Abberbury the Elder (1331–1399) was the Chamberlain to Anne of Bohemia, Queen to King Richard II of England.[1]
Richard was the son of Thomas Abberbury of Donnington in Berkshire and Steeple Aston in Oxfordshire.[1] and inherited the Donnington estate from him in 1353. He married Agnes, the daughter of Chief Justice Sir William Shareshull and was knighted in 1359 by the Black Prince.[1] They had two sons, including Richard Abberbury the Younger. He was a justice of the peace in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire.[2]
He subsequently fought under the Prince in 1359 and then in Gascony in 1366 and 1368, remaining there until after 1371. He was at sea with his retinue of men-at-arms and archers in 1374, and in 1378, he sailed to France with Sir John Golafre to take up a post as Captain of Brest, undertaking the duties for a year. In 1382, he was appointed Chamberlain to Queen Anne of Bohemia.[1] He was elected MP for Oxfordshire in 1373 and 1386.[2]
In 1386 he was given permission by King Richard II to turn his manor at Donnington into a fortified castle, to become known as Donnington Castle.[1] In 1393, Sir Richard founded the Donnington Hospital charity and built the almshouses on the site of the present 1602 ones in Donnington.[1][3] He died in April 1399.[1]