Sir Richard Fowler (c.1425-1477) was an English administrator. He was the son of William Fowler of Preston manor in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

. 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. Excluding the prime minister, the chancellor is the highest ranking minister in the Cabinet Office, immediately after the prime minister ...

from 1462 to 1477, before being appointed

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...

from 1469 to 1471 and Under-Treasurer of England in 1471. He was knighted by

Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

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 Europ ...

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 (place), hamlet southwest of Thame in Oxfordshire. The Oxfordshire Way long-distance path passes through. Saint Michael's chapel Richard and Sybil Quartermayne, lord of the manor, lord and lady of the Manorialism, manor of ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

, 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 Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

. 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 Politicians from Buckinghamshire Chancellors of the Exchequer of England Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster Year of birth uncertain