Richard Luther of Kelvedon Hatch (Born ~1550)

10^th Great Grandfather – FFFMFFMFFFFF¹

Anthony Luther my 9^th great grandfather’s father was Richard Luther.

Richard Luther was born sometime around 1550 to Thomas Luther and his wife Phillipa (nee Goudge) Luther, although I do not have any definitive evidence of his birth. This was about when parish registers were first being used. In fact the registers for Kelvedon Hatch did not begin until 1560, so this is not surprising.

In May 1568 Richard matriculated at Christ’s College Cambridge² The brief note in the Alumni Cantabrigienses suggests he was born in 1550.

His portrait (see Figure 1) was painted probably by someone in the circle of Gilbert Jackson³ about the time of Richard’d death.

At some time during the early 1580s he married Mary Meade the daughter of Edward Meade⁴.

Richard and Mary had at least 4 children. Anthony the eldest boy and my 9^th great grandfather was baptised in Kelvedon Hatch on 16^th Mar 1587⁵ and Thomas was baptised on 23^rd August 1590⁶. There were also two daughters although I have not found records of their baptism. On 26^th March 1595 Anne Luther was buried and in the burial register it says she was the daughter of Richard Luther⁷ and in the Visitation of Essex in 1634 it mentions that there was also a daughter, Philipa who was the wife of John Peryn⁸ of Stansted Mountfichet.

Apparently, Richard’s brother Anthony and his wife Martha also lived at Miles with Richard, Mary and their family, as an epitaph in the Kelvedon Hatch church to them shows⁹.

So truely loveing brothers, that they lived neare fortie years joynt housekeepers together at Miles without anie accompt betwixt then.

Whether this is true they certainly were involved in a number of property transactions together as is shown from the Essex “Feet of Fines”. For example in Hilary Term 1595 they are both defendants, together with William Carewe in a case brought by James Quarles invloving about 250 acres of land in Rawreth, Wickford and Rayleigh¹⁰. In a second case in Hilary Term, 1602, they are plaintiffs in a case brought against William Bradbury and Thomas Bradbury over land in Langley¹¹.

Richard’s brother Anthony was a barrister of law at the Middle Temple. He was admitted to Middle Temple on 26^th January 1573/74 and was called to the bar 10 years later on 10^th February 1583/84¹². When Richard’s sons Anthony and Thomas were admitted to Middle Inn they were both assigned to their uncle Anthony’s chambers^13,14. Anthony the elder is referred to often in the Middle Inn records as “an ancient of the Masters of the Utter Bar”¹⁵.

Anthony was also a Justice of the Peace for Essex, like his nephew. For example, he is the Justice in a case between Richard Glasyer, William Ingold and Robert Gurnard on 23^rd January 1625¹⁶.

Mary died in 1620 and she was buried on 4^th May 1620 at Kelvedon Hatch¹⁷. Richard’s brother Anthony died in 1627 and was buried in Kelvedon Hatch on 16^th June 1627¹⁸. In his will¹⁹ Anthony leaves his portion of the Estates that they had inherited from their father Thomas²⁰ to Richard, as Anthony had no heirs. Anthony’s Will was nuncupative, which means that it was not written down and the witnesses had to swear oaths to the validity of the will.

Richard died on 28^th February 1638/9 and was buried on 2^nd March 1638/39²¹. The biography in Alumni Cantabrigienses refers to him as being 88 years old when he died. If so this would confirm his birth as being in 1550. I have not been able to find a will for Richard, but his estate passed to his eldest son Anthony.

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