Richard Raynsford

Sir Richard Rainsford
Born	c. 1605NorthamptonshireEngland
Died	17 February 1680(1680-02-17)(aged 74) Dallington,Northamptonshire
Resting place	DallingtonChurch Northamptonshire
Education	Exeter College,Oxford
Occupation	English Judge ( 1650-1678 ) PoliticianMPHouse of Commons(1660-63)
Known for	Chief Justice of the King's Bench,TreasurerofLincoln's InnLondon Member of the projected order ofKnights of the Royal Oak MP forNorthamptonin 1661 for theCavalier Parliament Judge onFire of London Disputes Act 1666atClifford's Innin 1667 and 1672 President and Supervisor in Ireland in 1661-62 for theAct of Settlement 1662in Ireland.

Sir Richard RainsfordSL(c. 1605–1680) was an English judge and politician who sat in theHouse of Commonsbetween 1660 and 1663. He becameChief Justice of the King's Bench.

Career

Rainsford was the second son of Robert Raynsford ofStaverton, Northamptonshireand his second wife Mary Kirton, daughter of Thomas Kirton ofThorpe MandevilleNorthamptonshire. He matriculated atExeter College, Oxfordon 13 December 1622, but left the university without a degree. He was knighted by 1622. In 1630 he was elected recorder ofDaventry,being then a student ofLincoln's Inn,where he wascalled to the baron 16 October 1632. In 1653 he was chosenrecorderofNorthampton.

Rainsford was electedMember of ParliamentforNorthamptonin April 1660 for theConvention Parliament.In 1660 he became treasurer of Lincoln's Inn and on 26 October 1660 he was swornserjeant-at-law.He was one of those designated a member of the projected order ofKnights of the Royal Oak.He was re-elected MP for Northampton in 1661 for theCavalier Parliament,and sat until 16 November 1663 when he was raised to the bench asBaron of the Exchequer.He presided over the commission which sat at Dublin during the earlier months of 1663 to supervise the execution of theAct of Settlement 1662,and on his return to England was raised to the exchequer bench, 16 November the same year.

Rainsford was one of SirMatthew Hale's colleagues in the commission which sat atClifford's Innbetween 1667 and 1672, under theFire of London Disputes Act 1666to determine the legal questions arising out of the rebuilding of the quarters of London destroyed by the great fire. In the meantime he was transferred to the king's bench, 6 February 1669, and on 12 April 1676 he succeeded Hale asChief Justice of the King's Bench.On the return toLord Shaftesbury's writ ofhabeas corpushe decided, 29 June 1677, an important point of constitutional law, viz. that the courts of law have no jurisdiction, during the parliamentary session, to discharge a peer committed by order of theHouse of Lords,even though the warrant of commitment be such as would be void if issued by an ordinary tribunal. Raynsford was removed to make room forSir William Scroggsin June 1678.

Rainsford died on 17 February 1680 atDallington, Northamptonshire,where he had his seat and founded an almshouse. His remains were interred in Dallington church.

Family

Raynsford married atKingsthorpe,on 30 May 1637, Catherine, daughter of Rev. Samuel Clerke, D.D., rector ofSt. Peter's, Northampton,who survived him, and died on 1 June 1698. By her he had, with five daughters, six sons. Most of his children died early. His eldest son,Richard,matriculated atQueen's College, Oxford,on 15 June 1657, representedNorthamptonin the first parliament ofJames II,1685–7, and died on 17 March 1702/3. His grand daughter Rebecca Brompton marriedJohn GarthMP who representedDevizes.

His brother, Edward Rainsford, was one of the first European settlers onRainsford Islandin Boston Harbor, Massachusetts.

Raynsford's portrait, byGerard Soest,is atLincoln's Inn;another, byMichael Wright,is at theGuildhall;a third, by Claret, was engraved byTompson.

Richard Raynsford.

References

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:"Rainsford, Richard".Dictionary of National Biography.London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

Bibliography

• http:// lisburn /books/historical_society/volume9/volume9-5.html