Thomas Richardson (judge)
The only man in English history to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons and then as Chief Justice of both major royal courts.
1569–1635 (age 66)·English politician and judge·Birthday: July 3
Biography
Sir Thomas Richardson's career is a map of the intersecting powers of law and politics in early 17th-century England. A Cambridge-educated barrister who entered Parliament, his political acumen was recognized when he was elected Speaker of the House of Commons in 1621. His tenure was famously difficult, as he was forced by King James I to tear a protestation of parliamentary rights from the journal himself. This perhaps steered him toward the judiciary, where he found his true calling. Appointed Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and later of the King's Bench, he was known for a measure of independence. His most famous ruling, in 1631, declared that a husband had no right to beat his wife—a startlingly progressive stance for its time that cemented his legacy as a judge willing to challenge even common societal norms in the name of legal principle.
#1 When Thomas Was Born
The biggest hits of 1569
Thomas's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1569Born
1574Started school
1582Became a teenager
1585Could drive
1587Could vote
1590Turned 21
1599Turned 30
1609Turned 40
1619Turned 50
1629Turned 60
1635Died at 66
Key Achievements
- Served as Speaker of the House of Commons during the contentious Parliament of 1621.
- Appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in 1626.
- Ascended to the position of Chief Justice of the King's Bench, the highest common law court, in 1631.
- Issued a landmark ruling in 'R v. Sir Charles Sydlyes' that declared wife-beating illegal.
Did You Know?
As Speaker, he was the one who had to physically tear the 'Protestation of 1621' from the Commons Journal under the King's orders.
He is buried in Westminster Abbey, a testament to his high office.
The town of Richardson, Texas, in the United States is indirectly named for him, via an early settler who was a descendant.
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