Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Shuckburgh, Richard
SHUCKBURGH, Sir RICHARD (1596–1656), royalist, born in 1596, was second son of John Shuckburgh of Shuckburgh in Warwickshire, and of his wife Margery, eldest daughter of Richard Middlemore of Edgbaston in Warwickshire. Richard matriculated from Lincoln College, Oxford, on 23 April 1615, and graduated B.A. on 3 May of the same year (Oxford University Register, ii. ii. 336, iii. 335). His elder brother dying without heirs in 1625, Richard succeeded his father in the family estates in March 1631. In 1640 he was chosen to represent the county of Warwick in the Long parliament. But the proceedings of that body were little to his taste, and his vehement loyalty drew down on him the displeasure of the parliamentarians. He was interrogated by order of the commons, and on 21 Sept. 1642 the serjeant-at-arms was directed to take him in custody on account of his unsatisfactory answers (Commons' Journals, ii. 775). To avoid imprisonment he withdrew to his Warwickshire estates. On his march to Edgecot Charles I met Shuckburgh hunting on 22 Oct. 1642, and enlisted his support. Shuckburgh was present at Edgehill on the following day and was knighted. He did not, however, accompany Charles in his retreat, but fortified himself on the top of Shuckburgh hill. The place was attacked and stormed after a stout resistance, and Sir Richard, desperately wounded, was carried a prisoner to Kenilworth Castle. For taking arms for the king he was expelled by parliament on 14 Jan. 1644 (ib. iii. 366; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1649–50, pp. 444–5). His petition to compound for his delinquency, 28 April 1646, met with no response (Cal. Comm. for Compounding, p. 1218). He remained in prison for several years, and obtained his release only by sacrificing many of his estates. The remainder of his life he passed in retirement, interesting himself in history and antiquities. Thomas Fuller dedicated to him the third section of the fifth book of his ‘Church History.’ He died in London on 13 June 1656, and was buried in Shuckburgh mortuary chapel, where his monument may still be seen.
He was thrice married, but only by his third wife had he any children. On 30 Nov. 1627 he married Mary Crompton, a widow, daughter of Ralph Sneyd of Keyle in Stafford, who died on 5 Sept. 1629. He married, on 10 Dec. 1630, his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Robert Lee of Billeslee in Warwickshire. By Grace, his third wife, daughter of Sir Thomas Holte of Aston, bart., he had six sons—John, who succeeded to the estates and was created a baronet in 1660; Richard, George, Charles, and two who died young. By her he had also four daughters. Sir Richard's third wife survived him and married John Keating [q. v.], chief justice of the common pleas in Ireland. She died in 1677.
[Dugdale's Warwickshire, i. 289, 309; Colvile's Warwickshire Worthies, p. 689; Diary of Richard Symonds (Camden Soc.), p. 191; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1500–1714; Notes and Queries, 1st ser. i. 338; Misc. Geneal. 2nd ser. iii. 353.]