Background
Richard Empson was born about 1450. He was the son of Peter Empson, an influential inhabitant of Towcester.
Richard Empson was born about 1450. He was the son of Peter Empson, an influential inhabitant of Towcester.
He was educated as a lawyer.
Soon after getting legal education he attained considerable success in his profession, and in 1491 was one of the members of parliament for Northamptonshire and speaker of the House of Commons.
Early in the reign of Henry VII he became associated with Edmund Dudley in carrying out the king's rigorous and arbitrary system of taxation, and in consequence he became very unpopular.
Retaining the royal favour, however, he was made a knight in 1504, and was soon high steward of the university of Cambridge, and chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster; but his official career ended with Henry's death in April 1509. Thrown into prison by order of the new king, Henry VIII, he was charged, like Dudley, with the crime ol constructive treason, and was convicted at Northampton in October 1509. His attainder by the parliament followed, and he was beheaded on the 17th or 18th of August 1510.
Empson had a family of two sons and four daughters, and about 1513 his estates were restored to his elder son, Thomas.
