Background
Tomlins was the son of Edward Tomlins, of Tiddenham, Gloucestershire.
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Richard Tomlins
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Career
He invested in the Virginia Company, founded a lectureship in anatomy at Oxford University and served as Baron of the Exchequer during the Interregnum. He was admitted at Inner Temple in November 1605 and was called to bar in 1614. He was resident of Westminster and became an investor in the Virginia Company in 1620.
He was elected Member of Parliament for Ludlow again in 1625, 1626 and 1628 and sat until 1629 when King Charles dispensed with parliament for eleven years.
Tomlins was assigned to assist John Bastwick and Henry Burton in their complaint against their cruel punishment by the star chamber and in 1641 they were compensated by the Long Parliament. In 1645 all the cursitor barons had gone to join the king at Oxford except for Thomas Trevor who was in poor health.
Tomlins was therefore recommended as cursitor baron and became a bencher of his inn in that year. Following the death of the King in 1649 he was sworn as Baron of the Exchequer and held the position until the Restoration in 1660.
He was described as a garrulous humourist on the basis of a transcript of a speech he gave to the Sheriffs of London in 1659.
Membership
Useless Parliament; Happy Parliament. 2nd Parliament of King Charles I]
In 1621, he was elected Member of Parliament for Ludlow and was re-elected Member of Parliament for Ludlow in 1624.
