No. 2555
Richard Smith
1453–1516Merchant, politician and courtierEurope · 1453Most named place: London
Richard Smith was an English merchant who created the career as a courtier.
Possibly born in Reading, Berkshire, Smith was a cloth merchant and member of the merchants’ guild with business premises both in Reading and in London. Before he became a yeoman of the Robes to Queen Elizabeth of York in the late 1480s, Smith hold various minor royal appointments. During his career, he served as the Royal bailiff at Swallowfield Park and steward at Caversham. In three occasions he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Reading, and mayor in 1504-1505.
