Andrew Riccard
Quick Facts
Biography
Sir Andrew Riccard (c. 1604 – 6 September 1672) was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654.
Background & family
Riccard was the son of Walter Riccard of Portesham.; he married firstly, Katherine, and their only surviving daughter Christiana married successively Lord Kensington, son of the second Earl of Holland, and John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, by whom she was ancestress of the succeeding Lords. He married, secondly, Susanna who survived him and was buried 17 Mar 1686 at St Olave's.
Offices held
Riccard became an Alderman of the City of London and was Sheriff of London in 1651. He was at various times Governor of the East India Company and of the Turkey Company. In 1654 he was elected Member of Parliament for City of London in the First Protectorate Parliament. Following the Restoration, he was knighted by Charles II on 10 July 1660.
Death
Riccard died at the age of 68 and a Monument including a full size statue was erected at the church of St Olave's after his death by members of the Turkey Company. The inscription reads as follows.
"Sacred be the statue here raised by gratitude and respect to eternize the memory of Sir Andrew Riccard, knight, a citizen, and opulent merchant of London; whose active piety, inflexible integrity, and extensive abilities, alike distinguished and exalted him in the opinion of the wise and good. Adverse to his wish, he was frequently chosen chairman of the Honourable East India Company, and filled, with equal credit, for eighteen successive years, the same eminent station in the Turkey Company. Among many instances of his love to God and liberal spirit towards man, one, as it demands peculiar praise, deserves to be distinctly recorded. He nobly left the perpetual advowson of this parish in trust to five of its senior inhabitants. He died 6th Sept., in the year of our Lord, 1672, of his age, 68. "Manet post funera virtus."