Richard Bunny

Richard Bunny (by 1525 – 1584), of Bunny Hall, Wakefield and of Newland and Normanton, Yorkshire, was an English politician.

Bunny was the son of Richard Bunny (died 1535) and RoseBunny, née Topcliffe., only daughter and heiress of Sir John Topcliffe of Topcliffe, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland (died 1513).He was educated at Gray's Inn, which he enteredin 1538. Hemarried Bridget Restwold, daughter of Edward Restwold of The Vache,Buckinghamshire,and had three sons, including his namesake and fellow MP, Richard Bunny, and Edmund Bunny, vicarof Bolton Percy, Selby, North Yorkshire.

He was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Bramber in 1547 and for Boroughbridge in 1559. He held a number of Court offices, including the position ofTreasurer of Berwick-upon-Tweed1550–1554. He was removed from this office on the discovery of hisrecord of embezzlement and forgery (charges whichhe always denied), and went into exile, using the pretext that as a staunch Protestant he had incurred the disfavour of Queen Mary. On the accession of Elizabeth Ihe returned to England to resume his political career. Much of his time was devoted to the acquisition andmanagement of land,although in his last will he referred to his "molestation" of his own estates. Like most landowners of the time he was extremely litigious, even over such minor matters as a neighbour's right to erect a pewin the parish church.

He died on 30 April 1584 in Bolton Percy, the home of his son Edmund, to whom he left much of his personal property. He explained in his will that he had decided not to leave Edmund any land, not because of any ill-feeling between them but because of the burden which would be placed on him. due to Richard's mismanagement of the estates. At the same time he maintained his innocence of the charges of corruptionbrought against him thirty years earlier, arising fromhis service as Treasurer of Berwick.