Southwell was born at
Windham Manor in
Norfolk, in 1502 or 1503. His parents were Francis Southwell, an auditor of the exchequer, and Dorothy Tendring, daughter of William Tendring. He was the eldest brother of
Robert Southwell,
Francis Southwell, and Anthony Southwell.) Richard's father died in 1512, and he inherited the estate. In 1514, his uncle Robert Southwell died, and the younger Southwell inherited that estate also. and William Wootton. In 1519,
Thomas Wyndham acquired the wardship. From 1534 to 1535, Southwell was
High Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk. In 1536, his portrait was painted by
Hans Holbein the Younger. He was a witness in the trial of
Thomas More, where he claimed not to have heard the details of the damning conversation between
Richard Rich and the accused. He was elected to the
House of Commons in 1539 as
knight of the shire for
Norfolk and
knighted in 1540. Southwell was a principal accuser of
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, who was arrested in December 1546 on charges (very likely trumped up) of threatening the succession of Prince Edward by displaying the lions of England in his personal coat of arms. Following the arrest of Surrey's father,
Thomas Howard, third duke of Norfolk, Southwell was one of three royal commissioners (along with John Gates and Wymond Carew) sent to seize and inventory the Howards' possessions. He was one of the assistants to the executors of the
will of Henry VIII. Southwell was
Master of the Armoury from 1554 to 1559. Southwell died on 11 January 1564. ==Notes==