Sir Richard Paulet, Kt., of Winchester

Richard Paulett is the son of John Paulett, 2nd Marquess of Winchester and Elizabeth Willoughby.

Notes: his wife was the daughter of Peter Cowdray of Herriard, Hampshire (d. 10 Apr 1528). Cowdray and his wife both died, probably in the epidemic known as the sweat, when Elizabeth and her two sisters were still children. Joan (b. 1518- d. 15 Oct 1562), Elizabeth, and Margery Cowdray inherited numerous Hampshire properties, including Herriard and Padworth Manor. Paulet acquired Elizabeth’s sisters’ shares of Herriard and sold Padworth Manor to Joan, who by then was married to Peter Kidwelly of Faccombe. At some point before Mar 1554, she married William Windsor, 2nd Baron Windsor. In May 1560, she married George Puttenham (b. 1529 - d. Oct 1590), a writer and literary critic. They may have been estranged as early as 1563 and within six years of the marriage, she had sued him for divorce. Initially, he was to pay her £100 a year in quarterly payments. He was involved in several legal disputes, primarily over land, and in Jun 1570 was in the Fleet on charges he’d slandered the Queen. He was released but in 1575 was in the Wood Street compter because he had not made any payments to Elizabeth since 1572. He also tried to appropriate the manor of Herriard, which rightfully belonged to the Paulet family. The court of arches ordered Puttenham to pay Elizabeth £3 a week and he was excommunicated for his failure to support her. When the divorce became final on 9 Jun 1578, Elizabeth renewed her appeals for money owed her. Puttenham was in and out of various prisons over the matter but on 13 Jul 1579 he agreed to provide Elizabeth with six servants, a coach, and an annuity of £20. Once again he defaulted. This battle continued for another eight years and Puttenham was imprisoned at least twice more over the matter before Elizabeth’s death.