He was nicknamed Black Dick of the North by James 1st (formerly James VIth of Scotland). He was knighted in 1609 standing as MP for Pontefract in 1635. Sir Richard was the first and last Baron of Whitley Beaumont (made a Gent of the Privy Chamber extraordinary in 1628). since he had no legitimate heirs his baronetcy became extinct and therefor is not recorded in Burke’s peerage. His biography is available from the Cambridge University Press.