In 1572 one William Dewhurst complained in the Star Chamber that Richard Myddlemore of Studley, on 3 April, laid violent hands upon him in Studley parish church. Middlemore's answer denies this, or that he used weapons, or that he called a constable to take Dewhurst to prison.
In 1594 he had a dispute with one John Warley, of Warley Hall, Salop, for trespass, and according to Warley's bill of complaint in the Star Chamber he took a somewhat summary remedy, for with his sons and divers other persons he set upon Warley, beat him, put a halter round his neck and violently trailed him to his (Middlemore's) house, where he kept him prisoner, and sending for a justice of the peace, indicted him for trespass.
In 1586 he sold to Gilbert Wakering of London, gent., for ₤115, premises in Little Bloxwiche, Great Bloxwiche, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Esington in Staffordshire.
In 1589 he became involved in Chancery proceedings arising out of the will dated 18 Eliz., 1575-76, of Mary Astericke or Askrigge (for the name is variously spelt), of which he was executor and also guardian of her young son, William Asterick, then aged twelve years. MaryAsterick had the residue of a term of eighty years, at the rent of L4, of the manor of Great Sheepey, in Leicestershire, which had been granted to William Lynforde by the Prior and Convent of Rownton. This lease she bequeathed to her son subject to the payment of her debts, and Middlemore, alleging that her personalty was insufficient to pay them, in May, 1589, sued the son William Asterick, then aged about twenty-three, to contribute out of the lease. Young Askrigge then of the Hayes, co. Warwick retorted by a suit for account against his guardian but the result of this litigation is not known.
The litigation in which he became involved, and especially the complaint against him of Dewhurst and Warley, do not exhibit Middlemore in a very favourable light, and it seems probable that he was a man of a high-handed disposition, not very scrupulous as to the means he used.
Evidently, like his wife, Richard Middlemore did not conform to the new order, since the Recusant Rolls show that his property came into the hands of the Crown. All the same he is found amongst those who subscribed to the national fund for the defence of the kingdom against the Spanish Armada in 1587. William Kynge, William Collmer and John Ward, all of Birmingham, and Richard Middlemore, of Edgbaston, contributed the large sum of ₤25 each.
We have not the date of death of Richard Middlemore, but certainly it occurred before 39 Eliz., 1596-7.
He married Anne, daughter of John Greswolde, of Longdon, esquire, and sister and co-heir of
Richard Greswolde, of Solihull and Longdon. Her mother was a daughter of Sir Richard Verney, of Compton
Mauduit. She died 6 May, 41 Eliz., 1599. She was an adherent of the Roman Catholic religion, and in consequence,
two parts of her lands were seized by the Crown Commissioners, Edward Greville and others on 11 January, 39 Eliz. 1598.
These premises were three messuages, a water-mill, cottages and land in Studley, Solihull and Brickenhull, Yardley and Moseley. They had at least eleven children, but their
order of age is not certain
- Robert Middlemore, of whom next (9).
- John Middlemore, second son, died without issue.
- iii. Humphrey Middlemore, gentleman, who described himself in his will, 16 June, 1636, as "third son of Richard Middlemore of Eggberston, esquire." With his nephew Richard Shuckbury as trustee he purchased from William Saunders, of Welford, Northants, an annuity of £32 for £ 400 charged upon lands called Broad Meadow, then on his death it descended to his eldest nephew Richard, who re-granted it to Thomas Middlemore. He married Sybil, daughter of Edward Betham, of Aspindon, Bucks, by Jane his wife, daughter of Edward Lamborn, of Wadesden. She died 25 August, 1617, m. i. at Edgbaston. Their (presumably) only daughter,
- Thomas Middlemore, gentleman, executor of his brother Humphrey Middlemore's will, which he proved in 1636. His nephews, Richard Shuckbury, of Shuckborough, gentleman, and Richard Middlemore, of Edgbaston, esquire, on 1 August, 1636, evidently in pursuance of the will settled on him an annuity of L32, which had descended to Richard Middlemore as the heir-at-law, but he died shortly after without issue, when the annuity again descended to his nephew, the said Richard Middlemore (10), who sold it to his brother Robert. He is doubtless the Thomas Middlemore, senior, buried at Edgbaston, 29 November, 1636.
- Richard Middlemore.
- Margery, apparently the eldest daughter, who died 22 March, 1629, and was buried with her husband at Upper Shuckburgh, married John Shuckburgh of Upper Shuckburgh, lord of that manor, who died 20 March, 1631, aged about sixty-eight years. Their monument, the inscription on which is given below, still remains in Shuckburgh church. They had issue ten' children, and their grandson was Sir John Shuckburgh, the first baronet, who was born in 1635, and died 1661.
- Anthony Middlemore, not named in the Visitation of Warwick, 1619.
- Anne, second daughter, mentioned in the will, 1636, of her brother, Humphrey Middlemore, as a legatee for 40s., married, as his third wife, `Thomas Scudamore, of Kentchurch Court, Herefordshire. They had issue Benedict Scudamore the "cousin " named in Humphrey Middlemore's will 1636.
- Frances, unmarried in 1619.
- Muriel, married George Johnson, of Keyesby, co. Lincoln, esquire, who made his will 23 October, 1608, They had issue:
John Johnson, of Moseley, Staffordshire, aged fifty-four on 25 April, 1664.
- Margaret, married (1) William Braybrooke, of Brightwalton, Berks, esquire, eldest son of James Braybrooke, of Brightwalton. He died 30 May, 1592, and his letters of administration were granted 12April, 1592, to Ed, White and Margaret Braybrooke his relict. By him she had a son, Richard Braybrooke, who married Mary Middlemore, his mother's step-daughter by her second husband, She married (2) as his second wife, William Middlemore (49), of Hawkesley, who was her father's third cousin, by whom she had three sons, as mentioned hereafter.
Frances, died in infancy 4 December, 1618, and was buried at Edgbaston.
Humphrey Middlemore, as directed by his will, with his wife and daughter, were buried at Edgbaston, and the following inscription, on a flat stone, anciently existed in the body of the church.:
Figure 12 Marker at Edgbaston for Humphrey Middlemore
