Researching Richard Sutton

He was born in Sutton, Cheshire, the younger son of Sir William Sutton, a wealthy landowner and master of the hospital at Burton Lazars, Leicestershire. He was a barrister, and in 1499 a member of the privy council. In 1513 he became steward of the monastery of Sion, a house of Brigittine nuns at Isleworth.

How Smyth and Sutton came to plan a college is not known, but in 1508 we find Edmund Croston, or Crofton, bequeathing £6, 13s. 4d. towards the building of "a college of Brasynnose" if the projects of "the bishop of Lincoln and master Sotton" were carried into effect within a stipulated period. In the same year Sutton obtained a ninety-two year lease of Brasenose Hall and Little University Hall for £3 per annum, and from that time until the end of his life was occupied in purchasing estates with which he might endow the new college.

He is thought to have contributed to the funds of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, as well. He was knighted some years before his death, which occurred about 1524.

Sutton was born in London, England. He earned BA and LLM degrees from Auckland University and an LLM from Harvard Law School. He was employed at the University of Auckland Law School and in 1980 became a full professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Otago in Dunedin. At Otago, he served on two occasions as dean of the faculty. He became an emeritus professor in 2005.

Sutton became the New Zealand national chess champion in 1962. The final game against Ortvin Sarapu ended in a draw, so Sutton and Sarapu were declared co-champions. In 1970 and 1971, Sutton won the New Zealand championship outright. Sutton competed for New Zealand at a number of Chess Olympiads and in 1975 lost to Jørn Sloth in the final of the world championship of correspondence chess.

Sutton died of cancer in Dunedin.

Over and above his contributions to dermatology, Sutton traveled widely, was a member of the American Polar Society, was an avid photographer and also a big game hunter.

Richard L. Sutton Sr. received his preliminary medical education at the University of Missouri and took his M.D. degree from University Medical College (Kansas City) in 1901. Immediately after his graduation he entered the U.S. Navy. As a result of injuries sustained while serving in the tropics, he was placed on the retired list, with the rank of assistant surgeon in 1905. He was an honorary graduate from the medical department of Columbian University and from the U.S. Naval Medical School, the Baltimore Medical College and the New York Post-Graduate, with a year in European universities. He pursued special studies at the Harvard Medical School and also took a course at the Johns Hopkins Medical School. (Source: “The Scalpel” 1910, Volume III, published by the Class of 1911, University Medical College, 909-11-13 E. 10th St., Kansas City, Mo. Dr. Sutton was on the medical faculty at the time.)

Physician, big-game hunter and author. He wrote "Diseases of the Skin," a standard work on the subject in medical education; "Tiger Trails in Southern Asia;" "An African Holiday;" "An Arctic Safari;" "The Long Trek, Around the World With Camera and Rifle;" and "The Silver Kings of Aransas Pass." He was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He lived in Kansas City, Missouri, where he had a private practice specializing in dermatology.