Sir Richard Abberbury was from the poor branch of a rich family. Then his cousin died at the Siege of Calais, after the Battle of Crecy, and left his father all his money. Richard's father died soon afterwards and so he got the lot.

He lived at Donnington, near Newbury, and built the castle there in 1386.

He was a year younger than the Black Prince. The two were friends. Richard helped the Prince to rule in Gascony and fought alongside him in the Castilian Civil War at Najara in Spain.

When the Prince died, Sir Richard continued to work for his widow, the Princess of Wales, and looked after the education of their son, who later became King Richard II.

He became an important royal diplomat (someone who acts on behalf of the king aboard). He negotiated (reached an agreement about) the King Richard's marriage and then worked for the new queen.

Sir Richard was a good man. When he died, he left lots of money to set up a retirement home for poor people from Berkshire and Oxfordshire. This was called Donnington Hospital and it is still going strong today. It is the oldest charity in Berkshire.