The death of old Richard in January 1482 had released his sons from tutelage and opened a new chapter in their lives. It meant much immediate business for Richard junior, who was charged with making the funeral arrangements in accordance with the terms of his father's will, setting up his tomb, hiring the ‘soul priest’ who was paid an annual salary of ten marks (£6 13s 4d) to ‘sing for the soul’ of the deceased, and superintending the making of the steeple and the altar of St Stephen in St Olave's church, for which his father had made bequests. He had also to take charge of his mother's household in Mark Lane, and of Bretts Place, Aveley, of which he now became owner. There were the usual legal questions about his father's estate to be settled. In March ‘John Croke of the Temple’ told Agnes that he had heard the Escheator of Essex say that he had to go into Essex to hold the inquisition post mortem into old Richard's lands, and there was a story that George's inherited place Mallins was held of the king, so Richard had to take advice of master Molenars [Molyneux] and explain that all the properties were in the name of feoffees. He gave the escheator 40s, ‘and so we be through with him for all matters and perils, but I must bring him at leisure a bill of the day a’ the decease of our father, our age, and of whom our land is holden, ‘at he may set it in the king's books’.