On 14 November he returned to the Privy Council the original signed copy of a letter which Elizabeth had written on 2 June 1586, offering annual gifts of money for the king's expenses. In 1598 Sir Richard regained the office of Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland, a position that had been taken over temporarily by John Lindsay. In 1610 he was confirmed as a member in the new Privy Council and at the same time appointed to the Court of High Commission for church affairs. But in February 1626 he was removed from the bench as a result of the resolution by the new king, Charles I, that no noblemen nor officers of the state be simultaneously members of the judiciary. He died in October 1627 in Haddington. In about 1611 Sir Richard married his distant cousin, Margaret Cockburn, the daughter of Sir William Cockburn of Langton. The Cockburns were an important land-owning family in the Scottish Lowlands since the early part of the 14th century. The marriage brought together the wealthy Langton and politically influential Clerkington branches of that family. Sir Richard and Margaret had a daughter, born in March 1612 in Edinburgh; a son Patrick, born in March 1613 who died in infancy; and a second son Patrick who was born in November 1614. Sir Richard was succeeded as Laird of Clerkington by his son Patrick. Church records confirm that Sir Richard had at least seven illegitimate children, all born in Edinburgh, with one or more unrecorded women. Jeane was born in April 1599. Anna was born in March 1604. Johne was born in April 1605. Helene was born in December 1606. Richard was born in July 1608. William was born in August 1609. Issobel was born in December 1610. In 1620 Jeane married James Pringle, the 5th Laird of Torwoodlee.