Richard Monckton Milnes, 1st Baron Houghton
Encyclopedia
Richard Monckton Milnes, 1st Baron Houghton FRS
(19 June 1809 – 11 August 1885) was an English
poet, patron of literature and politician.
, the son of Robert Pemberton Milnes
, of Fryston Hall, Yorkshire
, and the Honourable Henrietta, daughter of Robert Monckton-Arundell, 4th Viscount Galway
. He was educated privately, and entered Trinity College, Cambridge
, in 1827. There he was drawn into a literary set, and became a member of the famous Apostles Club, which then included Alfred Lord Tennyson, Arthur Hallam
, Richard Chenevix Trench
, Joseph Williams Blakesley
, and others. After taking his degree, Milnes travelled abroad, spending some time at the University of Bonn
. From there he went to Italy
and Greece
, and published in 1834 a volume of Memorials of a Tour in some Parts of Greece, describing his experiences.
in 1837, and was elected to Parliament as member for Pontefract
as a Conservative
. In parliament he interested himself particularly in the question of copyright
and the conditions of reformatory schools. He left Prime Minister
Sir Robert Peel's party over the Corn Law controversy, and was afterwards identified in politics with Lord Palmerston. In 1863 Palmerston elevated him to the peerage as Baron Houghton, of Great Houghton in the West Riding of the County of York.
. Milnes' ballad
s were among the most popular of their day.
However, his chief distinctions were his sense of literary merit in others, and the way he fostered it. He was surrounded by the most brilliant men of his time, many of whom he had been the first to acclaim. His reputation rests largely on the part he played, as a man of influence in society and in moulding public opinion on literary matters, in connection with his large circle of talented friends. He secured a pension for Tennyson
, helped to make Ralph Waldo Emerson
known in Britain
, and was one of the earliest champions of Algernon Charles Swinburne
. He helped David Gray
by writing a preface for The Luggie. He was, in the traditional sense, a patron of literature, who never abused the privileges of his position.
Milnes has been considered as a possible author of The Rodiad
, a pornographic
poem on the subject of flagellation
. His apparently almost unsurpassed collection of erotic literature
, now in the British Library
, was known to few in his lifetime.
(who finally refused to marry him), and one of her staunchest supporters along with the statesman Sidney Herbert. In 1851 he married the Honourable Annabel, daughter of John Crewe, 2nd Baron Crewe
. She died in 1874. Lord Houghton died at Vichy
, France
, in August 1885, aged 76, and was buried at Fryston. He was succeeded in the barony by his son, Robert
, who became a prominent Liberal statesman and was created Earl of Crewe in 1895 and Marquess of Crewe
in 1911.
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(19 June 1809 – 11 August 1885) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
poet, patron of literature and politician.
Background and education
Milnes was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of Robert Pemberton Milnes
Robert Pemberton Milnes
Robert Pemberton Milnes , was a British landowner and politician.Milnes was the son of Richard Slater Milnes, of Fryston Hall, Yorkshire, by Rachael, daughter of Hans Busk...
, of Fryston Hall, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, and the Honourable Henrietta, daughter of Robert Monckton-Arundell, 4th Viscount Galway
Robert Monckton-Arundell, 4th Viscount Galway
Robert Monckton-Arundell, 4th Viscount Galway, PC , was a British statesman of the late 18th and early 19th ceturies...
. He was educated privately, and entered Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, in 1827. There he was drawn into a literary set, and became a member of the famous Apostles Club, which then included Alfred Lord Tennyson, Arthur Hallam
Arthur Hallam
Arthur Henry Hallam was an English poet, best known as the subject of a major work, In Memoriam A.H.H., by his best friend and fellow poet, Alfred Tennyson...
, Richard Chenevix Trench
Richard Chenevix Trench
Richard Chenevix Trench was an Anglican archbishop and poet.-Life:He was born at Dublin, in Ireland, son of the Dublin writer Melesina Trench, his elder brother was Francis Chenevix Trench. He went to school at Harrow, and graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1829. In 1830 he visited Spain...
, Joseph Williams Blakesley
Joseph Williams Blakesley
The Very Rev. Joseph Williams Blakesley was an English clergyman.Blakesley was born in London and was educated at St Paul's School, London, and at Corpus Christi and Trinity College, Cambridge. At university he became a member of the "Apostles Club", along with Alfred Tennyson and other literary...
, and others. After taking his degree, Milnes travelled abroad, spending some time at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
. From there he went to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and published in 1834 a volume of Memorials of a Tour in some Parts of Greece, describing his experiences.
Political career
Milnes returned to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1837, and was elected to Parliament as member for Pontefract
Pontefract (UK Parliament constituency)
Pontefract was an English parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Pontefract in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons briefly in the 13th century and again from 1621 until 1885, and one member from 1885 to 1974.-In the unreformed...
as a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. In parliament he interested himself particularly in the question of copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
and the conditions of reformatory schools. He left Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Sir Robert Peel's party over the Corn Law controversy, and was afterwards identified in politics with Lord Palmerston. In 1863 Palmerston elevated him to the peerage as Baron Houghton, of Great Houghton in the West Riding of the County of York.
Literary career
Milnes' literary career was often influenced by church matters. He wrote a tract in 1841, which was praised by John Henry Newman. He took part in the discussion about "Essays and Reviews," defending the tractarian position in One Tract More (1841). He published two volumes of verse in 1838, Memorials of Residence upon the Continent and Poems of Many Years, Poetry for the People in 1840 and Palm Leaves in 1844. He also wrote a Life and Letters of Keats in 1848, the material for which was largely provided by the poet's friend, Charles Armitage BrownCharles Armitage Brown
Charles Armitage Brown was born in Lambeth on 14 April 1787.He was a very close friend of the poet John Keats, as well as being a friend of artist Joseph Severn, Leigh Hunt, Thomas Jefferson Hogg, Walter Savage Landor and Edward John Trelawny...
. Milnes' ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s were among the most popular of their day.
However, his chief distinctions were his sense of literary merit in others, and the way he fostered it. He was surrounded by the most brilliant men of his time, many of whom he had been the first to acclaim. His reputation rests largely on the part he played, as a man of influence in society and in moulding public opinion on literary matters, in connection with his large circle of talented friends. He secured a pension for Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language....
, helped to make Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
known in Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
, and was one of the earliest champions of Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He invented the roundel form, wrote several novels, and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica...
. He helped David Gray
David Gray (poet)
David Gray was a Scottish poet.The son of a handloom weaver, Gray was born at Merkland, by Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire. His parents resolved to educate him for the kirk, and through their self-denial and his own exertions as a pupil teacher and private tutor he was able to complete a course of...
by writing a preface for The Luggie. He was, in the traditional sense, a patron of literature, who never abused the privileges of his position.
Milnes has been considered as a possible author of The Rodiad
The Rodiad
The Rodiad is a pornographic poem on the subject of flagellation published by John Camden Hotten in 1871, although falsely dated to 1810. It has been ascribed, apparently falsely, to George Colman the Younger. A candidate for its authorship is Richard Monckton Milnes...
, a pornographic
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
poem on the subject of flagellation
Flagellation
Flagellation or flogging is the act of methodically beating or whipping the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails and the sjambok...
. His apparently almost unsurpassed collection of erotic literature
Erotic literature
Erotic literature comprises fictional and factual stories and accounts of human sexual relationships which have the power to or are intended to arouse the reader sexually. Such erotica takes the form of novels, short stories, poetry, true-life memoirs, and sex manuals...
, now in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
, was known to few in his lifetime.
Personal life
Milnes was a persistent suitor of Florence NightingaleFlorence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
(who finally refused to marry him), and one of her staunchest supporters along with the statesman Sidney Herbert. In 1851 he married the Honourable Annabel, daughter of John Crewe, 2nd Baron Crewe
John Crewe, 2nd Baron Crewe
John Crewe was an English soldier and peer.He was the son of John Crewe, 1st Baron Crewe, a politician who was created the first Baron Crewe in 1806, and Frances Anne Crewe, the daughter of Fulke Greville, who was a political hostess known for her great beauty...
. She died in 1874. Lord Houghton died at Vichy
Vichy
Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, in August 1885, aged 76, and was buried at Fryston. He was succeeded in the barony by his son, Robert
Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe
Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe KG, PC , known as The Lord Houghton from 1885 to 1895 and as The Earl of Crewe from 1895 to 1911, was a British statesman and writer....
, who became a prominent Liberal statesman and was created Earl of Crewe in 1895 and Marquess of Crewe
Marquess of Crewe
Marquess of Crewe was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1911 for the Liberal statesman Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Earl of Crewe. He had already been created Earl of Crewe, of Crewe in the County Palatine of Chester, in 1895 and was made Earl of Madeley, in the County of...
in 1911.