Richard Watson (politician)
Encyclopedia
The Honourable
Richard Watson (6 January 1800 – 24 July 1852) was a British Whig politician who served as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for Canterbury
from 1830 to 1835 and briefly in 1852 for Peterborough
.
Watson was the fourth and youngest son of Lewis Thomas Watson, 2nd Baron Sondes
(1794–1874), by his marriage to the heiress
Mary Elizabeth Milles, of North Elmham
. His elder brother changed his name to Milles.
Watson was commissioned into the 11th Hussars
, a cavalry regiment
, and served in the Peninsula
. He first stood for parliament at the 1826 general election
in Canterbury
, where he was nominated in his absence by the Reformers and polled just 107 votes. However, at the 1830 general election
he topped the poll at Canterbury, with 1,334 votes, was returned unopposed in 1831
, and again won a contested election in 1832
, when one of the other candidates was the madman John Nichols Thom
, calling himself Sir William Courtenay, otherwise 'Tom of Truro', who gained 375 votes. Watson was so dismayed by the support given to this opponent that he declined to stand again at the 1835 general election
.
On 21 December 1839 Watson married Lavinia Jane, a daughter of Lord George Quin, grand-daughter of Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort
, and great-niece of George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer
. They had three sons and a daughter.
On 7 July 1852 he was returned at the general election
to the Commons as MP for Peterborough
, but died a few weeks later on 24 July 1852, at the age of 52, at the Baths in Bad Homburg, near Frankfurt. His body was brought home to England
and buried at Rockingham Castle
.
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Richard Watson (6 January 1800 – 24 July 1852) was a British Whig politician who served as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Canterbury
Canterbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Canterbury is a county constituency which has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
from 1830 to 1835 and briefly in 1852 for Peterborough
Peterborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Peterborough is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, formally styled The Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past...
.
Watson was the fourth and youngest son of Lewis Thomas Watson, 2nd Baron Sondes
Earl Sondes
Earl Sondes, of Lees Court in the County of Kent, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1880 for the former Conservative Member of Parliament for East Kent, George Milles, 5th Baron Sondes. He was made Viscount Throwley, of the County of Kent, at the same time, which...
(1794–1874), by his marriage to the heiress
Beneficiary
A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example: The beneficiary of a life insurance policy, is the person who receives the payment of the amount of insurance after the death of the insured...
Mary Elizabeth Milles, of North Elmham
North Elmham
North Elmham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 1,428 in 624 households as of the 2001 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Breckland....
. His elder brother changed his name to Milles.
Watson was commissioned into the 11th Hussars
11th Hussars
The 11th Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army.-History:The regiment was founded in 1715 as Colonel Philip Honeywood's Regiment of Dragoons and was known by the name of its Colonel until 1751 when it became the 11th Regiment of Dragoons...
, a cavalry regiment
Cavalry regiments of the British Army
There are currently nine regular cavalry regiments of the British Army, with two tank regiments provided by the Royal Tank Regiment, traditionally classed alongside the cavalry, for a total of eleven regiments. Of these, five serve as armoured regiments, and five as formation reconnaissance...
, and served in the Peninsula
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. He first stood for parliament at the 1826 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1826
The 1826 United Kingdom general election saw the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool win a substantial and increased majority over the Whigs. In Ireland, Home Rule candidates, working with the Whigs, won large gains from Unionist candidates....
in Canterbury
Canterbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Canterbury is a county constituency which has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, where he was nominated in his absence by the Reformers and polled just 107 votes. However, at the 1830 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1830
The 1830 United Kingdom general election, was triggered by the death of King George IV and produced the first parliament of the reign of his successor, William IV. Fought in the aftermath of the Swing Riots, it saw electoral reform become a major election issue...
he topped the poll at Canterbury, with 1,334 votes, was returned unopposed in 1831
United Kingdom general election, 1831
The 1831 general election in the United Kingdom saw a landslide win by supporters of electoral reform, which was the major election issue. As a result it was the last unreformed election, as the Parliament which resulted ensured the passage of the Reform Act 1832. Polling was held from 28 April to...
, and again won a contested election in 1832
United Kingdom general election, 1832
-Seats summary:-Parties and leaders at the general election:The Earl Grey had been Prime Minister since 22 November 1830. His was the first predominantly Whig administration since the Ministry of all the Talents in 1806-1807....
, when one of the other candidates was the madman John Nichols Thom
John Nichols Thom
John Nichols Thom, or Mad Tom, was a Cornishman, a self-declared messiah who, in the 19th century led the last battle to be fought on English soil.-Early life:...
, calling himself Sir William Courtenay, otherwise 'Tom of Truro', who gained 375 votes. Watson was so dismayed by the support given to this opponent that he declined to stand again at the 1835 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1835
The 1835 United Kingdom general election was called when Parliament was dissolved on 29 December 1834. Polling took place between 6 January and 6 February 1835, and the results saw Robert Peel's Conservatives make large gains from their low of the 1832 election, but the Whigs maintained a large...
.
On 21 December 1839 Watson married Lavinia Jane, a daughter of Lord George Quin, grand-daughter of Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort
Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort
Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort KP , styled Viscount Headford from 1766 to 1795, and known as Thomas Taylour, 2nd Earl of Bective from 1795 to 1800, was an Irish peer and politician....
, and great-niece of George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer
George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer
George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer KG PC FRS FSA , styled Viscount Althorp from 1765 to 1783, was a British Whig politician...
. They had three sons and a daughter.
On 7 July 1852 he was returned at the general election
United Kingdom general election, 1852
The July 1852 United Kingdom general election was a watershed election in the formation of the modern political parties of Britain. Following 1852, the Tory/Conservative party became, more completely, the party of the rural aristocracy, while the Whig/Liberal party became the party of the rising...
to the Commons as MP for Peterborough
Peterborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Peterborough is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, formally styled The Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past...
, but died a few weeks later on 24 July 1852, at the age of 52, at the Baths in Bad Homburg, near Frankfurt. His body was brought home to England
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...
and buried at Rockingham Castle
Rockingham Castle
Rockingham Castle is a former royal castle and hunting lodge in Rockingham Forest a mile to the north of Corby, Northamptonshire.-History:The site on which the castle stands has been used in the Iron Age, Roman period and by the invading Saxons also used by the Normans, Tudors and also used in the...
.