Robert Richardson-Gardner
Encyclopedia
Robert Richardson-Gardner (15 June 1827 - 4 January 1898) was a British barrister
, militia
officer and Conservative
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1874 to 1890. He was also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
.
, Glamorgan
, the son of John and Elizabeth Richardson, and was called to the bar at the Middle Temple
in 1853, although he did not practice as a barrister. His father and several of his brothers were shipowners and dock proprietors in Swansea, although the family originated in Northumberland.
He married Maria Louisa Gardner in 1854, only daughter and heiress of Henry Gardner, a wealthy brewer who, with his brothers, had owned the Cannon Brewery in St John Street, Clerkenwell, London. The couple adopted the surname Richardson-Gardner in 1865 by royal license. In 1859 he was appointed Captain-Commandant of the newly formed 8th Hampshire Rifle Volunteers and in 1865 he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 6th Tower Hamlets Rifle Volunteer Corps, a position he held until around 1872. Also in 1865 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
of Tower Hamlets.
At the 1868 general election
, Richardson-Gardner stood unsuccessfully for Windsor
. However he was elected Member of Parliament
for the seat at the 1874 general election
. On both occasions the unsuccessful candidate petitioned without success to have the result overthrown, citing bribery and corruption. He attended parliament infrequently and made one contribution during his time in the House of Commons. Shortly after his election he purchased an estate at Cowley Manor, Cheltenham
, which he sold in 1882 and later lived at Ensbury Manor, Kinson, Wimborne, Dorset. Richardson-Gardner resigned his seat in 1890, after the death of his wife the previous year at Chateau Louis XIII, their spectacular home in Cannes, France. In 1892 he married the young actress, Rosalie Lilian Aurora Bernard, who unsuccessfully petitioned him for a divorce on the grounds of cruelty and adultery in 1894.
Richardson-Gardner also lived at 34 Grosvenor Square, London, 32 Park Lane, London and 4 Ladbroke Square London. He died at the Grand Hotel, Monte Carlo in 1898, aged 70.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
officer and 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...
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1874 to 1890. He was also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
.
Biography
Richardson-Gardner was born in SwanseaSwansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, the son of John and Elizabeth Richardson, and was called to the bar at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1853, although he did not practice as a barrister. His father and several of his brothers were shipowners and dock proprietors in Swansea, although the family originated in Northumberland.
He married Maria Louisa Gardner in 1854, only daughter and heiress of Henry Gardner, a wealthy brewer who, with his brothers, had owned the Cannon Brewery in St John Street, Clerkenwell, London. The couple adopted the surname Richardson-Gardner in 1865 by royal license. In 1859 he was appointed Captain-Commandant of the newly formed 8th Hampshire Rifle Volunteers and in 1865 he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 6th Tower Hamlets Rifle Volunteer Corps, a position he held until around 1872. Also in 1865 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Tower Hamlets.
At the 1868 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
, Richardson-Gardner stood unsuccessfully for Windsor
Windsor (UK Parliament constituency)
Windsor is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In its modern form, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.-Boundaries:...
. However he was elected 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,...
for the seat at the 1874 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1874
-Seats summary:-References:* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
. On both occasions the unsuccessful candidate petitioned without success to have the result overthrown, citing bribery and corruption. He attended parliament infrequently and made one contribution during his time in the House of Commons. Shortly after his election he purchased an estate at Cowley Manor, Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, which he sold in 1882 and later lived at Ensbury Manor, Kinson, Wimborne, Dorset. Richardson-Gardner resigned his seat in 1890, after the death of his wife the previous year at Chateau Louis XIII, their spectacular home in Cannes, France. In 1892 he married the young actress, Rosalie Lilian Aurora Bernard, who unsuccessfully petitioned him for a divorce on the grounds of cruelty and adultery in 1894.
Richardson-Gardner also lived at 34 Grosvenor Square, London, 32 Park Lane, London and 4 Ladbroke Square London. He died at the Grand Hotel, Monte Carlo in 1898, aged 70.