Sir Robert Heron, 2nd Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Heron, 2nd Baronet (27 November 1765 – 29 May 1854) was a British Whig politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1812 to 1847, with a break in 1818–1819.
on the latter's death in 1805.
for 1808 and was then elected at the 1812 general election
as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for Great Grimsby
.
He held the seat until the next general election, in 1818
, when he did not stand again in Grimsby. He did however, stand in 1818, for election in Lincolnshire County, though unsuccessfully.
He returned to the Commons the following year, when he was elected at a by-election in November 1819 as an MP for Peterborough
.
He held that seat until the 1847 general election
, when he did not stand again.
(near Newark-on-Trent
) on the border of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The estate had belonged to the Heron family from since 1789, and the 17th-century hall was extensively rebuilt in the early 19th-century by Sir Robert. He had initially used it as a summer retreat, but after being elected to Parliament he decided to make Stubton his main home. The architect Jeffry Wyatt
drew up plans for remodelling, which had to be revised after the building was found to be in a poorer condition than was thought, and the resulting works were a big drain on Heron's finances: in January 1814 he recorded in his diary that he had spent £7,000 just get the building "covered in".
He also kept a large menagerie
, and successfully bred a range of exotic animals including llama
s, alpaca
s. lemur
s, porcupine
s, armadillo
s and kangaroo
s.
Sir Robert and his wide Amelia , daughter and coheir of Sir Horace Mann, 2nd Baronet; had no children, and thus the baronetcy
became extinct on his death. The estate passed to George Nevile, a relation of Amelia, and then to Sir Ralph Wilmot, 6th Baronet, on whose death it was sold to Edmund Royds
.
Early life
He was born in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, the son of Thomas Heron, of Chilham Castle, Kent, Recorder of Newark and educated at St. John's College, Cambridge . He inherited his baronetcy and extensive estates in Lincolnshire from his uncle, Sir Richard Heron, 1st BaronetSir Richard Heron, 1st Baronet
Sir Richard Heron, 1st Baronet was a politician in the Kingdom of Ireland.He was the youngest son of Robert Heron of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire...
on the latter's death in 1805.
Parliament
He served as High Sheriff of LincolnshireHigh Sheriff of Lincolnshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Lincolnshire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...
for 1808 and was then elected at the 1812 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1812
The election to the 5th Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1812 was the fourth general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland....
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 Great Grimsby
Great Grimsby (UK Parliament constituency)
Great Grimsby is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, consisting of the town of Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
.
He held the seat until the next general election, in 1818
United Kingdom general election, 1818
The 1818 general election of the United Kingdom saw the Whigs gain a few seats, but the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool retained a majority of around 90 seats...
, when he did not stand again in Grimsby. He did however, stand in 1818, for election in Lincolnshire County, though unsuccessfully.
He returned to the Commons the following year, when he was elected at a by-election in November 1819 as an 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...
.
He held that seat until the 1847 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1847
-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 *...
, when he did not stand again.
Stubton Hall
Heron owned Stubton Hall, a large estate at StubtonStubton
Stubton is a small village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The nearest town is Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, which is 7 miles away.Adjacent villages include Claypole, Dry Doddington, Beckingham and Brandon....
(near Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
) on the border of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The estate had belonged to the Heron family from since 1789, and the 17th-century hall was extensively rebuilt in the early 19th-century by Sir Robert. He had initially used it as a summer retreat, but after being elected to Parliament he decided to make Stubton his main home. The architect Jeffry Wyatt
Jeffry Wyattville
Sir Jeffry Wyattville was an English architect and garden designer. His original surname was Wyatt, and his name is sometimes also written as Jeffrey and his surname as Wyatville; he changed his name in 1824.He was trained by his uncles Samuel Wyatt and James Wyatt, who were both leading architects...
drew up plans for remodelling, which had to be revised after the building was found to be in a poorer condition than was thought, and the resulting works were a big drain on Heron's finances: in January 1814 he recorded in his diary that he had spent £7,000 just get the building "covered in".
He also kept a large menagerie
Menagerie
A menagerie is/was a form of keeping common and exotic animals in captivity that preceded the modern zoological garden. The term was first used in seventeenth century France in reference to the management of household or domestic stock. Later, it came to be used primarily in reference to...
, and successfully bred a range of exotic animals including llama
Llama
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
s, alpaca
Alpaca
An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...
s. lemur
Lemur
Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species...
s, porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
s, armadillo
Armadillo
Armadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
s and kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s.
Sir Robert and his wide Amelia , daughter and coheir of Sir Horace Mann, 2nd Baronet; had no children, and thus the baronetcy
Heron Baronets
There have been two Baronetcies created for descendants of the ancient 12th century family of Heron of Ford Castle, Northumberland.The Heron Baronetcy, of Chipchase, was created on 20 November 1662 in the Baronetage of England by Charles II for Cuthbert Heron of Chipchase Castle, Northumberland in...
became extinct on his death. The estate passed to George Nevile, a relation of Amelia, and then to Sir Ralph Wilmot, 6th Baronet, on whose death it was sold to Edmund Royds
Edmund Royds
Sir Edmund Royds OBE, DL was an English solicitor and Conservative Party politician. He practised law in London, and held a country seat in Lincolnshire, from where he was returned to the House of Commons from 1910 to 1922, and held numerous local offices.- Early life :Royds was the son of the...
.