Sir Richard Birnie (c. 1760 – 1832) was a Scottish

police magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

in London, who came to prominence for his involvement with the

Cato Street Conspiracy The Cato Street Conspiracy was a plot to murder all the British cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister Lord Liverpool in 1820. The name comes from the meeting place near Edgware Road in London. The police had an informer; the plotters fell into ...

Life

He was a native of

Banff, Aberdeenshire Banff ( gd, Banbh) is a town in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated on Banff Bay and faces the town of Macduff across the estuary of the River Deveron. It is a former royal burgh, and is the county town of the ...

, born about 1760. After serving an apprenticeship to a saddler he came to London, and worked for the house of Macintosh & Co., in the

Haymarket Haymarket may refer to: Places Australia * Haymarket, New South Wales, area of Sydney, Australia Germany * Heumarkt (KVB), transport interchange in Cologne on the site of the Heumarkt (literally: hay market) Russia * Sennaya Square (''Hay Squ ...

, saddlers and harness-makers to the royal family. In favour with the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

, he was made foreman and eventually a partner in the business; he married the daughter of a wealthy baker. After his marriage Birnie rented a house in

St Martin-in-the-Fields St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since at least the mediev ...

parish, and took part in parochial affairs. He established almshouses in Pratt Street,

Camden Town Camden Town (), often shortened to Camden, is a district of northwest London, England, north of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Camden, and identified in the London Plan as o ...

. He also enrolled himself in the Royal Westminster Volunteers, in which he became a captain. At the request of the

Duke of Northumberland Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke ...

he was placed in the commission of the peace, and began to frequent the

Bow Street Magistrates' Court Bow Street Magistrates' Court became one of the most famous magistrates' court in England. Over its 266-year existence it occupied various buildings on Bow Street in Central London, immediately north-east of Covent Garden. It closed in 2006 and ...

. In time Birnie was appointed police magistrate at Union Hall court (which later became Southwark Police Court). After a few years he was promoted to be a magistrate at Bow Street. In February 1820 he headed the police officers in the apprehension of the Cato Street conspirators. At the funeral of Queen Caroline in August 1821 Birnie took the initiative in reading the

Riot Act The Riot Act (1 Geo.1 St.2 c.5), sometimes called the Riot Act 1714 or the Riot Act 1715, was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain which authorised local authorities to declare any group of 12 or more people to be unlawfully assembled and o ...

, which Sir Robert Baker, the

chief magistrate Chief magistrate is a public official, executive or judicial, whose office is the highest in its class. Historically, the two different meanings of magistrate have often overlapped and refer to, as the case may be, to a major political and admini ...

, refused to do. Shortly afterwards Baker resigned; he had been criticised, for example by the Tory

Harriet Arbuthnot Harriet Arbuthnot ( née Fane; 10 September 1793 – 2 August 1834) was an early 19th-century English diarist, social observer and political hostess on behalf of the Tory party. During the 1820s she was the closest woman friend of the hero of ...

for his soft line, in the violent circumstances where there had already been deaths. Birnie was appointed to succeed him, and a knighthood was conferred on him in the September following. In 1823, Birnie refused to enforce the unpopular

Poor rate In England and Wales the poor rate was a tax on property levied in each parish, which was used to provide poor relief. It was collected under both the Old Poor Law and the New Poor Law. It was absorbed into 'general rate' local taxation in the 19 ...

Acton Acton may refer to: Places Antarctica * Mount Acton Australia * Acton, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Acton, Tasmania, a suburb of Burnie * Acton Park, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, formerly known as Acton Canada ...

, causing it to be reduced for some householders. Birnie retained throughout life the special favour of George IV. He died on 29 April 1832.

Family

Birnie and his wife Louisa had a son

Richard Birnie Sir Richard Birnie (c. 1760 – 1832) was a Scottish police magistrate in London, who came to prominence for his involvement with the Cato Street Conspiracy. Life He was a native of Banff, Aberdeenshire, born about 1760. After serving an ...

(1808–1888), a barrister and journalist, who emigrated to Australia in 1854.Australian Dictionary of Biography, ''Birnie, Richard (1808–1888)''.
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References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Birnie, Richard 1760s births 1832 deaths People from Banff, Aberdeenshire Knights Bachelor English justices of the peace