Richard Brinsley Sheridan (bapt. 26 May 1806 – 2 May 1888) was an English Whig politician.

Early life

He was born in London, the eldest son of

Thomas Sheridan Thomas Sheridan may refer to: *Thomas Sheridan (divine) (1687–1738), Anglican divine *Thomas Sheridan (actor) (1719–1788), Irish actor and teacher of elocution *Thomas Sheridan (soldier) (1775–1817/18) *Thomas B. Sheridan (born 1931), America ...

, colonial treasurer in the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...

, and the novelist Caroline Henrietta Callander of Craig forth and the grandson of his namesake, the playwright

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Irish satirist, a politician, a playwright, poet, and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. He is known for his plays such as ''The Rivals'', ''The Sc ...

. His maternal grandfather was Sir James Campbell. After his father died in 1817, his mother moved to London with her seven children.

Career

He served as

High Sheriff of Dorset The High Sheriff of Dorset is an ancient high sheriff title which has been in existence for over one thousand years. Until 1567 the Sheriff of Somerset was also the Sheriff of Dorset. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government ...

in 1838. He was

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MP) for

Shaftesbury Shaftesbury () is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England. It is situated on the A30 road, west of Salisbury, near the border with Wiltshire. It is the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset, being built about above sea level on a ...

from 1845 to 1852 and for Dorchester from 1852 until he retired in 1868 and also Deputy Lieutenant for

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

. He was a

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

in favour of extending the right to vote.

Personal life

He eloped with and subsequently married Marcia Maria Grant, the daughter of Gen. Sir John Colquhoun Grant on 18May 1835. Together, they were the parents of three daughters and six sons:''Burke's Landed Gentry'' (1886), seventh edition * Edith Marcia Caroline Sheridan (1836–1876), who married Francis John Thynne, son of

Lord John Thynne Rev. Lord John Thynne (7 November 1798 – 9 February 1881) was an English aristocrat and Anglican cleric, who served for 45 years as Deputy Dean of Westminster. Career Lord John was born in 1798, the third son of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marques ...

. * Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1838–1868), who died unmarried. * Francis John Rogers Sheridan (1842–1877), who died unmarried. * Helena Charlotte Sheridan (1845–1893), who died unmarried. * Algernon Thomas Brinsley Sheridan (1845–1931), who married Mary Lothrop Motley, daughter of

John Lothrop Motley John Lothrop Motley (April 15, 1814 – May 29, 1877) was an American author and diplomat. As a popular historian, he is best known for his works on the Netherlands, the three volume work ''The Rise of the Dutch Republic'' and four volume ''His ...

. * Charles William Frederick Sheridan (1847–1896), who died unmarried. * Thomas Constantine Henry Kier Sheridan (1851–1931), who died unmarried. * James Colquhoun Grant Sheridan (1857–1865), who died young. * Florence Sarah Wilhelmine Sheridan (d. 1909), who married

Augustus Bampfylde, 2nd Baron Poltimore Augustus Frederick George Warwick Bampfylde, 2nd Baron Poltimore (12 April 1837 – 3 May 1908), styled The Honourable Augustus Bampfylde until 1858, of Poltimore House and North Molton in Devon, was a British Liberal politician. Between 1872 a ...

. Sheridan died on 2 May 1888.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sheridan, Richard Brinsley 1806 births 1888 deaths Deputy Lieutenants of Dorset Whig (British political party) MPs for English constituencies Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1841–1847 UK MPs 1847–1852 UK MPs 1852–1857 UK MPs 1857–1859 UK MPs 1859–1865 UK MPs 1865–1868 High Sheriffs of Dorset