Richard Slater Milnes (December 1759 – 2 June 1804) was an English heir, landowner and politician. The heir to a cloth fortune, he served in the British Parliament, where he championed the abolitionist cause.

Early life

Richard Slater Milnes was born in December 1759 to Robert Milnes, a Presbyterian cloth merchant, who he succeeded in 1771. His mother, Joyce, was the daughter of Adam Slater. Milnes graduated from the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in Scotland in 1775.

Career

Milnes was a country gentleman at his Fryston Hall estate in Yorkshire. He served as a Member of Parliament for the

City of York The City of York is a unitary authority area with city status in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. The district's main settlement is York, and it extends to the surrounding area including the town of Haxby and the villages of E ...

in the

House of Commons of Great Britain The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In 1707, as a result of the Acts of Union of that year, it replaced the House of Commons of England and the third estate of th ...

from 1784 to 1790. During his tenure, he gave a speech in favour of the abolition of the slave trade and was a supporter of

William Pitt the Younger William Pitt the Younger (28 May 175923 January 1806) was a British statesman, the youngest and last prime minister of Great Britain (before the Acts of Union 1800) and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ire ...

Personal life

Milnes married Rachel, the daughter of Hans Busk, and had 2 sons and 7 daughters. They resided at

Fryston Hall Fryston Hall was a country house at Water Fryston, West Yorkshire which stood in an estate between the town of Castleford and the River Aire near where the river is crossed by the A1(M). The main building was demolished in 1934 and only some outb ...

Death

Milnes died on 2 June 1804. He was succeeded by his eldest son

Robert Pemberton Milnes Robert Pemberton Milnes (28 May 1784 – 9 November 1858), was a British landowner and politician. Early life Robert Pemberton Milnes was born on 28 May 1784. He was the eldest son of Richard Slater Milnes, of Fryston Hall, Yorkshire by Rachael, ...

who also became an MP.

References

1759 births 1804 deaths People from Selby Alumni of the University of Glasgow Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1784–1790 British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies UK MPs 1801–1802 {{England-bio-stub