Richard Myddelton (26 March 1726 – March 1795), of

Chirk Castle Chirk Castle () is a Grade I listed castle located in Chirk, Wrexham County Borough, Wales, from Chirk railway station, now owned and run by the National Trust. History The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roge ...

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthi ...

, was a Welsh landowner and politician.

Early life

He was the eldest son of two sons and two daughters born to Mary ( Liddell) Myddelton and John Myddelton, MP of Chirk Castle, Denbighshire. His father, the younger son of Richard Myddelton of

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...

, inherited his father's estates, including Chirk Castle, when his elder brother

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

died young and without issue in 1733. His maternal grandfather was Thomas Liddell of Bedford Row, London. He was educated at Eton School from 1739 to 1743, and matriculated at

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its foun ...

in 1744. He succeeded to his father's Welsh estates, including Chirk Castle, in 1747.

Career

He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Denbigh Boroughs from 1747 to 1788. He also acted as Lord Lieutenant of Denbighshire from 1748 to his death and as custos rotulorum of Denbighshire from 1749 to death. As Lord Lieutenant he took personal command of the Denbighshire Militia for the first two years after it was reformed in 1760.Bryn Owen, ''History of the Welsh Militia and Volunteer Corps 1757–1908: Denbighshire and Flintshire (Part 1): Regiments of Militia'', Wrexham: Bridge Books, 1997, ISBN 1-872424-57-0, p. 15. Other position held by Myddelton included steward of the lordship of Denbigh from 1748 to death, steward of the Lordship of Bromfield and Yale from 1749 to death and Recorder of Denbigh from 1749 to death.

Personal life

Myddelton was thrice married. On 14 March 1761, he married Elizabeth Rushout (1730–1772), the daughter of Lady Anne Compton (the sixth daughter of George Compton, 4th Earl of Northampton) and

Sir John Rushout, 4th Baronet Sir John Rushout, 4th Baronet (6 February 16852 February 1775), of Northwick Park, Worcestershire was a British Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons for 55 years from 1713 to 1768. He was a supporter of Pulteney in opposition to Wal ...

of Northwick Park, Gloucestershire. Before her death on 7 November 1772, they were the parents of one son and three daughters, including: * Richard Myddelton (1764–1796), who succeeded his father as MP for Denbigh Boroughs. * Charlotte Myddelton (1770–1843), who married Robert Biddulph, a banker with

Cocks Biddulph Cocks Biddulph was a London bank founded in 1757. History The banking partnership of James Cocks and Francis Biddulph formed in 1757 and in 1759 the bank moved to 43 Charing Cross, later redesignated 16 Whitehall. The company went through a numb ...

, in 1801. * Maria Myddelton (–1843), who married, as his second wife, Hon. Frederick West, son of

John West, 2nd Earl De La Warr John West, 2nd Earl De La Warr (9 May 1729 – 22 November 1777), styled Viscount Cantelupe from 1761 to 1766, was a British Army officer, peer and courtier. Early life Born The Honourable John West, he was the son of John West, 1st Earl De La ...

, in 1798. Myddelton married, secondly, Mary Lloyd, in 1778. Before her death on 14 March 1788, they were the parents of another daughter: * Harriet Myddelton, who died unmarried. After the death of his second wife, he married Euphemia Crawford of Pall Mall, on 12 March 1789. He died in 1795 and his estates passed to his only son,

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...

. Upon his unmarried son's death the following year on 20 December 1796, Chirk Castle and some local land was inherited by his daughter Charlotte, who had married Robert Biddulph. The remaining property was divided between Myddelton's other two daughters.

Descendants

Through his daughter Charlotte, he was a grandfather of Robert Myddelton Biddulph, MP for Denbigh Boroughs and Denbighshire, and Gen. Sir Thomas Myddelton Biddulph,

Keeper of the Privy Purse The Keeper of the Privy Purse and Treasurer to the King/Queen (or Financial Secretary to the King/Queen) is responsible for the financial management of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household of the Monarchy of the United Kingd ...

. Through his daughter Maria, he was a grandfather of Frederick Richard West, MP in

who married Lady Georgiana Stanhope (a daughter of Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl of Chesterfield and Lady Henrietta Thynne, third daughter of

Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath (13 September 173419 November 1796), of Longleat in Wiltshire, was a British politician who held office under King George III. He served as Southern Secretary, Northern Secretary and Lord Lieutenant of Irel ...

), in 1820. After her death, he married, secondly, Theresa Whitby (daughter of Capt. John Whitby and Mary Anne Symonds).

References

;Notes ;Sources {{DEFAULTSORT:Myddelton, Richard 1726 births 1795 deaths

Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Denbighshire Alumni of St John's College, Oxford Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Welsh constituencies British MPs 1747–1754 British MPs 1754–1761 British MPs 1761–1768 British MPs 1768–1774 British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1784–1790 Lord-lieutenants of Denbighshire The Lordship of Bromfield and Yale People educated at Eton College