Life
He was the son of Matthew Ridley (barrister), Matthew Ridley (1716–1778), Governor of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Company of Merchant Adventurers, four times Mayor of and five times Member of Parliament for Newcastle, and Elizabeth White (1721–1764), daughter of Matthew White, a prominent Newcastle merchant of Blagdon Hall, Stannington, Northumberland, and sister of Sir Matthew White, 1st Baronet, of Blagdon. He succeeded to the Viscount Ridley, baronetcy of Blagdon and to the estate at Blagdon Hall on the death of his uncle in 1763. He followed his father as Governor of the Company of Merchant Adventurers. He was appointed Chief Magistrate for Newcastle on three occasions, and was elected Mayor of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Mayor of the city three times, in 1774, 1782 and 1791. He served as Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Morpeth (UK Parliament constituency), Morpeth 1768–1774 and Newcastle-upon-Tyne (UK Parliament constituency), Newcastle 1774–1812. A monument to his memory stands in the nave of Newcastle Cathedral, St Nicholas' Cathedral, Newcastle. Ridley is depicted in full length life size dressed in a Roman toga. The inscription gives details of his service to the community.Family
Ridley married Sarah Colborne, daughter of Benjamin Colborne of Bath, in 1777; they had five sons and one daughter: *Sir Matthew White Ridley, 3rd Baronet (18 April 1778 – 14 July 1836) *Nicholas Ridley-Colborne, 1st Baron Colborne (14 April 1779 – 3 May 1854) *Rev. Henry Colborne (14 May 1780 – 3 February 1832) married Mary Farrer, daughter of James William Farrer. They had three sons, and a daughter. *Henrietta Elizabeth (1781 – 10 October 1853) married twice. Firstly to the Hon. John Scott, son of John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon, on 22 August 1804. After his death she married secondly her brother's in-law, James William Farrer, son of James Farrer, on 6 July 1811. She had John Scott, 2nd Earl of Eldon, one son with Scott, and three sons and a daughter with Farrer. *Rev. Richard (28 July 1782 – 21 January 1845) married Catherine Lucy Johnson, daughter of Rev. Richard Popplewell Johnson, on 8 November 1810. They had no known issue. *Rev. Charles John (b. 5 September 1792) His third son, Henry, and grandson William Henry Ridley, were both Rectors of Hambleden, Bucks. His great grandson, the Matthew White Ridley, 1st Viscount Ridley, 5th Baronet, was created Viscount Ridley in 1900.References
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