Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow
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| Sir Richard Onslow | |
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| In office 1708 – 1710 |
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| Preceded by | John Smith |
| Succeeded by | William Bromley |
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| In office October 13, 1714 – October 12, 1715 |
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| Preceded by | William Wyndham |
| Succeeded by | Robert Walpole |
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| In office June 5, 1690 – April 15, 1693 |
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| In office 1716 – 1717 |
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| Preceded by | John Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Onslow |
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| Born | June 23, 1654 Surrey, England |
| Died | December 5, 1717 (aged 63) Great Britain |
| Political party | British Whig Party |
Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow, PC (June 23, 1654 – December 5, 1717), was a British Whig member of parliament, known as Sir Richard Onslow, 2nd Baronet from 1688 until 1716. He served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1708 until 1710 and as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1714 until 1715. Onslow was a very unpopular figure amongst members of both political parties, particularly during his time as Speaker. He was extremely pedantic and showed an absolute devotion to principle, as a result he was given the nickname "Stiff Dick".
Onslow's father, Arthur, was a politician, as was his maternal grandfather Thomas Foot, who had served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1649. He was born in Surrey and attended St Edmund Hall, Oxford before being called to the Inner Temple, however he entered parliament as the member for Guildford in 1679 before he could be called to the bar. One of Onslow's first actions as a member of parliament was to support the Exclusion Bill, which aimed, unsuccessfully, to deny the Catholic James II of England the British throne.
Onslow was an active back-bencher during his early years in parliament, and his increasing notoriety as a moderate Whig led to him being nominated for the position of Speaker in 1701. He was unsuccessful in this bid, losing out to the Tory candidate, Robert Harley. However, Onslow managed to attain the position of Speaker seven years later, in 1708. He proved to be a poor Speaker as he made no effort whatsoever to show any kind of neutrality, a fact which upset all but the most fervent Whigs. Onslow's pedantism as Speaker also enhanced his unpopularity. The most famous incident during his Speakership came during the trial of the preacher Dr. Henry Sacheverell, in which Onslow played a large part. When Onslow took the Commons to the House of Lords to hear their judgment on the case he challenged Black Rod on a trifling point of privilege, delaying the proceedings somewhat, which infuriated almost everyone in attendance. Onslow's unpopularity by this point was such that he failed to retain his seat in the 1710 election. In order to remain in the Commons he was forced to sit for a rotten borough.
Onslow regained much of his political favour four years later. Upon the death of Queen Anne in 1714 Onslow was a vocal advocate of a Protestant successor, in return for his support Onslow was rewarded by being named as Chancellor of the Exchequer, a position he held for around a year before resigning.
[edit] References
| Parliament of England | ||
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| Preceded by Arthur Onslow Thomas Dalmahoy |
Member of Parliament for Guildford with Thomas Dalmahoy 1679 Morgan Randyll 1679–1685 Heneage Finch 1685–1689 1679–1689 |
Succeeded by Foot Onslow John Weston |
| Preceded by Sir Adam Browne, Bt Sir Edward Evelyn, Bt |
Member of Parliament for Surrey with George Evelyn 1689–1690 Sir Francis Vincent, Bt 1690–1695 Denzil Onslow 1695–1689 John Weston 1698–1702 Leonard Wessell 1701–1705 Sir William Scawen 1705–1707 1689–1707 |
Succeeded by Parliament of Great Britain |
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by Parliament of England |
Member of Parliament for Surrey with Sir William Scawen 1707–1710 |
Succeeded by Lord Guernsey Sir Francis Vincent, Bt |
| Preceded by John Smith |
Speaker of the House of Commons of Great Britain 1708–1710 |
Succeeded by William Bromley |
| Preceded by Francis Godfrey John Tredenham |
Member of Parliament for St Mawes with John Tredenham 1710–1711 John Anstis 1711–1713 1710–1713 |
Succeeded by Edward Rolt Francis Scobell |
| Preceded by Lord Guernsey Sir Francis Vincent, Bt |
Member of Parliament for Surrey with Lord Guernsey 1713–1715 |
Succeeded by Lord Guernsey Thomas Onslow |
| Preceded by Thomas Strangways |
Father of the House 1713–1715 |
Succeeded by Thomas Erle |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by William Wyndham |
Chancellor of the Exchequer of Great Britain 1714–1715 |
Succeeded by Robert Walpole |
| Preceded by The Lord De La Warr |
Teller of the Exchequer 1715–1717 |
Succeeded by The Lord Torrington |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Duke of Argyll |
Lord Lieutenant of Surrey 1716–1717 |
Succeeded by The Lord Onslow |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| New creation | Baron Onslow 1716–1717 |
Succeeded by Thomas Onslow |
| Baronetage of England | ||
| Preceded by Arthur Onslow |
Baronet (of West Clandon, Surrey) 1688–1717 |
Succeeded by Thomas Onslow |
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