Richard Richards

Sir Richard Richards (5 November 1752 – 11 November 1823) was a Welsh politician and judge. He was Member of Parliament for Helston on two occasions, but only made one speech in Parliament. He was later a successful chancery barrister, eventually becoming Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Life Richards was born on 5 November 1752 at Coed, Brithdir, near Dolgellau in Merionethshire. He was the eldest son of Thomas Richards and his wife, Catherine, whose brother (William Parry) was warden of Ruthin, Denbighshire. His grandfather, also called William Parry, was headmaster of Ruthin School and Richards was educated there. Richards then progressed to Oxford University, matriculating as a member of Jesus College, Oxford on 19 March 1771. He transferred to Wadham College, Oxford on 7 May 1773 and obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree on 10 October 1774. He then became a scholar at The Queen's College, Oxford, and after being appointed to a fellowship at Queen's on 17 December 1774, he was awarded his Master of Arts degree on 15 July 1777. In the meantime, Richards had become a member of the Inner Temple (being admitted on 10 May 1775) and he was called to the bar on 12 February 1780. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in February 1793 as a "Gentleman studious in Natural History". Political career In the 1796 general election, Richards was elected as one of the members of parliament for the constituency of Helston, Cornwall. He held the seat until March 1799, when he resigned in favour of Lord Francis Osborne, son of the Duke of Leeds who controlled the seat. He was re-elected at the May 1807 general election, resigning on 29 July 1807 in favour of Sir James Blackwood. During his parliamentary career, he supported the ministry of William Pitt the Younger but made only one reported speech, opposing the Quakers' Relief Bill on 24 February 1797 as unnecessary and inconvenient.