Richard Philipps, 1st Baron Milford (first creation) facts for kids
Richard Philipps, 1st Baron Milford (born 1744 – died 28 November 1823) was an important Welsh landowner and politician. He was known as Sir Richard Philipps for a while. He served in the British government's main law-making body, the House of Commons, for many years between 1765 and 1812.
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Early Life and Education
Richard Philipps was the son of Sir John Philipps, who also had a special title called a Baronet. Their family home was Picton Castle in Wales. Richard went to Pembroke College, Oxford for his education. In 1764, when his father passed away, Richard inherited the Baronet title, becoming Sir Richard Philipps.
A Life in Politics
Richard Philipps was a member of the Tory political group. He spent a lot of his life working in the British Parliament.
Serving in Parliament
- In 1765, Richard Philipps was first elected to Parliament. He represented the area of Pembrokeshire in Wales. He took over this role after his father died.
- He kept his seat in Parliament after the 1768 election.
- However, in 1770, his election was cancelled for a short time.
- Later, in 1774, he was elected to represent another area called Plympton Erle in England. He held this seat until 1779.
Becoming Lord Milford
In 1776, Richard Philipps received a special title. He was made a Baron in the Peerage of Ireland, which meant he became Baron Milford. Even though he was now a Baron, he could still be a member of the House of Commons because his title was an Irish one.
Later Political Roles
- After a short break, he returned to Parliament in 1784. This time, he represented Haverfordwest.
- In 1786, he was once again elected for Pembrokeshire. He continued to represent this area until 1812.
- In 1806, he faced a challenge from another family, the Owens, but he successfully kept his seat.
- In 1812, he decided not to run for election again. He supported John Frederick Campbell to take his place. However, Campbell was defeated by Sir John Owen.
Besides being a Member of Parliament, Lord Milford also held important local positions. He was the Lord-Lieutenant of Haverfordwest from 1770 to 1823. He was also the Lord Lieutenant of Pembrokeshire from 1786 to 1823. A Lord-Lieutenant is the King or Queen's representative in a county.
Family Life
Lord Milford married Elizabeth Philipps in 1764. She was the daughter of James Philipps. Lord Milford had one son from an earlier relationship with Mary Grant, named John Philipps. Sadly, his son was believed to have died after a famous sea battle called the Battle of Trafalgar.
Lord Milford himself passed away in November 1823. Since he had no surviving children to inherit his title, the Baron Milford title ended with him. However, his Baronet title went to a distant relative.
Lord Milford left his family's estates, including Picton Castle, to his cousin, Richard Grant. This cousin then took on the Philipps family name. Richard Grant later also received special titles, becoming a Baronet in 1828 and then Baron Milford in 1847.
