Richard Samuel Guinness facts for kids

Richard Samuel Guinness (born June 7, 1797, died August 27, 1857) was an Irish lawyer. He also served as a Member of Parliament, which means he was a representative in the British government.

About His Family

Richard Samuel Guinness was one of the sons of Richard Guinness (1755-1829). His father was a lawyer and judge in Dublin, Ireland. His mother was Mary Darley, who came from a family famous for building houses in Dublin.

He was also a great-nephew of Arthur Guinness. Arthur Guinness was very famous for starting the Guinness brewery.

Richard Samuel had an older brother named Robert Rundell Guinness (1789-1857). Robert started a merchant bank called Guinness Mahon in 1836.

Richard Guinness's Career

Richard Samuel Guinness studied law at the King's Inns in Dublin. After his studies, he became a barrister, which is a type of lawyer who argues cases in court.

He also worked as a banker with his older brother Robert for a while. But they stopped their banking partnership in the 1830s. After that, he worked as a land agent, helping to manage land and property. This was a difficult job after the terrible Irish famine in the 1840s.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In August 1847, Richard Guinness ran for election as a Conservative candidate. He was elected to represent the area of Kinsale in the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He then took his seat in Westminster, London.

However, the person who lost the election, W. H. Watson, complained about the result. A special committee looked into the election. They found that Richard Guinness's helpers had offered free drinks to voters in Kinsale. This was seen as a type of bribery.

Richard Guinness himself was not blamed. But because of the free drinks, his election was cancelled. He did not try to get elected again in that area. Another candidate, Benjamin Hawes, won the next election for Kinsale.

Later Elections

On August 25, 1854, Richard Guinness was elected to Parliament again. This time, he represented Barnstaple in Devon, England. He held this seat for three years. He did not run for re-election in 1857.

His Personal Life

On November 25, 1833, Richard Guinness married Katherine Frances Jenkinson. They got married in Verdun, France. Katherine's father was Sir Charles Jenkinson, 10th Baronet. Sir Charles was a cousin of Lord Liverpool, who was the Prime Minister from 1812 to 1827.

Richard and Katherine lived in a rebuilt house called Deepwell House in Blackrock, Dublin. They also had other homes in Brighton, Sussex, and in Westminster, London.

They had eight children together. Some of their children included:

• Col. Charles W. N. Guinness (1839–1894)
• Arthur C. C. J. Guinness (1841–1897), who moved to Melbourne, Australia.
• Sir Reginald R. B. Guinness (1842-1909), who was a Justice of the Peace and a Deputy Lieutenant for County Dublin.
• Adelaide (1844-1916), also known as “Dodo.” She married her third cousin, Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh.
• Claude H. C. Guinness (1852–1895), who was a managing director of the Guinness company from 1886 to 1895.

Within his family, Richard Guinness was sometimes called Old Pelican or Old Pel.

Richard Samuel Guinness passed away in Dublin in 1857. He was 60 years old.