The Lord Onslow | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Speaker of the House of Commons of Great Britain | |
| In office 1708–1710 | |
| Preceded by | John Smith |
| Succeeded by | William Bromley |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | |
| In office 13 October 1714 – 12 October 1715 | |
| Preceded by | William Wyndham |
| Succeeded by | Robert Walpole |
| Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty | |
| In office 5 June 1690 – 15 April 1693 | |
| Lord Lieutenant of Surrey | |
| In office 1716–1717 | |
| Preceded by | John Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Onslow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1654-06-23)23 June 1654 |
| Died | 5 December 1717(1717-12-05) (aged 63) |
| Political party | British Whig Party |
Richard Onslow, 1st Baron OnslowPC (23 June 1654 – 5 December 1717), known asSir Richard Onslow, 2nd Baronet from 1688 until 1716, was a BritishWhig politician who sat in theEnglish andBritish House of Commons from 1679 to 1715. He wasSpeaker of the House of Commons from 1708 to 1710 andChancellor of the Exchequer from 1714 to 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".[1]
Onslow's father,Arthur, was a politician, as was his maternal grandfatherThomas Foote, who had served as theLord Mayor of London in 1649. He was born inSurrey and matriculated atSt Edmund Hall, Oxford on 7 June 1671,[2] before being called to theInner Temple. He entered Parliament as the Member forGuildford in 1679 before he could be called to thebar. One of Onslow's first actions as a member of Parliament was to support theExclusion Bill, which aimed, unsuccessfully, to deny theCatholicJames II of England the British throne. He was re-elected in 1685. He also served as aLord of the Admiralty from 1690 to 1693.[3]
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 1700 when the member forSurrey. He was unsuccessful in this bid, losing out to theTory 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 pedantry 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 theHouse of Lords to hear their judgment on the case he challengedBlack 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 instead for therotten borough ofSt Mawes.
Onslow regained much of his political favour four years later, now restored as the member for Surrey. Upon the death of QueenAnne in 1714 Onslow was a vocal advocate of aProtestant successor, in return for his support Onslow was rewarded by being named asChancellor of the Exchequer, a position he held for around a year before resigning. He becameFather of the House in 1713, and was created Baron Onslow on 19 July 1716.
He served asLord Lieutenant of Surrey from 1716 until his death the following year. He had married Elizabeth, the daughter and heiress of Sir Henry Tulse, Lord Mayor of London, with whom he had two sons and two daughters. He was succeeded by his sonThomas. His nephewArthur Onslow later became a long-serving Speaker himself.
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forGuildford 1679–1689 With:Thomas Dalmahoy 1679 Morgan Randyll 1679–1685 Heneage Finch 1685–1689 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forSurrey 1689–1707 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 | Succeeded by Parliament of Great Britain |
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by Parliament of England | Member of Parliament forSurrey 1707–1710 With:Sir William Scawen | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Speaker of the House of Commons of Great Britain 1708–1710 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forSt Mawes 1710–1713 With:John Tredenham 1710–1711 John Anstis 1711–1713 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forGuildford 1713–1714 With:Morgan Randyll | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forSurrey 1713–1715 With:Lord Guernsey | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Father of the House 1713–1715 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chancellor of the Exchequer of Great Britain 1714–1715 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Teller of the Exchequer 1715–1717 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of Surrey 1716–1717 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| New creation | Baron Onslow 1716–1717 | Succeeded by |
| Baronetage of England | ||
| Preceded by | Baronet (of West Clandon, Surrey) 1688–1717 | Succeeded by |
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