Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow

Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow PC (23 June 1654 – 5 December 1717), known as Sir Richard Onslow, 2nd Baronet from 1688 until 1716, was a British Whig politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons from 1679 to 1715. He was Speaker of the House of Commons from 1708 to 1710 and Chancellor 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]

The Right Honourable The Lord Onslow PC
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 Surrey, England
Died	5 December 1717(1717-12-05) (aged 63) Great Britain
Political party	British Whig Party

Onslow's father, Arthur, was a politician, as was his maternal grandfather Thomas Foote, who had served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1649. He was born in Surrey and matriculated at St Edmund Hall, Oxford on 7 June 1671,[2] before being called to the Inner Temple. 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. He was re-elected in 1685. He also served as a Lord 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 for Surrey. 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 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 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 instead for the rotten borough of St Mawes.

Onslow regained much of his political favour four years later, now restored as the member for Surrey. 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. He became Father of the House in 1713, and was created Baron Onslow on 19 July 1716.

He served as Lord 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 son Thomas. His nephew Arthur Onslow later became a long-serving Speaker himself.

References

1. Dasent, Arthur Irwin (1911). The Speakers of the House of Commons from the earliest times to the present day. London: John Lane. p. 241. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
2. Foster, Joseph. "Oade-Oxwick in Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714 pp. 1084-1103". British History Online. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
3. "ONSLOW, Sir Richard, 3rd Bt. (1654-1717), of Clandon, Surr". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 12 November 2012.

External links

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages

Parliament of England
Preceded by Arthur Onslow Thomas Dalmahoy	Member of Parliament for Guildford 1679–1689 With: Thomas Dalmahoy 1679 Morgan Randyll 1679–1685 Heneage Finch 1685–1689	Succeeded by Foot Onslow John Weston
Preceded by Sir Adam Browne, Bt Sir Edward Evelyn, Bt	Member of Parliament for Surrey 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 for Surrey 1707–1710 With: Sir William Scawen	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 1710–1713 With: John Tredenham 1710–1711 John Anstis 1711–1713	Succeeded by Edward Rolt Francis Scobell
Preceded by Denzil Onslow Morgan Randyll	Member of Parliament for Guildford 1713–1714 With: Morgan Randyll	Succeeded by Morgan Randyll Denzil Onslow
Preceded by Lord Guernsey Sir Francis Vincent, Bt	Member of Parliament for Surrey 1713–1715 With: Lord Guernsey	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