Richard Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn

1737 - 21st Jan 1808


Biography

  1. Son of John Pennant and his wife Bonella nee Hodges. Married Anne Susannah Warburton in Bath Abbey, 06/12/1765 and through her acquired a half share of Penrhyn estate in North Wales (where he developed the slate quarry). He bought the remaining half in 1785. MP for Petersfield in Hampshire from 1761-1767 then Liverpool from 1767-1780 and 1784-1790. Spoke repeatedly in the House in defence of the slave trade. Reportedly left debts of £150,000 on his death in 1808 which was paid off by the sale of Winnington Hall and a mortgage on Penrhyn.

  2. Chairman of the Standing Committee of West India Planters and Merchants in London 1785-1808. 'Represented the merchant group politically and the planter group personally.' (Franklin, p. 81) Penrhyn ‘the model of West India absentee plantership: a successful landlord in the colonies and at home, with enough money to rise to the top of society, or at least to an Irish peerage.’ (p. 81)


Sources

  1. http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/pennant-richard-1736-1808 [accessed 16/07/2015].

    Jean Lindsay, ‘Pennant, Richard, Baron Penrhyn (c.1737–1808)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://0-www.oxforddnb.com.catalogue.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/view/article/21859, accessed 16 July 2015].

  2. Alexandra Franklin, Enterprise and advantage: The West India interest in Britain, 1774-1840 (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1992), pp. 80-81.


Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
Anne Susannah Warburton

Associated Estates (6)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1782 [SY] - 1808 [EY] → Owner
1783 [EA] - 1808 [EY] → Owner
1809 [EA] - 1809 [LA] → Previous owner
1784 [EA] - 1807 [LA] → Owner
1782 [SY] - 1808 [EY] → Owner
1799 [EA] - → Owner

Legacies Summary

Political (1)

MP
West India interest 
election →
Petersfield Hampshire
1761 - 1767
election →
Liverpool Lancashire
1767 - 1780
election →
Liverpool Lancashire
1784 - 1790

Relationships (6)

First Cousins
Other relatives
Notes →
First cousin once...
Son → Father
Grandson → Grandfather
Nephew → Uncle
Nephew → Uncle

Addresses (2)

Penrhyn Castle, Bangor, Caernarfonshire, North Wales, Wales
Winnington Hall, Northwich, Cheshire, North-west England, England