Richard Ford (East Grinstead MP)

For other people named Richard Ford, see Richard Ford (disambiguation).

Sir Richard Ford (1758 – 3 May 1806)[1] was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1789 to 1791.

Ford was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the borough of East Grinstead in Sussex at an unopposed by-election[2] in February 1789.[1] He held that seat until the general election in 1790,[2] when he was returned unopposed for the borough of Appleby in Westmorland.[3][4]

He served less than a year as an MP for Appleby,[5] until he resigned from the Commons in early 1791[4] by accepting the post of Steward of East Hendred.[6] (The by-election for his successor was held in May 1791.)[6]

After serving the Undersecretary of State at the Home Office, Richard Ford was for many years chief police magistrate of London, for which services he was knighted. Ford lived for some years with actress Dorothea Jordan, who had three children by him, one of whom died. She left him when his promises of marriage to her were not fulfilled; his father wished him not to marry her.[7] Ford later married Benjamin Booth's daughter, an heiress. His eldest son from this marriage – also named Richard Ford – was known for his art collection and his travel writings about Spain.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 1)
  2. ^ a b Stooks Smith, Henry (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, F.W.S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (second ed.). Chichester, UK: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 551. ISBN 0-900178-13-2.
  3. ^ "No. 13220". The London Gazette. 20 July 1790. p. 457.
  4. ^ a b Stooks Smith, p. 560.
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 2)
  6. ^ a b "No. 13310". The London Gazette. 21 May 1791. p. 299.
  7. ^ The Volume of the Walpole Society, volume 60, "The Ford Collection", p. 380.
  8. ^ Richard Ford DNB
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