Richard Penruddocke Long
Encyclopedia
Richard Penruddocke Long JP
, DL
(19 December 1825 – 16 February 1875) was an English
landowner and Conservative Party
politician. He was a founding member of the amateur cricket
club I Zingari
. Long was appointed High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire
in 1858 and served as Justice of the Peace
as well as Deputy Lieutenant
for the county.
in East Coulston
, he was the second son of Walter Long
and his first wife Mary Anne, daughter of Archibald Colquhoun
. He was baptised in Rood Ashton
on 4 July 1827. Long was educated at Harrow School
and went then to Trinity College, Cambridge
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
in 1848 and a Master of Arts
four years thereafter. Long joined the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry
, which his grandfather had helped to establish and became a captain in 1848.
In 1846 his elder brother Walter married 21 year old Harriet Avarina Brunetta Herbert, only daughter and heiress of Captain Owen Herbert, of Dolforgan Hall, Montgomeryshire
. Harriet died the following year as a result of complications during childbirth, and Walter died three months later, some say of a broken heart. All of these events eventually led to Long inheriting his father’s estates in 1867, including South Wraxall
Manor and Rood Ashton in Wiltshire
, and the former Herbert estates of Dolforgan and Machynlleth
in Montgomeryshire.
unsuccessfully in 1852. When he married in the following year, he and his wife Charlotte went to live at Dolforgan. He was worried about the increasing encumbrances placed on the estates by his father, whom he believed was manipulating sales of portions of the settled estates to his future disadvantage. His mother died in 1856, and his father remarried a year later, which caused even more acrimony between the two.
Due to his increasing anxiety over the state of his finances, he was considering the possibility his family would be forced to live cheaply on the Continent
in order to save sufficient money to service the outstanding debts on the Montgomeryshire estates. He suffered ongoing health problems, and in 1856 he had been injured in a shooting accident, which resulted in the loss of his right eye. Three years later, in 1859, Long entered the British House of Commons
, sitting for Chippenham
in the following time. He felt his income from the estates rental, and what he believed was an inadequate annual allowance from his father, were insufficient for him to live in a fitting style at Dolforgan Hall, carry out repairs and improvements on the estates in Montgomeryshire, and attend to his parliamentary duties, having been elected for North Wiltshire
, the constituency his father had previously represented, in 1865.
In 1867 when Long succeeded to his father’s estates, the family removed to Rood Ashton. Rood Ashton House
was built for his grandfather Richard Godolphin Long
in 1808, replacing an earlier mansion. The estate was originally purchased by Edward Long of Monkton House
in 1597 and passed down through the generations. Due to illness Long retired as Member of Parliament
in 1868. His troubles continued on inheriting Rood Ashton, and he and his wife, with their younger children spent protracted residences abroad – in Switzerland
and France
– partly for health and partly for domestic financial reasons. Long was under pressure from his stepmother, the former Lady Mary Bisshopp, who believed she had not been adequately provided for under the terms of her late husband’s will. He wrote to her expressing regret that he was unable to help her financially, due to the many demands made by delayed improvements to the estate and Rood Ashton House, and advised that she should curb her extravagant lifestyle. In 1871 in order to pay debts, he was forced to sell the greater part of the heavily encumbered Dolforgan estate for ₤76,500.
, France, her favourite watering place, and always in style, with a private coupe
on the train, eating off her own silver and eggshell china, and surrounded by a suite of couriers, valets de chambre
and maids.
In 1872, after Emperor Napoleon III lost the Battle of Sedan
, and with it his throne, he and the Empress Eugenie fled to England. One day when Charlotte was travelling in her usual style to the South of France, someone spotted her and mistakenly believed that the Empress was aboard the train. The word got around and a bouquet of flowers was thrown through the open window of Charlotte’s compartment with a note: “We implore your Majesty to return to us”. No doubt in French of course. Charlotte was known to bear a resemblance to the Empress.
Long died, aged 49 in Cannes and was buried in West Ashton
on 3 March 1875. After his death, Charlotte moved to Dolforgan Court in Exmouth, Devon
, and became known locally as “Lady Bountiful” for her charitable works and her role in founding a hospital
. However, her husband's cousin, who was manager of the family estates, feared that she would ruin the estates as well as her son Walter’s reputation and the family name, through her "unthinking extravagance" and long-standing propensity for running up debts. In 1878 the family was forced to make legal arrangements to curb her spending.
, in St George's, Hanover Square in London
. They had ten children, of which the two youngest were born in France
. His five year old son Henry died in 1866 from diphtheria
, which almost claimed the life of his wife. The oldest son Walter became a cabinet minister and was later raised to the peerage as Viscount Long
. His second son Richard
sat also in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
and was ennobled with the title Baron Gisborough
. Florence Frideswyde (1855–1941), his eldest daughter was married to Sir Arthur Fairbairn, 3rd Baronet, grandson of Sir William Fairbairn
, and the next younger daughter Margaret Henrietta Georgina (1859–1914), was married to Colonel Hugh Frank Clutterbuck. Another daughter named Frances Laura Arabella (1864–1932), was first the wife of Harry Willes de Windt
, and secondly, after the latter's death, of Anthony George Lyster
. Long's other children were:
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(19 December 1825 – 16 February 1875) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
landowner and Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. He was a founding member of the amateur cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club I Zingari
I Zingari
I Zingari are English and Australian amateur cricket clubs.-History:...
. Long was appointed High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire
High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire
The office of High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire was established in 1541 since when a High Sheriff was appointed annually until 1974 when the office was transformed into that of High Sheriff of Powys as part of the creation of Powys from the amalgamation of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and...
in 1858 and served as Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
as well as Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for the county.
Early life
Born at Baynton HouseBaynton House
Baynton House is a Grade II listed 17th century country house situated at Coulston in Wiltshire.Originally owned by the Godolphin family, after the death in 1781 of William Godolphin, it was bought by William Evelyn, who enlarged what had been previously a house 'of very small pretensions'...
in East Coulston
Coulston
Coulston is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, five miles North East of the town of Westbury, just north of the B3098 road....
, he was the second son of Walter Long
Walter Long (MP)
Walter Long JP, DL was an English magistrate and Conservative Party politician.-Background:Born in West Ashton in Wiltshire, he was the oldest son of Richard Godolphin Long and his wife Florentina, daughter of Sir Bourchier Wrey, 6th Baronet...
and his first wife Mary Anne, daughter of Archibald Colquhoun
Archibald Colquhoun
Archibald Campbell Colquhoun was a Scottish politician and lawyer.The son of John Campbell of Clathick, he took the surname Colquhoun in 1804 on inheriting the estate of Killermont, Dunbartonshire. He married, in 1786, Mary-Anne Erskine . He became an advocate in 1768, was a Member of Parliament...
. He was baptised in Rood Ashton
West Ashton
West Ashton is a village civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is two miles south of Trowbridge, on the A350 road between Melksham and Yarnbrook bypassing Trowbridge....
on 4 July 1827. Long was educated at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and went then to Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1848 and a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
four years thereafter. Long joined the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry
Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry
The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom established in 1794. It was disbanded as an independent Territorial Army unit in 1967, a time when the strength of the TA was greatly reduced...
, which his grandfather had helped to establish and became a captain in 1848.
In 1846 his elder brother Walter married 21 year old Harriet Avarina Brunetta Herbert, only daughter and heiress of Captain Owen Herbert, of Dolforgan Hall, Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
. Harriet died the following year as a result of complications during childbirth, and Walter died three months later, some say of a broken heart. All of these events eventually led to Long inheriting his father’s estates in 1867, including South Wraxall
South Wraxall
South Wraxall Manor is a Grade I listed country house which dates from the early 15th century, located at South Wraxall in the English county of Wiltshire, near Bradford on Avon...
Manor and Rood Ashton in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, and the former Herbert estates of Dolforgan and Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
in Montgomeryshire.
Career
Long’s relationship with his father was at times strained, with disagreements over money and property, and what Long saw as his father’s refusal to help him establish his political career, having contested South WiltshireSouth Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)
South Wiltshire, formally known as the Southern division of Wiltshire or Wiltshire Southern was a county constituency in the county of Wiltshire in South West England...
unsuccessfully in 1852. When he married in the following year, he and his wife Charlotte went to live at Dolforgan. He was worried about the increasing encumbrances placed on the estates by his father, whom he believed was manipulating sales of portions of the settled estates to his future disadvantage. His mother died in 1856, and his father remarried a year later, which caused even more acrimony between the two.
Due to his increasing anxiety over the state of his finances, he was considering the possibility his family would be forced to live cheaply on the Continent
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in order to save sufficient money to service the outstanding debts on the Montgomeryshire estates. He suffered ongoing health problems, and in 1856 he had been injured in a shooting accident, which resulted in the loss of his right eye. Three years later, in 1859, Long entered the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, sitting for Chippenham
Chippenham (UK Parliament constituency)
Chippenham is a parliamentary constituency, abolished in 1983 but recreated in 2010, and represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in the following time. He felt his income from the estates rental, and what he believed was an inadequate annual allowance from his father, were insufficient for him to live in a fitting style at Dolforgan Hall, carry out repairs and improvements on the estates in Montgomeryshire, and attend to his parliamentary duties, having been elected for North Wiltshire
North Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)
North Wiltshire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Until 1983, it was known as Chippenham.- Boundaries :As the name suggests, the constituency covers most of north Wiltshire...
, the constituency his father had previously represented, in 1865.
In 1867 when Long succeeded to his father’s estates, the family removed to Rood Ashton. Rood Ashton House
Rood Ashton House
Rood Ashton House was a country house in the village of West Ashton in the English county of Wiltshire. It was once the home of the 1st Viscount Long, and during his residence it was visited by various members of the British Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII.- History...
was built for his grandfather Richard Godolphin Long
Richard Godolphin Long
Richard Godolphin Long was an English banker and Tory politician.-Background:Baptised at West Lavington, Wiltshire a month after his birth, he was the son of Richard Long and his wife Meliora, descendant of Sir John Lambe. Long was a partner in the Melksham Bank, together with his younger brother...
in 1808, replacing an earlier mansion. The estate was originally purchased by Edward Long of Monkton House
Monkton House
Monkton House in Broughton Gifford, Wiltshire, is a Grade II* listed English 16th century house close to the boundaries of Somerset and Gloucestershire.-History:...
in 1597 and passed down through the generations. Due to illness Long retired as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in 1868. His troubles continued on inheriting Rood Ashton, and he and his wife, with their younger children spent protracted residences abroad – in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
– partly for health and partly for domestic financial reasons. Long was under pressure from his stepmother, the former Lady Mary Bisshopp, who believed she had not been adequately provided for under the terms of her late husband’s will. He wrote to her expressing regret that he was unable to help her financially, due to the many demands made by delayed improvements to the estate and Rood Ashton House, and advised that she should curb her extravagant lifestyle. In 1871 in order to pay debts, he was forced to sell the greater part of the heavily encumbered Dolforgan estate for ₤76,500.
Later years and death
Charlotte enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, often travelling to CannesCannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France, her favourite watering place, and always in style, with a private coupe
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
on the train, eating off her own silver and eggshell china, and surrounded by a suite of couriers, valets de chambre
Valet de chambre
Valet de chambre , or varlet de chambre, was a court appointment introduced in the late Middle Ages, common from the 14th century onwards. Royal Households had many persons appointed at any time...
and maids.
In 1872, after Emperor Napoleon III lost the Battle of Sedan
Battle of Sedan
The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War on 1 September 1870. It resulted in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and large numbers of his troops and for all intents and purposes decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, though fighting continued under a new French...
, and with it his throne, he and the Empress Eugenie fled to England. One day when Charlotte was travelling in her usual style to the South of France, someone spotted her and mistakenly believed that the Empress was aboard the train. The word got around and a bouquet of flowers was thrown through the open window of Charlotte’s compartment with a note: “We implore your Majesty to return to us”. No doubt in French of course. Charlotte was known to bear a resemblance to the Empress.
Long died, aged 49 in Cannes and was buried in West Ashton
West Ashton
West Ashton is a village civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It is two miles south of Trowbridge, on the A350 road between Melksham and Yarnbrook bypassing Trowbridge....
on 3 March 1875. After his death, Charlotte moved to Dolforgan Court in Exmouth, Devon
Exmouth, Devon
Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort in East Devon, England, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe. In 2001, it had a population of 32,972.-History:...
, and became known locally as “Lady Bountiful” for her charitable works and her role in founding a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. However, her husband's cousin, who was manager of the family estates, feared that she would ruin the estates as well as her son Walter’s reputation and the family name, through her "unthinking extravagance" and long-standing propensity for running up debts. In 1878 the family was forced to make legal arrangements to curb her spending.
Family and legacy
On 4 October 1853, Long had married Charlotte Anna, fourth and only surviving daughter of the politician William Wentworth Fitzwilliam Dick of Humewood in the Irish County WicklowCounty Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, in St George's, Hanover Square in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. They had ten children, of which the two youngest were born in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. His five year old son Henry died in 1866 from diphtheria
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity...
, which almost claimed the life of his wife. The oldest son Walter became a cabinet minister and was later raised to the peerage as Viscount Long
Viscount Long
Viscount Long, of Wraxall in the County of Wiltshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1921 for the Conservative politician Walter Long, who had previously served as Member of Parliament, President of the Board of Agriculture, President of the Local Government...
. His second son Richard
Richard Chaloner, 1st Baron Gisborough
Richard Godolphin Walmesley Chaloner, 1st Baron Gisborough was a British soldier and politician...
sat also in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and was ennobled with the title Baron Gisborough
Baron Gisborough
Baron Gisborough, of Cleveland in the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1917 for the Conservative politician Richard Chaloner, who had previously represented Westbury and Abercromby in the House of Commons...
. Florence Frideswyde (1855–1941), his eldest daughter was married to Sir Arthur Fairbairn, 3rd Baronet, grandson of Sir William Fairbairn
William Fairbairn
Sir William Fairbairn, 1st Baronet was a Scottish civil engineer, structural engineer and shipbuilder.-Early career:...
, and the next younger daughter Margaret Henrietta Georgina (1859–1914), was married to Colonel Hugh Frank Clutterbuck. Another daughter named Frances Laura Arabella (1864–1932), was first the wife of Harry Willes de Windt
Harry de Windt
Captain Harry Willes Darell de Windt was the aide-de-camp to his brother-in-law Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak , and is best known as an explorer and travel writer...
, and secondly, after the latter's death, of Anthony George Lyster
Anthony George Lyster
Anthony George Lyster son of George Fosbery Lyster. Engineer-in-Chief to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board from 1897, when he succeeded his father, until his retirement in 1913, when he was honoured with the presidency of the Institution of Civil Engineers.Among his work is Brunswick Entrance...
. Long's other children were:
- Robert Chaloner Critchley Long (4 September 1858–5 October 1938), married Maud Felicia Frances Ann Pugh-Johnson (d. 1916), youngest daughter of Captain Willes Johnson and his third wifeShe was Margaret Anne Pugh, later Mrs. Pugh-Johnson from 2 February 1879, and eldest daughter of Major David Pugh, of Llanerchydol Hall, near Welshpool, and Rhiwargor, co. Montgomery, sometime MP, DL, and High Sheriff for Montgomeryshire, by his wife, Anne, only child and heiress of Evan Vaughan, Esq., of Beguildy, co. Radnor. on 6 February 1884
- Charlotte Ethel Long (1861–1936), married John Evan Hamilton Martin on 31 January 1889
- Henry Hope Giffard Long (1862–1866)
- Maud Avarina Millesaintes Long (1867–1880)
- ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
William Hoare Bourchier Long (1868–1943), married Vera Cecily Marchant Oliver on 25 November 1911