Sir Robert Stickney Blaine (30 January 1816 – 15 December 1897) was a leading Conservative

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 in the English City of Bath, who was mainly involved in local politics, but sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1886.

He was the son of Benjamin Blaine of Hull

Kingston upon Hull

Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...

. Following a private education, he moved to Summerhill Park, Bath. He was a magistrate and member of the city council, where he became leader of the Conservative group. In 1872-73 he held the office of mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

.

In 1885

United Kingdom general election, 1885

-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...

 he was elected as one Bath

Bath (UK Parliament constituency)

Bath is a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously of the House of Commons of England. It is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century...

's two members 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,...

. However, he found the duties of the office burdensome, and took the opportunity to retire from the House of Commons when a further election was held in 1886

United Kingdom general election, 1886

-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...

, returning to local politics.

He was married twice. In 1869 he married Constance Moger of Bath. Following her death he married Lydia Letitia Purvis, daughter of the late Sir Timothy Vansittart Stonhouse, 14th Baronet

Stonhouse Baronets

There have been three Baronetcies created for members of the Stonhouse family, all in the Baronetage of England. Two of the creations are extant as of 2011....

. In 1890 Blaine was created a knight bachelor

Knight Bachelor

The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...

.

In his later years he suffered from ill health, and travelled to Cannes

Cannes

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....

 in the south of France on medical advice. He died in Dover

Dover

Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...

 while returning from the Continent in January 1897, aged 81.

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