Richard Wilson ( – 1815) was an Irish-born politician whose origins are obscure. Wilson was Member of Parliament (MP) in the

Parliament of Great Britain The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in May 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union 1707, Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. The Acts ratified the treaty of Union which created a ...

for

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. The town lies at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool from ...

from 1796 to 1802. Wilson married Anne, daughter of

Charles Townshend Charles Townshend (27 August 1725 – 4 September 1767) was a British politician who held various titles in the Parliament of Great Britain. His establishment of the controversial Townshend Acts is considered one of the key causes of the Amer ...

. They were divorced in 1798.

Lady Louisa Stuart Lady Louisa Stuart (12 August 1757 – 4 August 1851) was a British writer of the 18th and 19th centuries. Her long life spanned nearly ninety-four years. Early life Stuart was one of the six daughters of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute ( ...

wrote of his elopement with Anne Townshend that:

''...this Mr Wilson - whose name, when known, made nobody the wiser - was an Irishman, born to an inheritance of three hundred a year, but greatly in debt, of no profession, accounted a black-leg, and chiefly remarkable for having fought two or three duels... His conversation was bragging and his manner familiar and ''aisy'' like those of the Paddy in a farce. All his friends had ten thousand a year; he talked of his horses and carriages, his estate and his interest; and when he addressed you as a lady, you could not help drawing back for fear he should give you a kiss.''Lady Louisa Stuart, ''Memoire of Frances, Lady Douglas'', Edinburgh and London, Scottish Academic Press, 1985

Wilson died, laden with debts, sometime in 1815. He had 3 sons, one of whom died in the West Indies, and 2 daughters.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Richard 1750s births 1815 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Barnstaple British MPs 1796–1800 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Barnstaple UK MPs 1801–1802