Sir Richard Wrottesley, 7th Baronet

Very Rev. Sir Richard Wrottesley, 7th Baronet (19 June 1721 – 20 July 1769), of Wrottesley Hall in Staffordshire, was a Member of Parliament, Anglican clergyman and Dean of Worcester.

Biography

He was born a younger son of Sir John Wrottesley, 4th Bt., MP, by Frances, the daughter of the Hon. John Grey, MP of Enville and educated at Winchester School (1736-8) and St. John’s College, Oxford (1739). He succeeded his elder brother Sir Walter Wrottesley as baronet in 1732.

It is said that when Bonny Prince Charlie was marching south through England during the course of his rebellion, Sir Richard, a regular duellist, armed his tenants and gathered his servants to do battle but he reportedly never got further than a local inn, The Bull at Codsall, where his small band of men spent a convivial week.

He became M.P. for Tavistock in December 1747, holding the seat until 1754. He was appointed a Clerk of the Green Cloth from 1749 to 1754.

He entered the Church and became minister at St Michael's, Tettenhall. He was appointed chaplain in ordinary to the King, George III, in 1763 and collated Dean of Worcester for life in 1765.

He died in 1769, having married Lady Mary Leveson-Gower, the daughter of John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower and Evelyn Pierrepont, in 1739. They had 5 daughters.