Richard Arden, 1st Baron Alvanley
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Sir Richard Pepper Arden, 1st Baron Alvanley PC, KC (20 May 1744 – 19 March 1804) was a British barrister and politician.
He was born on 20 May 1744 in Bredbury, the son of John Arden and Mary Pepper, and baptised on 20 June 1744 in Stockport. Educated at Manchester Grammar School from 1752 to 1763, he matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge in October 1763 and received his B.A. in 1766. Arden was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1769, and received his M.A. from Trinity the same year.
Invested as a King's Counsel in 1780, he was Solicitor General during the ministry of Shelburne, and again for a year under Pitt. At this time he entered Parliament, as MP for Newtown from 1783 to 1784. In 1784 he became MP for Aldborough, and was appointed Attorney General and Chief Justice of Chester, posts he would hold until 1788. On 9 September 1784, Arden married Anne Dorothea Wilbraham-Bootle, daughter of Richard Wilbraham-Bootle and Mary Bootle. They had two sons:
- William Arden, 2nd Baron Alvanley (1789–1849)
- Richard Pepper Arden, 3rd Baron Alvanley (1792–1857)
On 4 June 1788, he was again advanced to become Master of the Rolls, and was knighted on 18 June 1788. He was also appointed to the Privy Council that year. In 1790, he left Aldborough to become MP for Hastings until 1794, and then for Bath until 1801.
In May 1801, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, and on 22 May 1801, was created Baron Alvanley, of Alvanley in the County of Chester. Alvanley died on 19 March 1804 and was buried on 26 March 1804 in Rolls Chapel, London. His will was probated in April 1804.
- Above information mainly from Encyclopedia Britannica 11th edition which is in the public domain.
Quoting from Cokayne: The Complete Peerage - "He was not a man of great oratorical powers, but possessed the qualities of intelligence, readiness and wit... It would be vain to claim any great distinction for Lord Alvanley. He was a learned lawyer and a successful politician... the few productions that remain from his pen evince refinement, taste and facility of expression." He has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press).
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Barrington Henry Dundas |
Member of Parliament for Newtown with John Barrington 1783–1784 |
Succeeded by John Barrington James Worsley |
| Preceded by Sir Samuel Brudenell Fludyer, Bt John Gally Knight |
Member of Parliament for Aldborough with John Gally Knight 1784–1790 |
Succeeded by John Gally Knight Richard Muilman-Trench-Chiswell |
| Preceded by John Dawes John Stanley |
Member of Parliament for Hastings with John Stanley 1790–1794 |
Succeeded by John Stanley Robert Saunders-Dundas |
| Preceded by Viscount Bayham Viscount Weymouth |
Member of Parliament for Bath with Viscount Weymouth 1794–1801 |
Succeeded by Viscount Weymouth Lord John Thynne |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by John Lee |
Solicitor General 1782–1783 |
Succeeded by John Lee |
| Preceded by James Mansfield |
Solicitor General 1783–1784 |
Succeeded by Archibald Macdonald |
| Preceded by Lloyd Kenyon |
Attorney General 1784–1788 |
Succeeded by Sir Archibald Macdonald |
| Preceded by Sir Lloyd Kenyon |
Master of the Rolls 1788–1801 |
Succeeded by Sir William Grant |
| Preceded by The Lord Eldon |
Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1801–1804 |
Succeeded by Sir James Mansfield |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New title | Baron Alvanley 1801–1804 |
Succeeded by William Arden |
