Richard Pilkington (Newton MP)

Colonel Richard Pilkington
CB
Member of Parliament
for Newton
In office
16 January 1899 – 7 February 1906
Preceded byThomas Wodehouse Legh
Succeeded byJames Andrew Seddon
Personal details
Born17 January 1841
St Helens, Lancashire
Died12 March 1908(1908-03-12) (aged 67)
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
SpouseLouisa Sinclair

Richard Pilkington (17 January 1841 – 12 March 1908) was a British Conservative politician and member of the Pilkington glass-manufacturing family.

He was the second son of Richard Pilkington of Windle Hall near St Helens, Lancashire. In 1858/59 he became a partner in the family glassworks.[1]

In 1863 he married Louisa Sinclair and in 1885 he bought the Rainford Hall estate, commissioning James Medland Taylor to build a new house. The building is in the Jacobethan style, of red brick with sandstone dressings.[2]

He became a member of St Helens Borough Council, holding the office of mayor in 1881, 1896, 1897 and 1898.[3][4] By this time he held the rank of lieutenant-colonel, in the Volunteer Force and commanded a battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment.[5]

Richard Pilkington commissioned James Medland Taylor to build a new house on his Rainford Hall estate.

In December 1898 he was selected as the Conservative candidate for a by-election in the Newton constituency. He had previously been considered a Liberal Unionist.[5] As the only candidate nominated he was elected unopposed on 16 January 1899.[6]

Pilkington held his seat at the subsequent general election in 1900, but was defeated in 1906 by a Labour candidate.[7][8]

Richard Pilkington died on 12 March 1908, aged 67. A condition in his will forbade the inheritors of his estate from permitting the construction or use of any building for the sale of intoxicating liquor.[9]

  1. ^ Barker, Theo (September 2004). "Richard Pilkington (1841 - 1908)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/38703. Retrieved 1 September 2008. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ "Rainford Hall, Crank Road, Rainford - Building | Architects of Greater Manchester". manchestervictorianarchitects.org.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  3. ^ Election of Mayors, The Times, 10 November 1897 p. 10 and 10 November 1898, p. 10
  4. ^ "Past Mayors of St Helens" (PDF).
  5. ^ a b Election Intelligence, The Times, 26 December 1898, p. 4
  6. ^ Election Intelligence: Lancashire (Newton Division), The Times, 17 January 1899; p. 10
  7. ^ The New Parliament, The Times, 6 October 1900, p. 13
  8. ^ The General Election, The Times, 24 January 1906, p. 10
  9. ^ Colonel R. Pilkington's Estate, The Times, 12 August 1908, p. 11