Richard Samuel Guinness
Richard Samuel Guinness | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Ireland |
| Died | August 27, 1857 (aged 60) Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation(s) | Barrister, politician |
| Years active | 1830s–1857 |
| Known for | Member of Parliament for Kinsale and Barnstaple |
Richard Samuel Guinness (7 June 1797 – 27 August 1857) was an Irish barrister and served as a Member of Parliament.
Parents
He was born to Richard Guinness (1755–1829), a barrister and judge based in Dublin, and Mary Darley, who belonged to a well-known family involved in Dublin's house-building industry. Richard Samuel Guinness was also a great-nephew of the renowned brewer Arthur Guinness.
His older sibling, Robert Rundell Guinness (1789–1857), established the merchant bank Guinness Mahon in 1836.
Career
After completing his studies at King's Inns, Dublin, Guinness was called to the bar and practiced as a barrister. He entered into a banking partnership with his brother Robert, which ended during the 1830s. Later, he took on the role of land agent with "R. Guinness & Co." but encountered financial challenges due to the impact of the Irish famine in the 1840s.
In the general election of 1847, Guinness secured a seat as a Conservative MP representing Kinsale at Westminster. However, his election was annulled after an investigation revealed that his agents had offered free alcohol to voters, an act deemed bribery; although Guinness himself was not found guilty, he chose not to participate in the resulting by-election.
On 25 August 1854, during a double by-election, he was elected once more as Conservative MP for Barnstaple in Devon. He served in this capacity for three years before retiring at the 1857 general election.
Personal life
Guinness married Katherine Frances Jenkinson on 25 November 1833. She was the daughter of Sir Charles Jenkinson, 10th Baronet, thereby connecting him to the family of former Prime Minister Lord Liverpool.
Their primary residence was Deepwell House in Blackrock, Dublin, supplemented by properties located in Brighton and Westminster. The couple had eight children, among whom were:
- Col. Charles W. N. Guinness CB (1839–1894)
- Arthur C. C. J. Guinness (1841–1897), who relocated to Melbourne
- Sir Reginald R. B. Guinness (1842–1909), serving as JP and DL for County Dublin
- Adelaide (1844–1916), who married Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, her third cousin
- Claude H. C. Guinness (1852–1895), who acted as managing director of Guinness from 1886 until 1895
Within his family circle, he was affectionately nicknamed Old Pelican or Old Pel.
Guinness passed away in Dublin in 1857 at age sixty; his estate was modestly valued at approximately £100.