Sir Matthew White Ridley, 2nd Baronet

Sir Matthew White Ridley, 2nd Baronet (28 October 1745 – 9 April 1813) was a Northumbrian landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1768 and 1812.

Life

He was the son of Matthew Ridley (1716–1778) (Governor of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Company of Merchant Adventurers, four times Mayor of and five times Member of Parliament for Newcastle) and Elizabeth White (1721–1764), daughter of Matthew White, a prominent Newcastle merchant of Blagdon Hall, Stannington, Northumberland, and sister of Sir Matthew White, 1st Baronet of Blagdon. He succeeded to the Baronetcy of Blagdon and to the estate at Blagdon Hall on the death in 1763 of his uncle.

He followed his father as Governor of the Company of Merchant Adventurers.

He was appointed Chief Magistrate for Newcastle on three occasions and was elected Mayor of the city 3 times in 1774, 1782 and 1791. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Morpeth 1768-1774 and Newcastle 1774–1812.^[1]

A monument to his memory stands in the nave of St Nicholas' Cathedral, Newcastle. Ridley is depicted in full length life size dressed in a Roman toga. The inscription gives details of his service to the community.

Family

Ridley married Sarah Colborne, daughter of Benjamin Colborne of Bath, in 1777; they had five sons and one daughter. He was succeeded on his death by his elder son Matthew. His second son Nicholas (1779–1854) was created Baron Colborne in 1839.^[2] His great grandson, the 5th Baronet, was created Viscount Ridley in 1900.

His third son, Henry Colborne Ridley, and grandson William Henry Ridley were both Rectors of Hambleden, Bucks.

References

^ "RIDLEY, Sir Matthew White, 2nd Bt. (1745-1813), of Blagdon and Heaton, Northumb". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
^ Burke, Bernard (1903). Ashworth P. Burke (ed.). A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage, the Privy Council, Knightage and Companionage (65th ed.). London: Harrison and Sons. pp. 1287–8.

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Viscount Garlies Thomas Duncombe	Member of Parliament for Morpeth 1768 – 1774 With: Peter Beckford	Succeeded by Francis Eyre Peter Delmé
Preceded by Matthew Ridley Sir Walter Calverley-Blackett, Bt	Member of Parliament for Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1774 – 1800 With: Sir Walter Calverley-Blackett, Bt to 1777 Sir John Trevelyan, Bt 1777–1780 Andrew Robinson Bowes 1780–1784 Charles Brandling 1784–1798 Charles John Brandling from 1798	Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Parliament of Great Britain	Member of Parliament for Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1801 – 1812 With: Charles John Brandling	Succeeded by Cuthbert Ellison Matthew Ridley
Baronetage of Great Britain
Preceded by Matthew White	Baronet (of Blagdon) 1763–1813	Succeeded by Matthew White Ridley

[1] "RIDLEY, Sir Matthew White, 2nd Bt. (1745-1813), of Blagdon and Heaton, Northumb". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 1 May 2014.

[2] Burke, Bernard (1903). Ashworth P. Burke (ed.). A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage, the Privy Council, Knightage and Companionage (65th ed.). London: Harrison and Sons. pp. 1287–8.

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