BARONETAGE
Last updated 05/12/2017 (24 Feb 2023)
Names of baronets shown in blue 
have not yet proved succession and, as a
result, their name has not yet been placed on
the Official Roll of the Baronetage.
Date Type Order Name Born Died  Age
Dates in italics in the "Born" column indicate that the baronet was
baptised on that date; dates in italics in the "Died" column indicate 
that the baronet was buried on that date
RADCLIFFE of Keppington,Kent
21 Jul 1726 GB See "Farnaby"
RADCLIFFE of Milnsbridge House,Yorks
2 Nov 1813 UK 1 Joseph Radcliffe                        8 May 1744 19 Feb 1819 74
19 Feb 1819 2 Joseph Radcliffe                         5 Jun 1799 29 Nov 1872 73
29 Nov 1872 3 Joseph Percival Pickford Radcliffe 4 Oct 1824 27 Apr 1908 83
27 Apr 1908 4 Joseph Edward Radcliffe           1 Aug 1858 29 Sep 1949 91
29 Sep 1949 5 Everard Joseph Radcliffe    27 Jan 1884 23 Nov 1969 85
23 Nov 1969 6 Joseph Benedict Everard Henry Radcliffe 10 Mar 1910 7 Feb 1975 64
7 Feb 1975 7 Sebastian Everard Radcliffe 8 Jun 1972
RADCLYFFE of Derwentwater,Cumberland
31 Jan 1620 E 1 Francis Radclyffe                1569 c 1640
c 1640 2 Edward Radclyffe             13 Dec 1663
13 Dec 1663 3 Francis Radclyffe                1625 Apr 1697 71
He was subsequently created Earl of 
Derwentwater (qv) in 1688 with which title
the baronetcy then merged until its
forfeiture in 1716                                                                   
RAE of Esk Grove,Midlothian
27 Jun 1804 UK 1 David Rae                                            c 1724 23 Oct 1804
23 Oct 1804 2 David Rae                                        22 May 1815
22 May 1815 3 William Rae                                                14 Apr 1769 19 Oct 1842 73
to     MP for Anstruther Easter Burghs 1819-1826
19 Oct 1842 Harwich 1827-1830, Buteshire 1830-1831
and 1833-1842 and Portarlington 1831-1832
Lord Advocate 1819.  PC 1830
Extinct on his death                             
RAEBURN of Helensburgh,Dumbarton
25 Jul 1923 UK 1 Sir William Hannay Raeburn             11 Aug 1850 12 Feb 1934 83
MP for Dunbartonshire 1918-1923
12 Feb 1934 2 William Norman Raeburn             16 Aug 1877 5 Feb 1947 69
5 Feb 1947 3 Edward Alfred Raeburn            18 May 1919 21 Apr 1977 57
21 Apr 1977 4 Michael Edward Norman Raeburn 12 Nov 1954
RALLI of Park Street,Westminster
8 Feb 1912 UK 1 Lucas Eustratio Ralli           30 Mar 1846 5 May 1931 85
5 May 1931 2 Eustratio Lucas Ralli  [he changed his name to 14 Jul 1876 12 Nov 1964 88
Strati Ralli by deed poll 19 May 1931]
12 Nov 1964 3 Godfrey Victor Ralli                9 Sep 1915 3 Jan 2010 94
3 Jan 2010 4 David Charles Ralli                   5 Apr 1946
RAMSAY of Balmain,Kincardine
3 Sep 1625 NS 1 Gilbert Ramsay                          c 1663
c 1663 2 David Ramsay                            Sep 1673
Sep 1673 3 Charles Ramsay                            1695
1695 4 David Ramsay                                 after 1673 1 Sep 1710
MP for Scotland 1707-1708 and
Kincardineshire 1708-1710
Sep 1710 5 Alexander Ramsay                        c 1679 27 Jan 1754
MP for Kincardineshire 1710-1713
27 Jan 1754 6 Alexander Ramsay-Irvine         11 Feb 1806
to     MP for Kincardineshire 1765-1768
11 Feb 1806 On his death the baronetcy became dormant
RAMSAY of Whitehill,Edinburgh
2 Jun 1665 NS 1 John Ramsay                             1624 5 Jun 1674 49
5 Jun 1674 2 John Ramsay                         26 Feb 1645 14 Apr 1715 70
14 Apr 1715 3 John Ramsay                                5 Oct 1717
5 Oct 1717 4 Andrew Ramsay                             26 Jun 1678 24 Dec 1721 43
24 Dec 1721 5 John Ramsay                                 1720 22 Oct 1744 24
to     Extinct on his death                             
22 Oct 1744
RAMSAY of Banff House,Perth
3 Dec 1666 NS 1 Gilbert Ramsay                              c 1686
c 1686 2 James Ramsay                                  1730
1730 3 John Ramsay                               1738
1738 4 James Ramsay                                     c 1706 23 Mar 1782
23 Mar 1782 5 John Ramsay                                      20 Apr 1783
20 Apr 1783 6 George Ramsay                                 16 Apr 1790
For information on the death of this MP,
see the note at the foot of this page
16 Apr 1790 7 William Ramsay                                 17 Feb 1807
17 Feb 1807 8 James Ramsay                                 26 Sep 1797 1 Jan 1859 61
1 Jan 1859 9 George Ramsay                                  10 Mar 1800 22 Feb 1871 70
22 Feb 1871 10 James Henry Ramsay                         21 May 1832 17 Feb 1925 92
17 Feb 1925 11 James Douglas Ramsay                       19 Apr 1878 14 Mar 1959 80
14 Mar 1959 12 Neis Alexander Ramsay                  4 Oct 1909 7 Mar 1986 76
to     Extinct on his death                             
7 Mar 1986    
RAMSAY of Abbotshall,Fife
23 Jun 1669 NS 1 Andrew Ramsay                           24 Dec 1648 1680 31
 
1680 2 Andrew Ramsay                           1709
to     Extinct on his death                             
1709
RAMSAY of Balmain,Kincardine
13 May 1806 UK 1 Alexander Burnett Ramsay                       1757 17 May 1810 52
17 May 1810 2 Alexander Ramsay                14 Feb 1785 26 Apr 1852 67
MP for Kincardineshire 1820-1826
26 Apr 1852 3 Alexander Ramsay               26 May 1813 3 Mar 1875 61
MP for Rochdale 1857-1859
3 Mar 1875 4 Alexander Entwisle Ramsay 14 Jan 1837 1 Oct 1902 65
1 Oct 1902 5 Herbert Ramsay                            9 Feb 1868 22 Mar 1924 56
22 Mar 1924 6 Alexander Burnett Ramsay                       26 Mar 1903 25 Sep 1965 62
25 Sep 1965 7 Alexander William Burnett Ramsay 4 Aug 1938
RAMSAY-FAIRFAX-LUCY of The Holmes,Roxburgh
14 Mar 1836 UK 1 Henry Fairfax                                          3 Feb 1790 3 Feb 1860 70
3 Feb 1860 2 William George Herbert Taylor Fairfax (Ramsay-
Fairfax from 1876)                  15 Mar 1831 19 Jan 1902 70
19 Jan 1902 3 Henry William Ramsay-Fairfax-Lucy (Cameron-
Ramsay-Fairfax-Lucy from 25 Feb 1921) 25 Sep 1870 20 Aug 1944 73
20 Aug 1944 4 Henry Montgomerie Cameron-Ramsay-
Fairfax-Lucy                                     20 Oct 1896 22 Dec 1965 69
22 Dec 1965 5 Brian Fulke Cameron-Ramsay-Fairfax-Lucy 18 Dec 1898 21 Jan 1974 75
21 Jan 1974 6 Edmund John William Hugh Ramsay-
  Fairfax-Lucy                                     4 May 1945
RAMSAY-GIBSON-MAITLAND
of Clifton Hall,Midlothian
30 Nov 1818 UK See "Maitland"
RAMSAY-STEEL-MAITLAND
of Sauchie,Stirling
13 Jul 1917 UK 1 Arthur Herbert Drummond Ramsay Steel-
Maitland                            5 Jul 1876 30 Mar 1935 58
MP for Birmingham East 1910-1918, 
Erdington 1918-1929 and Tamworth 1929-
1935. Minister of Labour 1924-1929
PC 1924                                      
30 Mar 1935 2 Arthur James Drummond Ramsay-Steel-
Maitland                                      27 May 1902 1 Mar 1960 57
1 Mar 1960 3 Keith Richard Felix Ramsay-Steel-Maitland 6 May 1912 4 Apr 1965 52
to     Extinct on his death               
4 Apr 1965
  RAMSDEN of Byrom,Yorks
30 Nov 1689 E 1 John Ramsden                                 Apr 1648 11 Jun 1690 42
11 Jun 1690 2 William Ramsden                  22 Oct 1672 27 Jun 1736 63
27 Jun 1736 3 John Ramsden                             21 Mar 1699 10 Apr 1769 70
MP for Appleby 1727-1754
10 Apr 1769 4 John Ramsden                        1 Dec 1755 15 Jul 1839 83
MP for Grampound 1780-1784
15 Jul 1839 5 John William Ramsden                     14 Sep 1831 15 Apr 1914 82
MP for Taunton 1853-1857, Hythe 1857-1859
Yorkshire WR 1859-1865 and 1880-1886 and
Monmouth 1868-1874            
15 Apr 1914 6 John Frecheville Ramsden             7 Jan 1877 6 Oct 1958 81
6 Oct 1958 7 Geoffrey William Pennington-Ramsden 28 Aug 1904 13 Jan 1986 81
13 Jan 1986 8 Caryl Oliver Imbert Ramsden 4 Apr 1915 27 Mar 1987 71
27 Mar 1987 9 John Charles Josslyn Ramsden 19 Aug 1950
RAMSDEN of Birkenshaw,Yorks
1 Jul 1938 UK 1 Sir Eugene Joseph Squire Hargreaves Ramsden 2 Feb 1883 9 Aug 1955 72
He was subsequently created Baron
Ramsden (qv) in 1945 with which title the
baronetcy then merged until its extinction
in 1955                                                            
RANCHHODLAL of Shahpur,India
6 Feb 1913 UK 1 Sir Chinubhai Madhowlal Ranchhodlal 26 May 1864 3 Mar 1916 51
3 Mar 1916 2 Girijaprasad Chinubhai Madhowlal 
Ranchhodlal                       18 Apr 1906 28 Aug 1990 84
28 Aug 1990 3 Chinubhai Madhowlal Ranchhodlal 25 Jul 1929 1 Sep 2006 77
 
1 Sep 2006 4 Prashant Ranchhodlal                       15 Dec 1955
RANKIN of Bryngwyn,Hereford
20 Jun 1898 UK 1 James Rankin                                     25 Dec 1842 17 Apr 1915 72
MP for Leominster 1880-1885,1886-1906 and
1910-1912                                      
17 Apr 1915 2 Reginald Rankin                              31 Aug 1871 9 Sep 1931 60
9 Sep 1931 3 Hugh Charles Rhys Rankin         8 Aug 1899 25 Apr 1988 88
For further information on this baronet, see
the note at the foot of this page.
25 Apr 1988 4 Ian Niall Rankin                                19 Dec 1932
RANKIN of Broughton Tower,Lancs
5 Mar 1937 UK 1 Robert Rankin                                 18 Oct 1877 11 Oct 1960 82
to     MP for Kirkdale 1931-1945                       
11 Oct 1960 Extinct on his death                             
RAPHAEL of Allestree Hall,Derby
10 Feb 1911 UK 1 Herbert Henry Raphael            23 Dec 1859 24 Sep 1924 64
to     MP for Derbyshire South 1906-1918
24 Sep 1924 Extinct on his death                             
RASCH of Woodhill,Essex
29 Aug 1903 UK 1 Frederic Carne Rasch           9 Nov 1847 26 Sep 1914 66
MP for Essex SE 1886-1900 and Chelmsford
1900-1908                                           
26 Sep 1914 2 Frederic Carne Rasch           27 Sep 1880 12 Jun 1963 82
12 Jun 1963 3 Richard Guy Carne Rasch 10 Oct 1918 24 Jun 1996 77
24 Jun 1996 4 Simon Anthony Carne Rasch 26 Feb 1948
RASHLEIGH of Prideaux,Cornwall
30 Sep 1831 UK 1 John Colman Rashleigh 23 Nov 1772 4 Aug 1847 74
4 Aug 1847 2 Colman Rashleigh  4 May 1819 27 Oct 1896 77
MP for Cornwall East 1874-1880
27 Oct 1896 3 Colman Battie Rashleigh 11 Mar 1846 28 Oct 1907 61
28 Oct 1907 4 Colman Battie Walpole Rashleigh 7 Nov 1873 22 Feb 1951 77
22 Feb 1951 5 Harry Evelyn Battie Rashleigh 17 May 1923 6 Sep 1984 61
6 Sep 1984 6 Richard Harry Rashleigh 8 Jul 1958
RAWDON of Moira,Down
20 May 1665 E 1 George Rawdon 1604 18 Aug 1684 80
18 Aug 1684 2 Arthur Rawdon 17 Oct 1662 17 Oct 1695 33
PC [I] 1695
17 Oct 1695 3 John Rawdon 1690 2 Feb 1724 33
2 Feb 1724 4 John Rawdon 17 Mar 1720 20 Jun 1793 73
He was subsequently created Earl of Moira
(qv) in 1762 with which title the
baronetcy then merged until its extinction
in 1868
RAWLINSON of North Walsham,Norfolk
7 Feb 1891 UK 1 Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson 11 Apr 1810 5 Mar 1895 84
MP for Reigate 1858 and Frome
1865-1868
For further information on this baronet,see the
note at the foot of this page
5 Mar 1895 2 Henry Seymour Rawlinson, later [1919]
1st Baron Rawlinson 20 Feb 1864 26 Mar 1925 61
26 Mar 1925 3 Alfred Rawlinson 17 Jan 1867 1 Jun 1934 67
1 Jun 1934 4 Alfred Frederick Rawlinson 23 Aug 1900 15 Jun 1969 68
15 Jun 1969 5 Anthony Henry John Rawlinson 1 May 1936 8 Jan 2023 - HB 86
8 Jan 2023 6 Alexander Noel Rawlinson 15 Jul 1964
RAYMOND of Valentine House,Essex
31 May 1774 GB See "Burrell"
RAYNEY of Wrotham,Kent
19 Dec 1635 NS 1 John Rayney 5 Apr 1601 3 Mar 1661 59
He received a fresh creation [NS] 
13 Sep 1636 and [E] 22 Jan 1642 (qv below)
The Scottish baronetcy became dormant
in 1721
RAYNEY of Wrotham,Kent
22 Jan 1642 E 1 John Rayney 5 Apr 1601 3 Mar 1661 59
3 Mar 1661 2 John Rayney c 1627 1680
1680 3 John Rayney 1660 Feb 1705 44
Feb 1705 4 John Beaumont Rayney c 1688 1716
1716 5 Thomas Rayney 1690 1721
to     Extinct on his death                             
1721
REA of Eskdale,Cumberland
8 Jul 1935 UK 1 Walter Russell Rea 18 May 1873 26 May 1948 75
He was subsequently created Baron Rea (qv)
in 1937 with which title the baronetcy
remains merged
READE of Brocket Hall,Herts
16 Mar 1642 E 1 John Reade c 1616 6 Feb 1694
Feb 1694 2 James Reade 10 Mar 1655 16 Oct 1701 46
16 Oct 1701 3 John Reade 1691 22 Feb 1712 20
to     Extinct on his death                             
22 Feb 1712
READE of Barton,Berks
4 Mar 1661 E 1 Compton Reade 24 Jan 1625 29 Sep 1679 54
29 Sep 1679 2 Edward Reade 30 Jun 1659 4 Sep 1691 32
4 Sep 1691 3 Winwood Reade 25 Jul 1682 30 Jun 1692 9
30 Jun 1692 4 Thomas Reade c 1684 25 Sep 1752
MP for Cricklade 1713-1747
25 Sep 1752 5 John Reade 21 Jun 1721 9 Nov 1773 52
9 Nov 1773 6 John Reade 8 Mar 1762 7 Nov 1789 27
7 Nov 1789 7 John Chandos Reade 13 Jan 1785 14 Jan 1868 83
For further information on this baronet, see 
the note at the foot of this page.
14 Jan 1868 8 Chandos Stanhope Reade 5 Sep 1851 28 Jan 1890 38
28 Jan 1890 9 George Compton Reade 17 Dec 1845 7 Apr 1908 62
7 Apr 1908 10 George Reade 22 Nov 1869 30 May 1923 53
30 May 1923 11 John Reade 12 Sep 1896 18 Jan 1958 61
18 Jan 1958 12 Clyde Nixon Reade 8 Sep 1906 1982 75
1982 13 Kenneth Ray Reade 23 Mar 1926 4 Nov 2012 86
to     Extinct on his death                             
4 Nov 2012
READHEAD of Westoe,Durham
20 Jan 1922 UK 1 James Readhead 1852 18 Mar 1930 77
18 Mar 1930   2 James Halder Readhead 1879 8 May 1940 60
8 May 1940 3 James Templeman Readhead 12 Feb 1910 7 Aug 1988 78
to     Extinct on his death                             
7 Aug 1988
READING of Dublin
27 Aug 1675 I 1 Robert Reading 25 Mar 1689
to     Extinct on his death                             
Mar 1689
REARDON-SMITH of Appledore,Devon
1 Jul 1920 UK 1 William Reardon Smith 7 Aug 1856 23 Dec 1935 79
23 Dec 1935 2 Willie Reardon-Smith 26 May 1887 24 Nov 1950 63
24 Nov 1950 3 William Reardon Reardon-Smith 12 Mar 1911 13 Jun 1995 84
13 Jun 1995 4 William Antony John Reardon-Smith 20 Jun 1937 8 Jun 2022 - HB 84
8 Jun 2022 5 William Nicholas Henry Reardon-Smith 10 Jun 1963
RECKITT of Swanland Manor,Yorks
17 Jul 1894 UK 1 James Reckitt 14 Nov 1833 18 Mar 1924 90
18 Mar 1924 2 Harold James Reckitt 5 May 1868 29 Dec 1930 62
MP for Pontefract 1893 and Brigg 1895-
1906
29 Dec 1930 3 Philip Bealby Reckitt 1 Jan 1873 17 Nov 1944 71
to     Extinct on his death                             
17 Nov 1944
REDMAYNE of Rushcliffe,Nottingham
29 Dec 1964 UK 1 Martin Redmayne,later [1966] Baron 
Redmayne [L] 16 Nov 1910 28 Apr 1983 72
28 Apr 1983 2 Nicholas John Redmayne 1 Feb 1938 18 Oct 2008 70
18 Oct 2008 3 Giles Martin Redmayne 1 Dec 1968
REDWOOD of Avenue Road,St Marylebone
24 Jul 1911 UK 1 Sir Boverton Redwood 26 Apr 1846 4 Jun 1919 73
4 Jun 1919 2 Thomas Boverton Redwood 15 Oct 1906 11 Apr 1974 67
11 Apr 1974 3 Peter Boverton Redwood 1 Dec 1937
REES of Aylwards Chase,Middlesex
8 May 1919 UK 1 Sir John David Rees 16 Dec 1854 2 Jun 1922 67
MP for Montgomery 1906-1910 and
Nottingham East 1912-1922
For further information on the death of this
baronet, and a curious provision in his will, see the
note at the foot of this page
2 Jun 1922 2 Richard Lodowick Edward Montagu Rees 4 Apr 1900 24 Jul 1970 70
to     Extinct on his death                             
24 Jul 1970
REEVE of Thwaite,Suffolk
22 Jan 1663 E 1 George Reeve c 1618 c Oct 1678
MP for Eye 1660-1678
c Oct 1678 2 Robert Reeve 29 Jun 1652 19 Aug 1688 36
to     MP for Eye 1675-1679 and 1681-1685
19 Aug 1688 Extinct on his death                             
REID of Barra,Aberdeen
30 Nov 1703 NS 1 John Reid after 1722
after 1722 2 Alexander Reid 5 Mar 1750
MP for Elgin Burghs 1710-1713
5 Mar 1750 3 James Reid c Sep 1772
c Sep 1772 4 John Reid 4 Jun 1760 4 Nov 1829 69
4 Nov 1829 5 John Reid 9 May 1794 27 Apr 1844 49
27 Apr 1844 6 William Reid 19 Aug 1795 20 Oct 1845 50
20 Oct 1845 7 Alexander Reid 12 Nov 1798 7 Dec 1885 87
to     Extinct on his death                             
7 Dec 1885
REID of Ewell Grove,Surrey
10 Nov 1823 UK 1 Thomas Reid 26 Oct 1762 29 Feb 1824 61
29 Feb 1824 2 John Rae Reid 2 Dec 1791 30 Jul 1867 75
30 Jul 1867 3 John Rae Reid 14 Aug 1841 7 May 1885 43
7 May 1885 4 Henry Valentine Rae Reid 13 Feb 1845 4 Sep 1903 58
to     Extinct on his death                             
4 Sep 1903
REID of Ellon,Aberdeen
28 Aug 1897 UK 1 Sir James Reid 23 Oct 1849 28 Jun 1923 73
28 Jun 1923 2 Edward James Reid 20 Apr 1901 23 Feb 1972 70
23 Feb 1972 3 Alexander James Reid 6 Dec 1932
REID of Springburn,Glasgow
and Kilmaurs,Ayr
26 Jan 1922 UK 1 Hugh Reid 9 Feb 1860 7 Jul 1935 75
7 Jul 1935 2 Douglas Neilson Reid 12 Feb 1898 31 Aug 1971 73
31 Aug 1971 3 Hugh Reid 27 Nov 1933 20 Nov 2012 78
to     Extinct on his death                             
20 Nov 2012
REID of Rademon,Down
8 Feb 1936 UK 1 David Douglas Reid 24 Aug 1872 23 Mar 1939 66
to     MP for East Down 1918-1922 and
23 Mar 1939 co. Down 1922-1939
Extinct on his death                             
REMNANT of Wenhaston,Suffolk
14 Jul 1917 UK 1 James Farquharson Remnant 13 Feb 1862 30 Jan 1933 70
He was subsequently created Baron
Remnant (qv) in 1928 with which title the
baronetcy remains merged
RENALS of London
4 Sep 1895 UK 1 Sir Joseph Renals 21 Feb 1843 1 Nov 1908 65
1 Nov 1908 2 James Herbert Renals 5 Nov 1870 27 Mar 1927 56
For further information on this baronet,see
the note at the foot of this page
27 Mar 1927 3 Herbert Renals 29 Sep 1919 19 Aug 1961 41
19 Aug 1961 4 Stanley Renals 20 May 1923
RENSHAW of Coldharbour,Sussex
7 Jan 1903 UK 1 Charles Bine Renshaw 9 Dec 1848 6 Mar 1918 69
MP for Renfrewshire West 1892-1906
6 Mar 1918 2 Charles Stephen Bine Renshaw 9 Dec 1883 1 Nov 1976 92
1 Nov 1976 3 Charles Maurice Bine Renshaw 7 Oct 1912 18 Aug 2002 89
18 Aug 2002 4 John David Renshaw 9 Oct 1945
RENWICK
of Newminster Abbey,Northumberland
22 Jun 1921 UK 1 George Renwick Mar 1850 19 Jun 1931 81
MP for Newcastle upon Tyne 1900-1906,
1908-1910 and Newcastle upon Tyne Central
1918-1922
19 Jun 1931 2 John Robert Renwick 13 Nov 1877 20 Nov 1946 69
20 Nov 1946 3 Eustace Deuchar Renwick 27 Nov 1902 3 Nov 1973 70
3 Nov 1973 4 Richard Eustace Renwick 13 Jan 1938
RENWICK of Coombe,Surrey
28 Jun 1927 UK 1 Sir Harry Benedetto Renwick 13 Jun 1861 7 Jan 1932 70
7 Jan 1932 2 Robert Burnham Renwick 4 Oct 1904 30 Aug 1973 68
He was subsequently created Baron
Renwick (qv) in 1964 with which title the
baronetcy remains merged
RERESBY of Thribergh,Yorks
16 May 1642 E 1 John Reresby 11 Apr 1611 Apr 1646 35
Apr 1646 2 John Reresby 14 Apr 1634 12 May 1689 55
MP for Aldborough 1673-1679 and 1681-1685
and York 1685-1689
12 May 1689 3 William Reresby 19 Jan 1669 c 1735
c 1735 4 Leonard Reresby 23 Oct 1679 14 Aug 1748 68
to     Extinct on his death                             
14 Aug 1748
REYNELL of Laleham,Middlesex
27 Jul 1678 I 1 Richard Reynell 1626 18 Oct 1699 73
MP for Ashburton 1690-1695.  PC [I] 1682
18 Oct 1699 2 Richard Reynell 8 Dec 1673 Jun 1723 49
Jun 1723 3 Thomas Reynell 1699 15 Sep 1775 76
15 Sep 1775 4 Richard Reynell c 1735 17 Nov 1798
17 Nov 1798 5 Richard Littleton Reynell 30 Apr 1772 4 Sep 1829 57
4 Sep 1829 6 Thomas Reynell 9 Apr 1777 10 Feb 1848 70
to     Extinct on his death                             
10 Feb 1848
REYNOLDS of Grosvenor Street,London
28 Feb 1895 UK 1 John Russell Reynolds 22 May 1828 29 May 1896 68
to     Extinct on his death                             
29 May 1896
REYNOLDS of Woolton,Lancs
6 Mar 1923 UK 1 Sir James Philip Reynolds 16 Feb 1865 12 Dec 1932 67
MP for Liverpool Exchange 1929-1932
12 Dec 1932 2 John Francis Roskell Reynolds 23 Jun 1899 20 Aug 1956 57
20 Aug 1956 3 David James Reynolds 26 Jan 1924 13 Feb 2015 91
13 Feb 2015 4 James Francis Reynolds 10 Jul 1971
RHODES of Hollingworth,Cheshire
29 May 1919 UK 1 George Rhodes 3 Sep 1860 5 Feb 1924 63
5 Feb 1924 2 John Phillips Rhodes 19 Jul 1884 14 Nov 1955 71
MP for Stalybridge and Hyde 1922-1923
14 Nov 1955 3 Christopher George Rhodes 30 Apr 1914 22 Jun 1964 50
22 Jun 1964 4 John Christopher Douglas Rhodes 24 May 1946
RHYS-WILLIAMS of Miskin,Glamorgan
25 Jun 1918 UK 1 Rhys Rhys-Williams 20 Oct 1865 29 Jan 1955 89
MP for Banbury 1918-1922
29 Jan 1955 2 Brandon Meredith Rhys-Williams 14 Nov 1927 18 May 1988 60
MP for Kensington South 1968-1974 and
Kensington 1974-1988
18 May 1988 3 Arthur Gareth Ludovic Emrys Rhys-Williams 9 Nov 1961
RIBTON of Woodbrook,Dublin
21 Apr 1760 I 1 George Ribton 9 Mar 1762
9 Mar 1762 2 George Ribton 25 May 1740 1806 66
1806 3 John Sheppey Ribton 7 Feb 1797 1 May 1877 80
1 May 1877 4 George William Ribton 16 Aug 1842 5 Apr 1901 58
to     Extinct on his death                             
5 Apr 1901
RICH of Sunning,Berks
20 Mar 1661 E 1 Thomas Rich c 1601 15 Oct 1667
MP for Reading 1660-1661
15 Oct 1667 2 William Rich c 1654 3 Jul 1711
MP for Reading 1689-1698 and 1705-1708
and Gloucester 1698-1700
Jul 1711 3 Robert Rich 29 Mar 1673 9 Nov 1724 51
9 Nov 1724 4 William Rich c 1702 17 Jul 1762
17 Jul 1762 5 Thomas Rich c 1733 6 Apr 1803
to     Extinct on his death                             
6 Apr 1803
  RICH of London
24 Jan 1676 E 1 Charles Rich c 1619 30 May 1677
May 1677 2 Robert Rich c 1648 1 Oct 1699  
MP for Dunwich 1689-1699
1 Oct 1699 3 Charles Rich c 1680 19 Oct 1706
Oct 1706 4 Robert Rich 3 Jul 1685 1 Feb 1768 82
MP for Dunwich 1715-1720, Beeralston
1724-1727 and St.Ives 1727-1741
Field Marshal 1757
1 Feb 1768 5 Robert Rich 1717 19 May 1785 67
19 May 1785 6 George Rich 13 Jun 1728 8 Jan 1799 70
to     Extinct on his death                             
8 Jan 1799
RICH of Rose Hall,Suffolk
28 Jul 1791 GB 1 Charles Rich  c 1752 12 Sep 1824
12 Sep 1824 2 Charles Henry Rich 19 Apr 1784 22 Oct 1857 73
22 Oct 1857 3 Charles Henry John Rich 22 Dec 1812 12 Dec 1866 53
12 Dec 1866 4 Charles Henry Stuart Rich 7 Mar 1859 2 Jan 1913 53
2 Jan 1913 5 Almeric Edmund Frederic Rich 30 Mar 1859 2 Jul 1948 89
2 Jul 1948 6 Almeric Frederic Conness Rich 9 Feb 1897 29 Jun 1983 86
to     On his death the baronetcy became dormant
29 Jun 1983  
RICH of Sunning,Berks
22 Jan 1863 UK 1 Henry Rich 1797 5 Nov 1869 72
to     MP for Knaresborough 1837-1841 and
5 Nov 1869 Richmond 1846-1861
Extinct on his death                             
RICHARDS of Brambletye,Suffolk
22 Feb 1684 E 1 James Richards c 1705
c 1705 2 John Richards c 1729
c 1729 3 Joseph Richards c 1685 2 Jun 1738
2 Jun 1738 4 Philip Richards after 1741
to     On his death the baronetcy became either
after 1741 extinct or dormant
RICHARDSON of Pencaithland,Haddington
13 Nov 1630 NS See "Stewart-Richardson"
RICHARDSON of Yellow Woods,South Africa
26 Jan 1924 UK 1 Sir Lewis Richardson 2 Feb 1873 2 Apr 1934 61
2 Apr 1934 2 Leslie Lewis Richardson 14 Aug 1915 20 Jul 1985 69
20 Jul 1985 3 Anthony Lewis Richardson 5 Aug 1950
RICHARDSON of Weybridge,Surrey
26 Jul 1929 UK 1 Sir Philip Wigham Richardson 26 Jan 1865 23 Nov 1953 88
MP for Chertsey 1922-1931
23 Nov 1953 2 William Wigham Richardson 12 Jun 1893 15 Nov 1973 80
15 Nov 1973 3 George Wigham Richardson 12 Apr 1895 15 Apr 1981 86
to     Extinct on his death                             
15 Apr 1981
RICHARDSON of Eccleshall,Yorks
20 Nov 1963 UK 1 Sir John Samuel Richardson 16 Jun 1910 15 Aug 2004 94
to     He was subsequently created Baron
15 Aug 2004 Richardson [L] (qv) in 1979 with which title
the baronetcy then merged until its extinction
upon his death 15 Aug 2004
  RICHARDSON-BUNBURY of Augher,co.Tyrone
30 Aug 1787 I 1 William Richardson after 1749 29 Oct 1830
29 Oct 1830 2 James Mervyn Richardson-Bunbury 1781 4 Nov 1851 70
4 Nov 1851 3 John Richardson-Bunbury 10 Oct 1813 18 Feb 1909 95
18 Feb 1909 4 Mervyn William Richardson-Bunbury Jun 1874 21 Oct 1952 78
21 Oct 1952 5 Richard David Michael Richardson-Bunbury 27 Oct 1927 1 Dec 2017 90
1 Dec 2017 6 Thomas William Richardson-Bunbury 4 Aug 1965
RICHMOND of Hollington,Sussex
4 Jul 1929 UK 1 Frederick Henry Richmond 30 Nov 1873 11 Nov 1953 79
11 Nov 1953 2 John Frederick Richmond 12 Aug 1924 11 Jul 2000 75
to     Extinct or dormant on his death                             
11 Jul 2000
RICKETTS of The Elms,Gloucs
15 Feb 1828 UK 1 Robert Tristram Ricketts 1772 16 Aug 1842 70
16 Aug 1842 2 Cornwallis Ricketts 27 Feb 1803 30 Jan 1885 81
30 Jan 1885 3 Robert Tempest Tempest 7 Dec 1836 4 Feb 1901 64
4 Feb 1901 4 Tristram Tempest Tempest 10 Jan 1865 23 Jun 1909 44
23 Jun 1909 5 Frederick William Rodney Ricketts 27 Sep 1857 18 Sep 1925 67
18 Sep 1925 6 Claude Albert Frederick Ricketts 27 Apr 1880 11 Nov 1937 57
11 Nov 1937 7 Robert Cornwallis Gerald St.Leger 
Ricketts 8 Nov 1917 6 Oct 2005 87
6 Oct 2005 8 Robert Tristram Ricketts 17 Apr 1946 7 Nov 2007 61
7 Nov 2007 9 Stephen Tristram Ricketts 24 Dec 1974
RIDDELL of Riddell,Roxburgh
14 May 1628 NS 1 John Riddell Mar 1632
Mar 1632 2 Walter Riddell c 1669
c 1669 3 John Riddell 1 Apr 1700
1 Apr 1700 4 Walter Riddell 1664 27 Apr 1747 82
27 Apr 1747 5 Walter Riddell 1695 13 May 1765 69
13 May 1765 6 John Riddell 1726 16 Apr 1768 41
16 Apr 1768 7 Walter Buchanan Riddell 1763 7 Feb 1784 20
7 Feb 1784 8 James Buchanan Riddell 1765 4 Sep 1784 19
4 Sep 1784 9 John Buchanan Riddell 1768 26 Apr 1819 50
MP for Lanark 1812-1819
26 Apr 1819 10 Walter Buchanan Riddell 8 Aug 1810 27 Aug 1892 82
27 Aug 1892 11 James Walter Buchanan Riddell 14 Mar 1849 31 Oct 1924 75
31 Oct 1924 12 Walter Robert Buchanan Riddell 21 Apr 1879 5 Jun 1934 55
5 Jun 1934 13 John Charles Buchanan Riddell 3 Jan 1934 24 Jul 2010 76
Lord Lieutenant Northumberland 2000-2009
24 Jul 2010 14 Walter John Buchanan Riddell 10 Jun 1974
RIDDELL of Ardnamurchan,Argyll
2 Sep 1778 GB 1 James Riddell 2 Nov 1797
2 Nov 1797 2 James Milles Riddell 3 Jun 1787 28 Sep 1861 74
28 Sep 1861 3 Thomas Milles Riddell 25 Dec 1822 18 Jul 1883 60
18 Jul 1883 4 Rodney Stuart Riddell 7 Mar 1838 2 Jan 1907 68
to     Extinct on his death                             
2 Jan 1907
RIDDELL of Walton Heath,Surrey
31 Jan 1918 UK 1 George Allardice Riddell 25 May 1865 5 Dec 1934 69
He was subsequently created Baron
Riddell (qv) in 1920 with which title the
baronetcy then merged until its extinction
in 1934
RIDGEWAY of Torrington,Devon
25 Nov 1611 E 1 Thomas Ridgeway c 1565 24 Jan 1632
He was subsequently created Earl of
Londonderry (qv) in 1622 with which title
the baronetcy then merged until its 
extinction in 1714
RIDLEY of Blagdon,Northumberland
6 May 1756 GB 1 Matthew White c 1727 21 Mar 1763
For details of the special remainder included
in this creation, see the note at the foot of
this page
21 Mar 1763 2 Matthew White Ridley 28 Oct 1745 9 Apr 1813 67
MP for Morpeth 1768-1774 and Newcastle
on Tyne 1774-1812
9 Apr 1813 3 Matthew White Ridley 18 Apr 1778 14 Jul 1836 58
MP for Newcastle on Tyne 1812-1836
14 Jul 1836 4 Matthew White Ridley 9 Sep 1807 25 Sep 1877 70
MP for Northumberland North 1859-1868
25 Sep 1877 5 Matthew White Ridley 25 Jul 1842 28 Nov 1904 62
He was subsequently created Viscount
Ridley (qv) in 1900 with which title the
baronetcy remains merged
 
RIGBY of Long Durford,Sussex
24 Jun 1929 UK 1 Sir Hugh Mallinson Rigby May 1870 17 Jul 1944 74
17 Jul 1944 2 Hugh John Macbeth Rigby 1 Sep 1914 14 Mar 1999 84
14 Mar 1999 3 Anthony John Rigby 3 Oct 1946
RIGGS-MILLER of Ballicasey,Clare
24 Aug 1778 I 1 John Riggs-Miller                         28 May 1798
MP for Newport 1784-1790
28 May 1798 2 John Edward Augustus Riggs-Miller 1770 2 Aug 1825 55
to     Extinct on his death                          
2 Aug 1825
RIPLEY of Rawdon,Yorks
and Bedstone,Salop
8 May 1880 UK 1 Henry William Ripley 23 Apr 1813 9 Nov 1882 69
MP for Bradford 1868-1869 and 1874-1880
9 Nov 1882 2 Edward Ripley 16 May 1840 21 Nov 1903 63
21 Nov 1903 3 Henry William Alfred Ripley 3 Jan 1879 14 Dec 1956 77
14 Dec 1956 4 Hugh Ripley 26 May 1916 28 Oct 2003 87
28 Oct 2003 5 William Hugh Ripley 13 Apr 1950
RIPLEY of Acacia,Yorks
4 Sep 1897 UK 1 Frederick Ripley 28 Nov 1846 22 Nov 1907 60
22 Nov 1907 2 Frederick Hugh Ripley 7 Jul 1878 15 Jul 1945 67
15 Jul 1945 3 Geoffrey Arnold Ripley 4 Aug 1883 16 Nov 1954 71
to     Extinct on his death                          
16 Nov 1954
RITCHIE of Highlands
15 Dec 1903 UK 1 Sir James Thomson Ritchie 1835 18 Sep 1912 77
to     Extinct on his death                          
18 Sep 1912
RITCHIE of Lees House,Kent
23 Jan 1918 UK 1 James William Ritchie 7 Aug 1868 8 May 1937 68
8 May 1937 2 James Edward Thomson Ritchie 16 Jun 1902 20 Mar 1991 88
to     Extinct on his death                          
20 Mar 1991
RIVERS of Chafford,Kent
19 Jul 1621 E 1 John Rivers c 1579 c 1651
c 1651 2 Thomas Rivers 1657
1657 3 John Rivers c 1679
c 1679 4 George Rivers 1 Apr 1665 9 Aug 1734 69
Aug 1734 5 John Rivers c 1718 24 Mar 1743
24 Mar 1743 6 Peter Rivers (Rivers-Gay from c 1760) c 1721 20 Jul 1790
20 Jul 1790 7 Thomas Rivers-Gay c 1770 3 Feb 1805
3 Feb 1805 8 James Rivers 11 Jun 1772 27 Sep 1805 33
For further information on this baronet, see
the note at the foot of this page.
27 Sep 1805 9 Henry Rivers c 1779 7 Jul 1851
For further information on this baronet and his
daughter,see the note at the foot of this page.
7 Jul 1851 10 James Francis Rivers 30 Dec 1822 5 Nov 1869 46
For further information on this baronet, see
the note at the foot of this page.
5 Nov 1869 11 Henry Chandos Rivers 1834 31 Oct 1870 36
to     Extinct on his death                          
31 Oct 1870
Sir George Ramsay, 6th baronet  [NS 1666]
Sir George died following a duel with a Captain Macrae in April 1790. The cause of the duel and
its outcome were reported in the 'World' of 26 April 1790:-
'The friends of Mr. Macrae, have hitherto, from motives of delicacy, deferred giving any account
of an affair of so serious a nature, flattering themselves, that the Public prints would have been
sufficiently candid to have awaited the arrival of an authenticated account signed by the
Seconds. But so many false and abusive paragraphs having appeared in the daily papers, they
think themselves bound in justice to the character of Mr. Macrae, to publish the following facts:
'On Wednesday the 7th of April, Mr. Macrae handed a Lady out of the Theatre Royal, Edinburgh,
and had passed the corner of the Theatre towards Princes-street, before he could procure a
chair for her; he then called out to two Chairmen who were running pretty quickly towards the
Theatre with their chair, "Are you engaged?" to which they answered in the negative, and 
immediately set down their chair; but before the Lady could get into it, Sir George Ramsay's
servant laid hold of the left-hand pole, and though Mr. Macrae repeatedly desired him to let go,
and struck his fingers gently with a stick he had in his hand - the servant swore "He would be
d----d if he would." Another chair coming up, Mr. Macrae put the Lady into it - and though Sir
George's servant by this means remained in possession of the first chair, no person appeared
to go into it. Mr. Macrae was returning towards the Theatre, when Sir George's servant, who
still kept hold of the chair, called out after him - "I know you well, Sir, your name is Macrae,
and you are a d----d blackguard scoundrel." Mr. Macrae immediately turned, and followed the
servant who ran into the Theatre. These facts will be completely established by the evidence
of three of the Chairmen. After Mr. Macrae came up with the servant, he gave him two or
three severe blows with the stick which he held in his hand.
'As Sir George and Lady Ramsay and Mr. and Mrs. Macrae were in habits of friendship, and
daily visiting each other, Mr. Macrae thought it proper to wait upon Sir George and Lady
Ramsay next morning, when he expressed his concern at having been under the necessity of
chastising their servant for his insolence; but said, that as he had taken it upon himself to
punish him, he would not insist upon his dismission.
'Different Gentlemen who happened to be in the crowd, when Mr. Macrae gave the servant this
drubbing, informed him, that a person who said he was an Officer and a Gentleman, had thrown
out very severe reflections upon Mr. Macrae's conduct. In consequence of this information, Mr.
Macrae thought himself called upon to send a letter to the Printers of some of the News-papers,
declaring that he considered that person as assuming a character to which he had no right, and
bestowed upon him such Epithets as he thought he deserved.
'On the 12th current, a criminal process before the Sheriff of Edinburgh, was served upon Mr.
Macrae at the suit of Sir George Ramsay's servant, still residing in Sir George's family, with
concurrence of the Procurator Fiscal or Public Prosecutor, concluding for heavy damages.
'On the 13th current, an anonymous letter was received by Post, at Mr. Macrae's house of
Marionville, near Edinburgh; in which a number of opprobrious epithets were bestowed on him - 
and he was informed that 107 servants had associated themselves for the purpose of
gratifying their revenge upon him.
'Mr. Macrae being greatly irritated by these proceedings, wrote to Sir George Ramsay, 
requesting him to dismiss his servant or to make him withdraw the prosecution. Sir George
answered, that he did not countenance the prosecution, but declined complying with Mr. 
Macrae's request. Mr. Macrae wrote again, insisting that the servant should be dismissed, and
informed Sir George that his friend Mr. Amery would deliver a message from him in case his
request was not complied with.
'As Sir George still refused to part with his servant, Mr. Amery told him, that Mr. Macrae "did
not look upon his conduct in this affair to be that of a gentleman, but of a scoundrel." In
consequence to this, a challenge was sent by Sir George to Mr. Macrae, and they met at 
Musselburgh about six miles from Edinburgh, on the morning of the 14th - but on the preceding
evening Mr. Macrae called upon Captain Haig, informed him of what had passed, and expressed
his desire that a person of more experience and cooler temper than Mr. Amery should be 
present in order to affect an accommodation. Mr. Haig declined being Second to Mr. Macrae, 
but agreed to attend him on the footing proposed. Mr. Macrae was attended by Mr. Amery, and
Sir George Ramsay by Sir William Maxwell, as their Seconds; Mr. Bell, surgeon, and Capt. Haig
were also present. When the parties had met at Musselburgh, Capt. Haig was authorized by
Mr. Macrae to propose an accommodation on the following terms:
'That Sir George should agree to dismiss his servant, and that Mr. Macrae should make an ample
apology for the expressions used in the message delivered by Mr. Amery. Much conversation 
and several messages passed between the Parties concerning this proposal; during all which 
time, Mr. Macrae expressed an anxious desire that the matter should be honourably 
accommodated. At last, Sir George's Second proposed, that Mr. Macrae should in the first place
apologize to Sir George Ramsay, and that he would undertake for Sir George's afterwards turning
off his servant. This being declined by Mr. Macrae, the Parties went to the Field, and it being
agreed that they should fire together at the distance of twelve paces, Mr. Macrae's ball took
place in Sir George Ramsay's body, and Mr. Macrae was wounded in the cheek. Sir George died
on Friday morning last.'
Sir Hugh Charles Rhys Rankin, 3rd baronet
Sir Hugh was one of the very few baronets who were born in the middle of the Tunisian desert.
His father, Sir Reginald, the 2nd baronet, was a big-game hunter who had shot the largest
snow-leopard on record in India and who had survived being frozen after falling asleep in
the Andes.
Hugh was educated at Harrow, but ran away to work in a Belfast shipyard before joining the 
1st Royal Dragoon Guards. By 1921, he was the broadsword champion of the cavalry. Posted
to Ireland during the Troubles, he was shot by a sniper and invalided out of the army.
He then devoted himself to the study of sheep. When he succeeded to the baronetcy in
1935, he was a sheep shearer in Western Australia. During his travels in the Middle East, he
fell under the influence of the Muslim peer, the 5th Baron Headley (qv) and, in 1935, 
succeeded Headley as president of the British Muslim Society. However, finding that 'they 
were very rude and knew nothing of law and order; I was disgusted with the whole lot of 
them', he resigned a few weeks later.
Having never been a strong Christian, and now disillusioned with Islam, he turned to Buddhism.
In 1959, he came out in support of the existence of Abominable Snowmen. He also confirmed
that one of Buddhism's five Bodhisattvas (Perfected Men) lived in the Scottish Cairngorms and
met with his fellow Bodhisattvas each year in a cave in the Himalayas to decide the destiny of
the world.
In 1965, Sir Hugh claimed that he was the only baronet in the UK who was living on National
Assistance. Asked what job he might like, he replied 'Anything except being a butler. I hate
snobbishness.'
Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson, 1st baronet
The following biography of Sir Henry Rawlinson appeared in the August 1956 issue of the
Australian monthly magazine "Parade":-
Late in 1846, a group of dust-covered Englishmen gazed anxiously through telescopes at a
precipitous cliff in the Zangers Range in Persia. Tensely they watched two small figures crawl 
like ants about the smooth face of the cliff with a sheer drop of 500ft. beneath them to where 
a mountain stream bubbled over rocks. The group was watching Henry Creswicke Rawlinson, 
soldier, adventurer, diplomat and archaeologist, copying for the first time the mystic writings 
of the "inaccessible" Behistun Stone, thereby unlocking the secrets of three ancient languages 
and revealing to the world part of the history of an ancient civilisation. For nearly 2500 years,
the 13 great columns of cuneiform writings and the giant figures of a bearded king accepting 
the submission of captives looked over the plains on invading armies and trade caravans, none 
of whom knew their meaning. A contemporary of Julius Caesar attributed the carvings to Queen
Semiramis of Babylon. A later authority described the bearded captives as the 12 apostles. Not
till Henry Rawlinson came on the scene and risked his life swinging over the cliff were the 
carvings translated and the key found to three vanished languages.
 
'Henry Creswicke Rawlinson was born at Chadlington, Oxford, on April 11, 1810, son of Abram
Rawlinson, a noted breeder of racehorses. Henry was educated at Wrington and Ealing. He
excelled in sport but scholastically was brilliant only in languages. Which was why, when he 
arrived at Bombay as a cadet in the East India Company's First Bombay Grenadiers he speedily
mastered the vernacular languages and also Persian. Before he was 18, Rawlinson was the 
'Under wise Lord William Bentinck India was then at peace. The main pastime of the troops was
military gymkhanas and sport. Rawlinson was the regiment's unchallenged champion. He won so
persistently that at last there were none to compete with him. To bolster opposition, he offered
£100 to any who could beat him at steeplechasing, jumping, running, quoits, racquets, billiards,
pigeon shooting and even chess and cards. There were no takers, so he bet the mess £100 he
could ride the 72 miles from Poona to Bombay port in four hours. Rawlinson covered the 72 miles
in three hours seven minutes on relays of horses and made the headlines even in London papers.
 
'In 1833, Rawlinson, then 23, and a brilliant Persian linguist, was sent with other British officers
to Persia to reorganise the Army of the Shah. Alone, acting as his own recruiting officer, he 
raised several crack infantry regiments among the frontier tribes. It was at this time that 
Rawlinson first saw the Behistun Stone. The riddle of the cuneiform inscriptions in three 
languages roused the linguist and scholar in him. He overcame the difficulty of scaling the cliff
face to two of the inscriptions. Close comparison revealed similar recurring words in the two
writings. These he decided must be the names of Kings, whom he identified as Hystaspes,
Darius and Xerxes. After four years, Rawlinson was able to send a translation of the first two
paragraphs of the vast Behistun inscription together with half of what ultimately proved to be 
the Persian text to the Royal Asiatic Society. He would have proceeded then with his trans-
lation had not fate cast him for a grimmer role. 
'He was returning from a recruiting expedition, when he passed a strange cavalcade on the
caravan route to Herat, primarily a Persian town, then held by the Afghans. He trailed the 
cavalcade and found that the leader was the Russian Capt. Vikovitch, on his way to Kabul, 
where he hoped to win the friendship of the shaky Afghan ruler, Dost Mohammed, and thus
undermine British authority at the gateway to India. Rawlinson made a forced ride, still famous
in history, of over 750 miles to take the news of the Russian to the British Minister at Teheran.
 
'His anxiety was not misplaced. Vikovitch's visit to Kabul flashed an era of bloodshed and chaos
that ended with the massacre of 4500 British and Indian troops and 12,000 camp followers from
which one man alone survived. Hard on his warning, Rawlinson was recalled to India and 
appointed political agent in Kabul. He marched with the army the British Governor-General Lord
Auckland sent to drive the Russian-loving Dost Mohammed from his capital and install weakling
Shah Shuja in his place. Once this was achieved, Britain withdrew half her forces from Kabul.
With them went Henry Rawlinson to take up the post of political agent at Kandahar. But for
that he would have been in the army that died in the great retreat when treachery and murder
drove the British from the Afghan capital. 
'Meanwhile in Kandahar, Rawlinson ruthlessly suppressed intrigue. He disarmed and expelled the
more rebellious of the Afghan population and raised and trained a body of cavalry from the 
Persian minority. At their head he attacked the Afghans when they invested Kandahar. He
helped General William Nott [1782-1845] beat off the enemy and marched with the punitive
force that smashed its way to Kabul, blew up the citadel and burnt the bazaars.
 
'Rawlinson was now free to return to what he already considered his life's work - the solving of
the riddle of the Behistun Stone. In 1843, he obtained the post of Political Agent for the East
India Company in Turkish Arabia and was later appointed Consul at Baghdad.
'Rawlinson's second attack on the Behistun Stone was infinitely more difficult than the first. So
far he had copied only half the 15,000 characters of the Persian version. For that half he had 
the benefit of a ledge 6ft. wide. It narrowed off almost to nothing at the left where a cleft
separated the Persian from the Susan text. An earlier French expedition had abandoned hope of
copying the inscription from narrow ledges with scarcely a foothold, and had gone home. Even
the mountain men, accustomed to scaling the steepest cliffs, declared the task impossible.
'Rawlinson arrived at the base of the cliff with ladders, pulleys and ropes early in 1846. First he
completed copying the Persian text. On the extreme left, the ledge was only 18 inches wide.
With ropes attached to himself he pulled up a ladder. He dared not extend it to its full height,
because that would not give enough slope for climbing. With a reasonable margin of safety the
top of the ladder was still several feet short of the top of the script. Rawlinson was forced to
stand on the top rung with no other support than the steadying effect of his left arm pressed
gently against the cliff face while holding his notebook. With pencil in right hand, poised over a
sheer drop of several hundred feet, Rawlinson began to copy the inscription, watched breath-
lessly by his friends on the plain below. As he worked down the ladder, he was able to add
"squeezes" or impressions to his notes.
 
'With the Persian text finished Rawlinson turned to the Susan. To reach this he had to cross a
chasm to an even narrower ledge. Rawlinson bridged the gulf with his ladder laid on edge, one
end held by a jittery assistant. He set out to cross it with his feet on the lower support and his
hands on the upper. Half way across there was a rending of wood. The lower support splintered
and fell to the rocks below, leaving Rawlinson clinging desperately to the other by his hands.
Fortunately the wood held. His assistant kept his nerve. Rawlinson scrambled to safety. Next 
time he did not rely on ladders but took a plank up too. With the plank, he crossed the cleft
easily and was able to copy what was revealed later as the Susan text.
'The Babylonian version, however, completely defied him. It was carved on the face of an over-
hanging boulder to which there appeared to be no access. Cragsmen, accustomed to chasing 
mountain goats over difficult parts of the cliff, said the stone was unapproachable. Rawlinson,
however, gave a Kurdish boy a large bribe to make the attempt. On the left of the overhanging
Babylon rock was a cleft. The boy squeezed to the top where he drove in a wooden peg. He 
tied a rope to himself and to the peg. Like a human pendulum, he tried to swing across the rock
to the cleft on the other side. He failed to reach the right hand cleft and swung back. With the
rope round him, he then set out to cross the smooth face of the Babylon rock. With bare toes
and fingers clinging to tiny irregularities in the cliff face, he crossed the rock to drive in another
peg, to which he fixed the other end of his rope, thus making a loop across the boulder. The 
rope would not hold Rawlinson, so he bribed the boy further to take "squeezes" or impressions
of the carved inscriptions. 
'With complete copies of the triple cuneiform inscription, Rawlinson's next task was to decipher
it. His first two paragraphs sent to England some years earlier had only been of kings and their
titles. The narrative of the rest was more difficult. While on his first trip to Persia, Rawlinson
had improved his knowledge not only of the Persian language in common use, but also of its
dialects. The most ancient dialect was Zend. Rawlinson applied this to the cuneiform characters
and found many of them related. Slowly, he translated the whole of the Persian text to reveal
for the first time the genealogy of Darius and how he overthrew a number of usurpers to
consolidate Persia into the mighty power that only the tenacity of the Greeks at Marathon could
stop.
'Once the Persian version was translated, the way was open to translate the other unknown
tongues. Rawlinson himself headed the team that revealed the Babylonian language. Another
team of experts cracked the Susan version. The mighty Darius had decided the whole world
should always admire his prowess so he decreed that teams of workers should chisel his story 
on undying stone in the three principal languages so all could read. Darius went the way of all 
men. His deeds and his languages were forgotten. Generations passed heedlessly by the great 
stone, till Rawlinson came and revealed its secret once more.
'By now Rawlinson was famous. The British Museum made him a grant to continue the Assyrian
and Babylonian excavations begun by [Austen Henry] Layard. He became an M.P., then 
received the K.C.B. and a Crown directorship of the East India Company. He was appointed a
member of the first India Council when the government of India was transferred to the Crown
after the great mutiny, and he continued to serve on the Council till his death, save for a 
brief spell as envoy extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Persia. In 1891 he was made
a baronet. Sir Henry Rawlinson, Bart., died in his London home on March 5, 1895.
His son, Henry Seymour Rawlinson, rose to even greater honour. He commanded the Fourth Army
which smashed the Germans at Amiens on August 8, 1918, and started the landslide that led to
victory and the armistice of November 11. A grateful nation gave him £30,000 and made him
Baron Rawlinson.'
Sir John Chandos Reade, 7th baronet
Sir John Chandos Reade's children consisted of a son, Compton, and three daughters, one of
whom is described as being an imbecile. Whilst at Oxford University, Compton fell into debt 
and Sir John declined to pay off his son's debts, unless the son joined him in breaking the 
entail of the estate. Compton predeceased his father, as did two of his three daughters, with
the imbecile daughter outliving him.
According to an article in 'The Washington Post' of 23 January 1915, Sir John, who was 
apparently somewhat of a drinker, in a fit of rage struck his butler a blow which knocked the
unfortunate man down the stairs, breaking his neck. This deed was witnessed by a footman
named John Wakefield, who shortly after the death of the butler was appointed in his place.
No inquest was held into the death of the butler for three months, and then only at the 
insistence of the butler's widow. When the corpse was exhumed for an autopsy, it was found
that the body was in such a state of decomposition that only an open verdict was possible.
The body was thereupon returned to its grave and the widow, embittered by her failure to
achieve justice, erected a headstone which read 'It was a mortal hand that did the deed.'
After the death of the butler, Sir John sealed himself within the confines of his property at
Shipton Court in Oxfordshire, shunning all friends and relations, and restricting himself
entirely to the society of Wakefield, from whom he was never seen apart. When Sir John
died in 1868, it was found that Sir John had bequeathed all of his property to Wakefield, on
the conditions that Wakefield change his name to Reade and that he care for Sir John's
imbecile daughter. Not surprisingly, a few eyebrows were raised over the terms of the will.
Miss Reade, being an imbecile and under the care of the former Wakefield, failed to oppose
the will and probate was granted. The baronetcy was inherited by Sir John's grand-nephew,
who was an officer in the Indian Army. When he returned to England some years later, he
he attempted to secure a revocation of probate, but was unable to do so.
On the death of the 8th baronet in 1890, the baronetcy went to the American-born Sir
George Compton Reade, who was advised that he could take no steps to recover the estate
during the lifetime of the 7th baronet's imbecile daughter. She finally died in November 1897,
just six weeks before the expiration of the Statute of Limitations, which barred all claims
against property which had been in the occupant's possession for 30 years. By the time the
8th baronet heard of her death, the 30 years had expired and it was then too late to
commence any proceedings.
Sir John David Rees, 1st baronet
Sir John died from injuries received when he fell from a train in 1922. The following edited
report is taken from 'The Times' of 5 June 1922:-
'A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned on Saturday at the inquest on the body of Sir
J.D.Rees, M.P. for East Nottingham, who died in Chesterfield hospital from injuries received
through falling from the night express while travelling from London to Scotland early on Friday.
'Maurice Buckles, a shunter on the Midland Railway, said that on Friday morning [2 June 1922]
he was told that one of the doors of the Scotch express was open. The train was stationary
at the time. He went to close the door, which was that of a third-class carriage on the
opposite side to the corridor. The compartment was empty. There was some luggage on the
rack and a pillow and rug on the seat. The rug was thrown back as if someone had been lying
down and had got up. The train attendant told him that there had been a passenger in the
compartment.
'George Augustus Mills, guard in charge of the express, said that the train was pulled up just
after passing through Chesterfield.
'The Coroner - Is it possible that the door of the compartment might have been only half
closed, and that the passenger, looking out of the window, might have pushed it open? - I do
not think so; the lock would not permit of that. The lock was in perfect working order.
Answering Lady Rees, the witness said that there were no signs of any struggle.
'Cecil Harry Harnden, train attendant, said that he checked the tickets after passing Bedford,
about 12.45 a.m. At that time there was a man in the compartment in question lying asleep
on the seat, with a rug over him. He was sleeping soundly, and the witness had to wake him
to see his ticket. He was quite sure that every door was fastened, and the handles turned
when the train left Trent. There was no stop between Trent and where the train was pulled up
beyond Chesterfield.
'The Coroner - If the deceased had wakened in a sleepy condition, is it possible that he
opened the door thinking it led into the corridor? - It is possible, but not probable, because he
would have to double turn the catch on the outside door before it would open. Lady Rees
said she had never known her husband to walk in his sleep.
'In reply to the Coroner, Lady Rees said that Sir John was singularly unobservant of anything
in the way of mechanical contrivances. He always muddled them, and it was quite a joke in
the family. He seemed to have no mechanical feeling at all.
'Arthur Edward Payne, a parcels porter, said that he found Sir John Rees about one hundred
yards beyond the end of Chesterfield platform in the six-foot way. He was in a sitting position.
He said he was in great pain and added, "Move me away from here; get me away somewhere."
He had a gash on the top of his head, and was taken to Chesterfield Hospital. A slipper, a cap,
and 7s 9d in silver and copper were found on the line. Sir John Rees said nothing as to how he
came to fall out of the train. Dr. J.C.Adam said that death was due to shock following the
injuries received.
'The Coroner, in returning his verdict, said that there was no evidence of how Sir John Rees
fell from the carriage. He might have awakened, and in a semi-dazed condition, opened the
outside door thinking that he was going into the corridor.'
For information regarding Sir John's odd will, see the next following note.
Sir Richard Lodowick Edward Montagu Rees, 2nd baronet
Sir Richard was the defendant in a curious will case in 1925. His father, Sir John Rees, 1st
baronet, converted to Roman Catholicism before the birth of his son Richard. Immediately after
his birth Richard was baptized as a Roman Catholic, and yet Sir John inserted a clause in his will
which disqualified participation in the income of his estate of any person who practised or
professed the Roman Catholic religion. Accordingly, the trustees of Sir John's will sought a Court
ruling as to whether the son, Sir Richard, was entitled to inherit under the will. The following
report appeared in "The Times" of 11 June 1925:-
'The plaintiffs, who were the trustees of the will of Sir John David Rees, who died on June 2, 
1922, asked the Court on this originating summons whether, on the true construction of the
will dated August 25, 1904, the defendant Sir Richard Ludowich Montague Edward Rees was
entitled from the time of his attaining the age of 25 years to have paid to him the income of the
son's trust fund in the said will mentioned during his life until he should charge such life interest.
'The defendant was the only son of the testator, and under his father's will he became entitled,
on attaining 25 years of age, to the income from half of the residuary estate, which was of the
value of £74,500. The testator was baptized a Protestant, but he became a Roman Catholic
shortly before his marriage with the defendant Lady Rees in 1891. The defendant Sir Richard
Rees, the present baronet, was born on April 4, 1900, and was taken to be baptized by the
testator and his wife within the prescribed week of his birth under the regulations of the Roman
Catholic Church in the private chapel of the Earl of Abingdon, Wytham Abbey.
'Sir J.D. Rees, by his will in 1904, inserted the following forfeiture clause: "I direct that if and
whenever any person (other than my said wife) entitled under this my will, in possession for 
his or her life or any less interest to the income of my residuary estate or any part thereof,
shall profess or practise the Roman Catholic religion his or her right to receive such income
shall cease," and he added: "It being my wish that my dearest son Richard and my dearest
daughter Rosemary may be entirely removed during their education and bringing up from all
Roman Catholic influence whatsoever such as priests, schoolmasters, governesses, nurses, and
the like of that persuasion."
'Sir Richard Rees, in an affidavit, stated that he was at a preparatory school at Winchester,
where he attended the Protestant school services, but as he had been baptized into the Roman
Catholic Church he could not be received as a pupil at Winchester College and he was sent to
Eton, where for the 4½ years he regularly attended the school chapel and was confirmed there
as a Protestant. During his holidays he sometimes attended Mass with his mother when his father
was also present. Since leaving Eton he had not attended regularly at Protestant or Roman
Catholic services, but on at least one occasion he attended Mass with his mother and father.
Except so far as he had attended Roman Catholic services to please his mother he had not
professed or practised the Roman Catholic religion.
'Mr. Justice Lawrence, in his judgment, said that the will in the events which happened was the
most extraordinary document that he had ever seen. The children were brought up after the
date of the will to the knowledge of the testator as Roman Catholics with a Roman Catholic
governess and nurse, notwithstanding that the testator had said in his will that they should be
entirely removed from all Roman Catholic influences. He (his Lordship) could not read the will as
a cruel joke on the two children. But the wording of the forfeiture clause was "shall profess,"
and the question simply was whether since attaining 25 years Sir Richard Rees had professed
or practised the Roman Catholic religion, and there was his oath that since he had attained 25
years of age he had not professed or practised that religion. There was no evidence since then
that he had gone to Mass with his mother, and he not been cross-examined. Therefore he (his
Lordship) held as a fact that he had not practised or professed the Roman Catholic religion within
the meaning of the forfeiture clause, and that the trustees ought to pay to him the income, 
subject to the conditions as to bankruptcy. There would be an order to pay it to him until he
should practise or profess the Roman Catholic religion, but the trustees were not to be held
liable or responsible for paying the income to him after either such event unless and until they
received express notice of such event."
Sir James Herbert Renals, 2nd baronet
The first baronet was so created following his year as Lord Mayor of London in 1894-1895. He
was succeeded by his son who was rather less successful in his civil duties, and who appeared
in the courts on several occasions. 
In November 1914, Sir James was charged with making a false statement "as to the moral 
character of one Marcus Barthropp, intending it to be used for the purpose of the entry of the
said Barthropp into His Majesty's military forces" - in other words, a false reference. On the
strength of Renals' reference, Barthropp was granted a commission in the Army, but he was
subsequently recognised as a person who had been convicted of fraud on many occasions, and
was kicked out of the Army. On the basis that Renals' statement as to Barthropp's moral
character was knowingly incorrect, Renals was hauled into court where he was fined £20.
He was again in trouble the following January, when he was charged with conspiracy to defraud
the public by means of a bogus money-lending scheme. His co-defendant was a man named 
Henry Mather, alias Walter Furnald, who had a long history of fraudulent activity in America.
While there appears to be little doubt that Renals was guilty, he was acquitted after the jury
failed to agree on a verdict. In discharging Renals, the Recorder at the Old Bailey commented
that he had no doubt that an addiction to strong drink was the cause of Renals' downfall.
When he died in 1927, the following obituary (which tactfully omits to mention his visits to the
courts) appeared in 'The Observer' of 10 April 1927:-
'It has just become publicly known at Brighton that a baronet, Sir James Herbert Renals, son
of the late Sir Joseph Renals, who was Lord Mayor of London in the year 1894-1895, recently
died in the Brighton Poor Law Institution after an unequal struggle against poverty in one of the
poorest streets in Brighton.
'Sir James, who was fifty-six years of age, had been a Lieutenant of the City of London and a
member of the Fruiterers' Company.
'The fact that a man of such antecedents had been living in an obscure locality was not known
until after his death. Sir James, who did not use the title, had been seeking to support his wife
and a family of six young children by means of canvassing for advertisements. Recently he had
found trade very slack. He appeared to be on the verge of starvation, and had to seek parish
relief.
'A good deal of mystery surrounds his career, but it is known that for some time he had been
estranged from members of his family. He was educated at Chigwell Grammar School, and at a
comparatively early age went to South Africa where, it is said, he held responsible positions in
connection with a big group of gold mines. At about the time of the death of his father, some
twenty years ago, he returned to this country. Hopes which he had entertained that he would
inherit a large fortune are stated to have been disappointed. He offered himself for service as a
transport driver during the Great War, but was rejected on medical grounds. Later he was
engaged at the White City as a supervisor in the preparation of tents for military service.'
The special remainder to the baronetcy of White (later Ridley) created in 1756
From the "London Gazette" of 27 April 1756 (issue 9578, page 5):-
'The King has been pleased to grant unto Matthew White, of Blagston in the County of North-
umberland, Esq; and the Heirs Male of his Body lawfully begotten, and in Default of such Issue,
to the Heirs Male of the Body of Elizabeth, Sister to the said Matthew White now the Wife of
Matthew Ridley, of Heaton in the said County of Northumberland, Esq; lawfully begotten, the
Dignity of a Baronet of the Kingdom of Great Britain.'
Sir James Rivers, 8th baronet
According to the 'Aberdeen Journal' of 16 October 1805:-
'A shocking accident happened in the neighbourhood of Enniskillen on the 27th of last month.
As Capt. Sir James Rivers, Bart., of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, was out on a shooting party at
Nixon-hall, in company with Capt. Fancott and Capt. Platt, of the 50th regiment, Sir James's
gun unfortunately went off and killed him almost instantaneously. He is much and deservedly
lamented.'
Sir Henry Rivers, 9th baronet and his daughter, Louisa
Neither Sir Henry nor his daughter Louisa appeared to be over fond of children, as is evidenced 
by two newspaper reports; the first appearing in the "Champion and Weekly Herald" on 5 March
1837:-
'Assize Intelligence - Winchester, Feb 28 - Rex v. The Rev. Sir Henry Rivers, Bart. Assault by a
Clergyman. - This was an indictment against the defendant for having assaulted a boy, of the 
name of George Mitchell - From the evidence it would seem, that on the 15th of June last, 
George Mitchell, who was only twelve years of age, accompanied by other little boys, who were
not so old as himself, went to bathe in the river Itchen, about two miles from Winchester, at
a spot called the Ten Hatches, which is about eighty-five yards from the footpath. The
defendant was on the opposite side of the river, but at some distance above the hatches; he
was fishing; after some time he approached nearer to the boys, and made some sign to them
which alarmed them, and they caught up their clothes and ran off towards their homes; Mitchell
had to cross a bridge, and he had no sooner done so than the defendant, who had run in the
same direction, came up, knocked him down, and kicked him; he was so much injured that he
could not walk, but was carried to a house in the neighbourhood: the father of the boy went
to Sir Henry Rivers, who still continued fishing, to remonstrate with him, when Sir Henry called
him a fool, and said he would serve the boy worse if he caught him there again; two surgeons
who afterwards saw the boy said the injury was a superficial bruise on the hip, and one of
them prescribed eight leeches.
'It was admitted for the defendant that it was an assault, but contended that the boys were
running naked near where Miss Rivers was standing, and that the defendant was so much
exasperated that he had chastised the boy. The Jury found the defendant guilty, and he was
sentenced to pay a fine of £10 to the King.'
The second report appeared in "The Sunday Times" of 29 August 1869:-
'Another charge of assault was preferred against Miss Louisa Rivers, daughter of the late Sir
Henry Rivers, Bart., formerly rector of Martyr Worthy, near Winchester, at the Winchester Petty
Sessions on Wednesday. Two former convictions have been obtained against the lady, and on
the last occasion she was fined £5 and threatened with imprisonment if brought before the
magistrates again. The defendant was now charged with having knocked down a girl named
Harriet Barfoot, aged 13, this being the second time that the same child had been assaulted by
Miss Rivers. The evidence of three persons was taken to substantiate the charge - that of the
complainant herself, of one of the latter's companions, named Emily Seymour, who was with her
at the time, and of Mr. Judd. From their statements it appeared that on Monday Miss Rivers
went up to the complainant in High Street, Winchester, and, without having received any
provocation, knocked her down by giving her a blow in the side. The blow was so severe that
for a time the child was rendered insensible. Throughout the proceedings Miss Rivers continually
denounced the witnesses as liars, and conducted herself in a strange manner, and the magis-
strates eventually decided upon remanding her for further inquiry. The object of the remand 
was understood to be to obtain medical evidence as to the state of Miss Rivers' mind. She is 
believed to be insane, and should such be proved to be the case she will doubtless be sent to
a lunatic asylum.'
Sir James Francis Rivers, 10th baronet
Sir James was convicted in October 1852 of assaulting two railway officials. The following
report of the case is taken from the 'Daily News' of 21 October 1852:-
'The Bath magistrates were employed for some time on Tuesday in hearing charges of assault
preferred by two of the officials in the employ of the Great Western Railway Company. The
complainants were Isaac Crew, a a railway porter, and Samuel Haines, a railway policeman, the
latter of whom appeared with his hand bound up. Great interest was excited by the case, and
the court was crowded. Mr. Williams, of the firm of Taylor and Williams, solicitors, appeared
for the defendant. The circumstances of the two cases being connected, the bench decided
upon hearing all the evidence before giving judgment.
'From the statements of the complainants, which were corroborated by respectable witnesses,
it appeared that on Saturday evening, the 16th instant, Sir James Rivers drove to the Bath
railway station in a dog cart, with a pair of horses, and pulled up to await the arrival of the 7
o'clock train, upon the ground usually occupied by the omnibuses. The complainant, Crew,
subsequently went up to him and requested him to remove, so that the omnibuses might back
in, at the same time pointing out to him the place set apart for private carriages. Sir James
replied that he should not move to please anybody, at the same time using abusive language
and telling witness that it was Saturday night, and that he was drunk. Crew left, but as the
omnibuses were arriving, presently went again to defendant, and told him he must please to
move, and, at the same time, he put his hand on the hind part of one of the horses. Sir James
immediately struck him violently across the hand with his whip, and swore that he had wished 
he had hit his hand off. The other complainant, Haines, afterwards went to defendant, and
requested him to move, as he was occupying the place of the omnibuses. Defendant said he
would not move for any policeman, and after repeating his request the witness laid hold of the
horses bits to lead them on. Sir James immediately stood upon the box and lashed the horses
furiously for the purpose of riding over the policeman, who said that he had not been 
accustomed to horses, and pushed those of defendant back into the breeching every time
they reared, he must have been thrown down and rode over. Finding himself unable to
drive the horses over the witness, Sir James leaned over the splash-board and belaboured
him across the head, shoulders and hands with the butt end of his whip. Witness then let go
his hold, and afterwards, whilst standing on the steps leading to the railway station, the
defendant came up to him and struck him a violent blow in his stomach with his fist. He had
been unable to attend to his duties since the assault from the injuries he had received, and
had spit blood ever since.
'For the defence, it was attempted to be shown that Sir James was provoked to the assault;
and his servant stated that the policeman put his hand on his breast before he struck him in
the stomach.
'The magistrates having consulted together, the mayor….addressing the defendant, said the
magistrates had had no hesitation whatever in coming to a decision in this matter, which was
very discreditable to him. For the first offence he was fined 50s and costs, or in default to be
committed for one month; and for the second assault, which was more serious, he was fined
in the full penalty of £5 and costs, or in default to be committed for two months. His worship
also said he must warn him, that if he went on committing assaults of this kind he would be
liable to be indicted at the sessions, and committed for two years' imprisonment. For a person
of his rank, such conduct was most discreditable.
'The fines having been paid, the defendant left the court. It is not long since Sir James was
fined in the same court for furious driving.' 
The reference to furious driving relates to another incident which had taken place a month
earlier, and for which Sir James had also been hauled before the Bath police court and fined
40s and costs for "furiously driving a carriage and pair in the London-road, to the danger of
the public."
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