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SCUDAMORE, Richard Philip (1762-1831), of Kentchurch, Herefs.
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Biography Detail
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Family and Education
b. 30 June 1762, 2nd s. of John Scudamore I*, and bro. of John Scudamore II*. educ. ?I. Temple 1778. unm.
Offices Held
Capt. Wormelow and Greytree vols. 1803.
Biography
Scudamore succeeded to his late brother’s seat for Hereford unopposed and followed his family’s political line, as silent as they had been in the House. After voting against the Duke of Atholl’s claims and for the criminal prosecution of Melville, 7 and 12 June 1805, he was listed ‘Opposition’ by the Treasury in July. He supported the Grenville ministry, voting for their repeal of Pitt’s Additional Force Act, 30 Apr. 1806, and for Brand’s motion against their successors, 9 Apr. 1807. In the Parliament of 1807 he was steady in opposition, as the Whigs listed him in March 1810, and prepared to join the ‘Mountain’ on such questions as a mediated peace, 29 Feb. 1808, and inquiry into abuses and ministerial corruption, 17 Apr., 11 May 1809. He supported Catholic relief and also parliamentary reform, 21 May 1810, being named as a steward for the extra-parliamentary reform meeting of 10 June 1811 (he probably did not attend) and joining the Hampden Club.
Scudamore’s opposition in the next Parliament was equally uncompromising. He voted for Catholic relief throughout, opposed the resumption of hostilities in 1815 and joined the minorities on questions of foreign policy. He voted steadily for retrenchment from 1815 and against the suspension of habeas corpus and its operation, 1817-18. He voted for Burdett’s reform motion, 20 May 1817, and for the resumption of cash payments by the Bank, 19 Feb. 1817 and 1 May 1818. He was defeated by a ministerial candidate in the election that year, but resumed his seat unopposed on the death of his former colleague Symonds a year later. He remained in opposition, voting steadily against the repressive measures that followed Peterloo until 13 Dec. and again on 20 and 21 Dec. 1819. He died 5 Mar. 1831.
Morning Chron. 7, 11 June 1811; The Times, 24 Sept. 1819.
