Richard Burton Phillipson

Richard Burton Phillipson
Richard Burton Phillipson
	Portrait c.1777, after Nathaniel Dance-Holland
Born	c.1723
Died	18 August 1792
Allegiance	Great Britain
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1744–1792
Rank	Lieutenant-general
Unit	1st Royal Regiment of Dragoons
Alma mater	Eton College; Emmanuel College, Cambridge

Lieutenant-General Richard Burton Phillipson (c. 1723–1792) was a British Army officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1762 and 1792.

Career

Burton was the son of William Burton of Herringswell, Suffolk and his wife Grace Phillipson. He was educated at Eton College in 1732 and was admitted at Middle Temple in 1741 and at Emmanuel College, Cambridge aged 18 on 28 January 1742.^[1] He joined the army in the 1st The Royal Dragoons, being a cornet in 1744, lieutenant in 1746, captain in 1751, major in 1759 and lieutenant-colonel in 1761.^[2]

Burton was returned as member of parliament for Eye through his friend Lord Cornwallis at a by-election in 1762. He took name of Phillipson in 1766 under the terms of a will.^[3] In the 1768 general election Burton Phillipson (as he was now named) unsuccessfully contested Winchelsea on behalf of Arnold Nesbitt. He was then returned as MP for Eye in a by-election in 1770. In 1774 and 1780 he was re-elected for Eye. He grew very deaf and stout as he grew older, factors which do not appear to have hampered his military career. However, in 1784 Lord Cornwallis complained of Phillipson having "most provokingly left all his trumpets in London, which is hard upon me in our têtes-à-tête". Philippson was re-elected MP for Eye in 1784 and 1790. There is no record of his having ever spoken during his 28 years in Parliament.^[2]

While in Parliament, Phillipson continued his military service and became colonel of the 1st Dragoons in 1775. In 1779 the 20th Light Dragoons was raised from the light troops of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, 1st Dragoons and 11th Dragoons and Phillipson became colonel and then major-general of the regiment in 1779.^[2] The 20th Regiment was disbanded and Phillipson became colonel in the 3rd Dragoon Guards in 1785 and was made lieutenant-general in 1787.^[4]

Burton Phillipson died unmarried on 18 August 1792^[2] at his home Spring Gardens and buried in St Helen's church, Ipswich where there is a memorial tablet on the north wall.

References

^ "Burton, Richard (BRTN741R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "BURTON (afterwards PHILLIPSON), Richard (?1723–92)". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
^ Deed Poll Office Richard Burton: change of name and arms to Philipson
^ Mills, T.F. "3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales's)". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 27 February 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2007.

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Henry Townshend Viscount Brome	Member of Parliament for Eye 1762–1768 With: The Viscount Allen	Succeeded by The Viscount Allen Hon. William Cornwallis
Preceded by The Viscount Allen Hon. William Cornwallis	Member of Parliament for Eye 1770–1792 With: Hon. William Cornwallis1770–1774 Francis Osborne, Marquess of Carmarthen 1774 John St John 1774–1780 Arnoldus Jones-Skelton 1780–1782 Hon. William Cornwallis 1782–1784 Peter Bathurst 1784–1790 Hon. William Cornwallis 1790–1792	Succeeded by Peter Bathurst Hon. William Cornwallis
Preceded by Philip Honywood	Colonel of 3rd (The Prince of Wales's) Dragoon Guards 1785–1789	Succeeded by Sir William Fawcett

[CU-1] "Burton, Richard (BRTN741R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.

[HOP-2] "BURTON (afterwards PHILLIPSON), Richard (?1723–92)". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 20 August 2017.

[3] Deed Poll Office Richard Burton: change of name and arms to Philipson

[regiments-4] Mills, T.F. "3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales's)". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 27 February 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2007.

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