Richard Honyman

Sir Richard Bempdé Johnstone Honyman, 2nd Baronet(4 May 1787 – 23 February 1842)^[1]was aScottishofficial of theBritish East India Companywho served for six years in theHouse of Commonsas theMember of Parliament(MP) forOrkney and Shetland.

Early life

Honyman was the second son ofSir William Honyman, 1st Baronet,SCJ (Lord Armadale), ofArmadalein Sutherland andGraemsayinOrkney.His mother Mary was a daughter of the notorious judgeLord Braxfield.^[2]The family claimed maternal descent fromSir Robert Stewart,an illegitimate son of KingJames V of Scotland.^[3]

He was educated in England atEton,and in 1806 he joined theBritish East India Companyas awriter(junior clerk). After several promotions he became deputy commercial resident inRamnadin 1809, and returned to Britain in 1811. He finally left the East India Company in 1816.^[2]

Career

Honyman's father Sir William had large landholdings in Orkney, where he had exerted significant influence on the parliamentary representation since the 1780s. Sir William's brotherRobert Honyman(c. 1765–1848) had been returned as Orkney's MP from 1796 to 1806, when he was succeeded by Sir William's oldest sonColonel Robert Honymanuntil 1807. The Colonel had died of fever in Jamaica in 1808,^[4]and when Sir William's negotiations secured the seat for his family again at the1812 general election,Richard Honyman enjoyed the support of the outgoingWhigMPMalcolm Laing.Honyman won eight of the twelve votes cast.^[5]

He is not known to have spoken inParliament,and was not a frequent attender in the Commons.^[2] He initially voted with the Whigs, but by 1813 Sir William was reported to have settled his differences withHenry Dundas's sonRobert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melvillewho was by thenFirst Lord of the Admiraltyin the government ofLord Liverpool.Thereafter Richard voted with theTories,^[2] and at the1818 general electionhe was defeated by 12 votes to 19 by the Whig candidate Royal Navy CaptainGeorge Dundas.^[5]The Balfour, Baikie and Traill families of Orkney had agreed to end the three-decade Honyman hegemony. They allied themselves with the Dundas of Kerse (descendants ofThomas Dundas of Fingask,unrelated to the Lords Melville) who the Honymans had displaced in the 1780s.^[5]

The alliance faltered at the1820 election,when objections were raised to the age of the 70-year-old Whig candidateJohn Balfour,and to the lack of consultation before his nomination. Honyman was nominated again, by Alexander Henderson of Stempster and seconded by Gilbert Traill; but Balfour won the seat by 19 votes to Honyman's 14.^[6]

Sir William Honyman died on 5 January 1825. Due to the death ofColonel Robert,Richard's elder brother, in 1808, Richard was thereby the oldest surviving son, and succeeded to his father's baronetcy and estates.^[7]

Family

Honyman married Elizabeth Campbell (1784-1874), with whom he had one daughter.^[2]Elizabeth is buried inRosebank Cemeteryin north Edinburgh.

He died on 23 February 1842, and having no male heir the baronetcy passed to his father's second surviving sonOrd(1794–1863).^[7]

Richard Honyman is buried against the eastern outer wall of the southern section ofSt Cuthbert's churchyardinEdinburgh.The marble monument is eroded and its legibility is fading.

Arms

Coat of arms of Richard Honyman
	Crest An arrow in pale point downwards Or feathered Argent. Escutcheon Argent on a bend engrailed Gules a bendlet of the field. Supporters Two lions rampant guardant Proper. Motto Progredere Ne Regredere (Advance, Recede Not)^[8]

References

^Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "O"
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^eFisher, David R. (1986). R. Thorne (ed.)."HONYMAN, Richard Bempde Johnstone (1787-1842), of Armadale, Sutherland and Graemsay, Orkney".The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790–1820.Boydell and Brewer.Retrieved23 April2015.
^"Obituaries: Sir Ord Honeyman".The Gentleman's Magazine.March 1863. p. 394.Retrieved25 April2015.
^Fisher, David R. (1986). R. Thorne (ed.)."HONYMAN, Robert II (?1781-1808)".The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790–1820.Boydell and Brewer.Retrieved23 April2015.
^^a ^b ^cFisher, David R. (1986). R. Thorne (ed.)."Orkney and Shetland".The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790–1820.Boydell and Brewer.Retrieved23 April2015.
^Fisher, David R. (2009). D. R. Fisher (ed.)."Orkney and Shetland".The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1820–1832.Cambridge University Press.Retrieved23 April2015.
^^a ^bBurke, (John) Bernard(1868).A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire.London: Henry Colburn & Co. p. 582.Retrieved23 April2015.
^Debrett's peerage, baronetage, knightage, and companionage.1864.

External links

Hansard1803–2005:contributions in Parliament by Richard Honyman

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Malcolm Laing	Member of ParliamentforOrkney and Shetland 1812–1818	Succeeded by George Dundas
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by William Honyman	Baronet (of Armadale) 1825 – 1842	Succeeded by Ord John Honyman

[1] Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "O"

[histparl-richard-honyman-1787-1842-2] Fisher, David R. (1986). R. Thorne (ed.)."HONYMAN, Richard Bempde Johnstone (1787-1842), of Armadale, Sutherland and Graemsay, Orkney".The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790–1820.Boydell and Brewer.Retrieved23 April2015.

[gent-mag-obit-march-1863-3] "Obituaries: Sir Ord Honeyman".The Gentleman's Magazine.March 1863. p. 394.Retrieved25 April2015.

[histparl-robert-honyman-1781-1808-4] Fisher, David R. (1986). R. Thorne (ed.)."HONYMAN, Robert II (?1781-1808)".The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790–1820.Boydell and Brewer.Retrieved23 April2015.

[histparl-orkney-and-shetland-1790-1820-5] Fisher, David R. (1986). R. Thorne (ed.)."Orkney and Shetland".The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790–1820.Boydell and Brewer.Retrieved23 April2015.

[histparl-orkney-and-shetland-1820-1832-6] Fisher, David R. (2009). D. R. Fisher (ed.)."Orkney and Shetland".The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1820–1832.Cambridge University Press.Retrieved23 April2015.

[burke-7] Burke, (John) Bernard(1868).A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire.London: Henry Colburn & Co. p. 582.Retrieved23 April2015.

[8] Debrett's peerage, baronetage, knightage, and companionage.1864.

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