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RIDLEY-COLBORNE, NICHOLAS WILLIAM, 1ST BARON COLBORNE, brother of Sir Matthew White Ridley, Bart. (b. 1778, qv) ; b. 14 Apr 1779 ; in sixth form list 1796 ; probably the Ridley who played cricket v. Eton on Hounslow Heath 25 Jul 1796 ; Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 26 Oct 1796 ; BA 1800 ; adm. Gray’s Inn 12 Dec 1795, withdrew from Inn 26 Apr 1809 without having been called to bar ; assumed additional surname and arms of Colborne 21 Jun 1803 ; MP Bletchingley 8 May 1805-6, Malmesbury 1806-7, Appleby 20 Jul 1807 – 1812, Thetford 1818-26, Horsham 8 Feb 1827-32, Wells 5 May 1834-7 ; created Baron Colborne 15 May 1839 ; a loyal supporter of the Whig party in House of Commons and House of Lords ; member, Fine Arts Commission 1841, Metropolitan Improvements Commission 1842 ; Busby Trustee 13 May 1851 ; m. 14 Jun 1808 Charlotte, eldest dau. of Thomas Steele (qv) ; d. 3 May 1854.

RIDLEY-COLBORNE, HON. WILLIAM NICHOLAS, only son of Nicholas William Ridley-Colborne, 1st Baron Colborne (qv); b. 24 Jul 1814; adm. 18 Jun 1827 (G); Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 7 Jun 1832; BA 1836; MP (Whig) Richmond from 1841; d. unm. 23 Mar 1846.

ROBERTS, JOHN, son of Edward Roberts, Chester, Deputy Registrar, Diocese of Chester, and Elizabeth ---; b.; adm. (aged 11) Apr 1723; in school list 1727/8; took part of Mark Antony in play of Julius Caesar, acted by the boys “at the theatre over against the Opera House” in Jan 1727/8 (Life and Correspondence of Mrs Delany, 1st Series, i, 158); Christ Church, Oxford, matr. 25 Jun 1728, Canoneer Student 19 Dec 1728 – void 26 Jun 1742; BA 1732; MA 18 Mar 1734/5; tutor to son of Henry Pelham (qv); employed by Pelham as his secretary during Pelham’s tenure of posts of First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer Aug 1743 – Mar 1754; managed for Pelham the payment of secret service money; Deputy Paymaster, Gibraltar 1743-61; Inspector of Outports, Customs 1746-62; MP Harwich from 1761; a Commissioner for Trade and Foreign Plantations 23 Oct 1761 – Dec 1762, and from 20 Jul 1765; m.; d. 13 Jul 1772. Monument in South Transept, Westminster Abbey. DNB.

ROBINSON, HON. FREDERICK, second son of Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham (qv); b. 11 Oct 1746; at school under Markham (Admissions to Trin. Coll. Camb. , iii, 203); Trinity Coll. Cambridge, adm. fellow commoner 9 Nov 1763, matr. Mich. 1763; MA 1766; adm. Lincoln’s Inn 10 May 1764, called to bar 30 Jan 1770; Secretary to Embassy, Madrid Feb 1772- Jul 1779; MP Ripon 1780 – Jul 1787; m. 11 Jun 1785 Catherine Gertrude, dau. of James Harris MP, and sister of James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury; d. 28 Dec 1792.

ROBINSON, THOMAS, 1ST BARON GRANTHAM, fourth son of Sir William Robinson, Bart., MP, and Mary, eldest dau. of George Aislabie, Studley Royal, Yorks.; b. 24 Apr 1695 (IGI); adm.; Min. Can. (aged 12) 1708; Trinity Coll. Cambridge, adm. pens. 12 Jan 1711/2, scholar 9 Apr 1714, matr. 1712; BA 1715/6; MA 1719; Minor Fellow, Trinity Coll. 2 Oct 1718, Major Fellow 10 Jul 1719; adm. Middle Temple 1 Feb 1722/3; Secretary to British Embassy, Paris 1723-30, Chargé d’Affaires in Ambassador’s absence 1724 and 1727; one of three British representatives at Congress of Soissons 1728-9; Ambassador at Vienna 1730-48; KB 26 Jun 1742; joint plenipotentiary with Earl of Sandwich in peace negotiations at Aix-la-Chapelle 1748; a painstaking diplomat of good business capacity, whose talents were valued by his former schoolfellow Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle (qv); MP Thirsk 1727-34, Christchurch 30 Dec 1748-61; a Commissioner of Trade 1 Nov 1748 – Nov 1749; Master of the Great Wardrobe, Royal Household 23 Dec 1749 – Apr 1754; Secretary of State for the Southern Department, with the leadership of the House of Commons, 15 Apr 1754 – Nov 1755; he owed the appointment to his friendship with Newcastle, but he lacked the ability to manage the House of Commons; Master of the Great Wardrobe 21 Nov 1755 – Nov 1760; created Baron Grantham 7 Apr 1761; Joint Postmaster-General Jul 1765 – Dec 1766; member, Society of Dilettanti 1761; m. 13 Jul 1737 Frances, third dau. of Thomas Worsley MP, Hovingham, Yorks.; d. 30 Sep 1770. DNB.

ROBINSON, THOMAS, 2ND BARON GRANTHAM, elder son of Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham (qv); b. 30 Nov 1738; adm. Mar 1749/50 (Hawkins'); in school list 1754; Christ’s Coll. Cambridge, adm. fellow commoner 21 Feb 1755; MA 1757; Grand Tour (Italy) 1759-61; MP Christchurch 1761 – 30 Sep 1770; a Commissioner of Trade 11 Oct 1766 – Feb 1770; Vice-Chamberlain of the Household 13 Feb 1770 – Feb 1771; Privy Councillor 26 Feb 1770; succ. father as 2nd Baron Grantham 30 Sep 1770; Ambassador at Madrid May 1771- Jul 1779; First Commissioner of Trade 9 Dec 1780 – Jun 1782; Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Jul 1782 – Apr 1783; member, Committee of Privy Council on Trade, from 5 Mar 1784; FSA 17 Mar 1763; member, Society of Dilettanti 1763; m. 17 Aug 1780 Lady Jemima Grey Yorke, younger dau. of Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke; d. 20 Jul 1786. DNB.

ROBINSON-MORRIS, MATTHEW, 2ND BARON ROKEBY (I), eldest son of Matthew Robinson, Edgely and West Layton, Yorks., and Elizabeth, dau. of Robert Drake, Cambridge; bapt. 12 Apr 1713; adm. (aged 10) May 1723; in school list 1729; Trinity Hall, Cambridge, adm. scholar 11 Jan 1730/1; LLB 1734; Fellow, Trinity Hall 2 Jan 1733/4; adm. Lincoln’s Inn 14 Apr 1730; FRS 27 Nov 1746; MP Canterbury 1747-61; assumed additional surname of Morris on inheriting from his mother the Morris property at Monk’s Horton, Kent; succ. cousin as 2nd Baron Rokeby (I) 10 Oct 1794; an eccentric, who wore a beard, lived on beef tea, abhorred fires and refused to see doctors; one of his sisters was Mrs. Elizabeth Montagu; author of four pamphlets attacking Lord North’s American policy, published between 1774 and 1777; d. unm. 30 Nov 1800. DNB.

ROSE, GEORGE, second son of Rev. David Rose, Lethnot, Forfarshire, nonjuring clergyman, and his second wife Margaret, dau. of Donald Rose, Westerclunie [check county]; b. 17 Jun 1744; at school under Markham (Diaries and Correspondence of the Right Hon. George Rose, 1860, i, 8-9); entered Royal Navy; served as midshipman in expedition to St. Malo 1758 and in West Indies, twice wounded in action; left navy 1762; Clerk in Record Office of Exchequer; Deputy Chamberlain, Exchequer 20 May 1774 – Feb 1783; Surveyor of Green Wax Moneys 21 Jul 1775; superintended the printing of the Journals and Rolls of the House of Lords; Secretary to the Treasury Jul 1782 – Apr 1783, Dec 1783 – Mar 1801; Clerk of the Pleas, Court of Exchequer Jan 1784 – Feb 1797; MP Launceston 1784 – Jun 1788, Lymington 1 Jul 1788-90, Christchurch from 1790; Clerk of the Parliaments, House of Lords, from Jun 1788; Privy Councillor 13 Jan 1802; Vice-Pres., Board of Trade, and Joint Paymaster-Gen., 7 Jul 1804 – Feb 1806; Vice-Pres., Board of Trade, and Treasurer of the Navy 15 Apr 1807-12; Treasurer of the Navy from 1812; Trustee, British Museum, from 1804; an intimate friend and political follower of William Pitt; of considerable financial ability; author, The Proposed System of Trade with Ireland Explained, 1785, and other publications chiefly on financial subjects; his Diaries and Correspondence were published in 1860; m. 7 Jul 1769 Theodora, dau. of Maj. John Duer, Antigua, West Indies, and Fulham, Middlesex; d. 13 Jan 1818. DNB.

ROUS, HON. HENRY JOHN, second son of John Rous, 1st Earl of Stradbroke (qv), and his second wife; b. 23 Jan 1795; adm.; left 1807; 1st cl. Volunteer, Royal Navy 28 Jan 1808; Lieut., 18 May 1814; Cdr., 26 Nov 1817; Post Capt., 25 Apr 1823; Rear-Adm. 17 Dec 1852; Vice-Adm., 5 Jan 1858; Adm., 25 Jun 1863; served in Flushing expedition and in Mediterranean; during his last cruise, his frigate HMS Pique ran ashore on the coast of Labrador Sep 1835, but Rous brought her into St. Helen’s [check], after a run of 1500 miles without a rudder and leaking badly; MP (Conservative) Westminster 1841 – Feb 1846; a Lord of the Admiralty 17 Feb – 13 Jul 1846; member, Jockey Club, from 1821, Steward 1838 and subsequently; public handicapper from 1855; present at every great race meeting held in the last forty years of his life, and universally respected and regarded as the “dictator of the turf”; m. 2 Jan 1836 Sophia, dau. of James Ramsay Cuthbert MP; d. 19 Jun 1877. DNB.

ROUS, JOHN, 1ST EARL OF STRADBROKE, only son of Sir John Rous, Bart., MP, and Judith, dau. of John Bedingfield, Beeston, Norfolk; b. 30 May 1750; in school lists 1764; lerft 1767; Magdalen Coll. Oxford, matr. 17 May 1768; MA 1771; succ. father as 6th baronet 31 Oct 1771; Grand Tour (Italy) 1772-3; MP Suffolk 1780-96; created Baron Rous 14 Jun 1796 and Earl of Stradbroke 18 Jul 1821; DL Suffolk 1787; m. 1st, Jan 1788 Frances Juliana, dau. of Edward Warter Wilson, Bilboa, co. Limerick; m. 2nd, 23 Feb 1792 Charlotte Maria, dau. of Abraham Whittaker, Stratford, Essex; d. 17 Aug 1827.