HOUGHTON, RICHARD MONCKTON MILNES, BARON, 1809-1885.
MANUSCRIPT NUMBER 272
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CITATION: Richard Monckton Milnes Letters to William Thomson, MSS 272, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University.
Richard Monckton Milnes was born on June 19, 1809
on his
family’s country estate. His father,
Robert Pemberton Milnes, was a member of the House of Commons. Richard
Monkton
Milnes entered Trinity College at Cambridge in 1828.
While at Trinity, Milnes began lifelong friendships with
Tennyson
and Thackeray. Milnes followed in his
father’s footsteps by being active in the House of Commons. He was known for advocating government
endowment of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
In 1863, Milnes was raised to the peerage, assuming the title
Lord
Houghton. He died in 1885.
Milnes was active literarily as well as politically. He wrote songs and poetry in addition to writings of a political and more critical nature. Milnes published Palm Leaves, a book of songs and poetry, in 1844. Of a more political nature, Milnes also published a collection of documents pertaining to divorce law and the rights of married women. Milnes also wrote the Life and Letters of John Keats, published in 1867.
This collection consists of six letters written by Lord Houghton to William Thomson, the Archbishop of York. One of the letters is private in nature as it relates to a game given to Houghton’s children by the Archbishop. Another letter discusses possible publications.