Sir Richard Johnston, 1st Baronet (1 August 1743 – 22 April 1795) was an Anglo-Irish politician in the Irish House of Commons.
Johnston was High Sheriff of Down in 1765, High Sheriff of Armagh in 1771 and was made a baronet, of Gilford in the Baronetage of Ireland on 27 July 1772. Between 1776 and 1783 he was the Member of Parliament for Kilbeggan, before representing Blessington from 1783 until his death in 1795. He was succeeded in his title by his son, William.
In March 1772, Johnston was the target of violent protests by the Hearts of Steel, who attacked his castle at Gilford, County Down. This resulted in a gun battle during which Johnston was forced to flee the castle by swimming across the River Bann.
References
- E. M. Johnston-Liik, MPs in Dublin: Companion to History of the Irish Parliament, 1692-1800 (Ulster Historical Foundation, 2006), p.99 (Retrieved 21 November 2022).
- D. E. McIlroy. "The Battle of Gilford – 1772".
| Parliament of Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byGustavus Lambart Charles Lambart |
Member of Parliament for Kilbeggan 1776–1783 With: Charles Lambart |
Succeeded byHenry Flood John Philpot Curran |
| Preceded byJohn Talbot Dillon John Reilly |
Member of Parliament for Blessington 1783–1795 With: John Reilly |
Succeeded byDavid Ker John Reilly |
| Baronetage of Ireland | ||
| New title | Baronet (of Gilford) 1772–1795 |
Succeeded byWilliam Johnston |
- 1743 births
- 1795 deaths
- 18th-century Anglo-Irish people
- Baronets in the Baronetage of Ireland
- High sheriffs of Armagh
- High sheriffs of Down
- Irish MPs 1776–1783
- Irish MPs 1783–1790
- Irish MPs 1790–1797
- Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Westmeath constituencies
- Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Wicklow constituencies