Richard Monckton Milnes
Richard Monckton Milnes, 1st Baron Houghton, was a prominent figure in the Victorian literary landscape, celebrated more for his patronage of writers than for his own poetry. Born on June 19, 1809, in London, he was educated privately and later attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where he became part of an influential social group known as the Apostles. Milnes's travels through Italy and Greece inspired his early poetic works, including *Memorials of a Tour in Some Parts of Greece* and *Memorials of Residence Upon the Continent*. A member of Parliament from 1837 to 1863, he was active in social reform, particularly in juvenile justice, and engaged in political debates over the Corn Laws.
In addition to his poetry, Milnes made significant contributions to literature by supporting other poets; he published the *Life, Letters, and Literary Remains of John Keats* and advocated for Lord Tennyson's pension. He was instrumental in promoting the work of Algernon Swinburne and founded literary clubs that fostered intellectual discussion. Milnes's extensive travels also exposed him to diverse philosophies, including those of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Islamic thought. Although his own poetry was not widely esteemed, he was known for his eloquence as a speaker. He passed away on August 11, 1885, in Vichy, France, leaving behind a legacy of literary influence through his support and advocacy for fellow writers.
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Richard Monckton Milnes
Poet
- Born: June 19, 1809
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: August 11, 1885
- Place of death: Vichy, France
Biography
Richard Monckton Milnes (Lord Houghton), the First Baron of Great Houghton, was a considerable influence on the Victorian literary scene, more so through his patronage and championship of other writers than through his own collections of poetry. He was born on June 19, 1809, in London, England, the son of Henrietta (Monckton) and Robert Pemberton Milnes. After being privately educated at his family home in Yorkshire and in Italy, Milnes entered Trinity College, Cambridge University, and graduated in 1831 with an M.A. degree. While at Trinity, Milnes was a member of the prominent social club known as the Apostles. After graduation, he traveled throughout Italy and Greece and studied at Bonn, Germany; his travels occasioned his first poetry collections, Memorials of a Tour in Some Parts of Greece (1833) and Memorials of Residence Upon the Continent (1838).
After returning to London, from 1837 to 1863, Milnes represented Pontefract as a member of Parliament, becoming involved in the establishment of juvenile reformatories and in the controversies over the Corn Laws. During this time, Milnes also began contributing essays on various subjects to journals, and in 1851, he married Annabel Crewe. He was made Lord Houghton in 1863; while in the House of Lords, he defended the Oxford Movement within the Anglican Church and sought to reform laws governing voting rights.
Perhaps Milnes’s greatest literary contribution lay in helping other poets. He published the work Life, Letters, and Literary Remains of John Keats (1848) and secured a pension for Lord Tennyson, for both of which he was attacked by the Quarterly Review. Milnes was also one of the first to recognize the talent of Algernon Swinburne, and he founded the Cambridge Union Clubhouse and the Philobiblion Society. He traveled widely in America and Asia, where he was highly influenced by the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, whom Milnes helped popularize in England, and by the religion of Islam. Although never highly regarded as a poet, he was “unrivalled” as a popular speaker. Milnes died on August 11, 1885, in Vichy, France. His collected Poetical Works was published in 1876.