CORBET, Sir Richard, 4th Bt. (1696-1774), of Longnor, Salop.

The grandson of Sir Richard Corbet, M.P. Shrewsbury 1678-81, Corbet was related to Richard, 2nd Earl of Bradford and his son Lord Henry Newport. A Whig like his father, who had founded a Shrewsbury club in 1684 to preserve Whig principles,1Owen Blakeway, Hist. Shrewsbury, i. 584. he resided chiefly in Shrewsbury, where he was actively concerned in the affairs of the corporation.

Returned on petition in 1723, he did not stand in 1727 but was re-elected after a close contest in 1734. He gave all his known votes for the Government, but was absent from the division on the Spanish convention in 1739. In the Cockpit list of 1742 he was classed as a follower of Henry Arthur Herbert, later Lord Powis. After the hard fought election of 1747 he decided not to seek re-election, writing to his brother that he had to support the interest entirely at his own cost: ‘scarce a letter comes but attended with some complaint or other as to my part’.2Edward Corbet n.d. 1747-9, Salop RO 567. He informed Lord Powis of his decision, asking him to consider keeping up the interest, and in 1753 declined standing again. He died 25 Sept. 1774.