RUSSELL, Matthew (1765-1822), of Brancepeth Castle, co. Dur. and 4 Park Street, Westminster, Mdx.

Russell, who in 1817 inherited landed estates and colliery leaseholds in county Durham from his merchant father (whose personalty was finally sworn under £160,000), was reputedly ‘the richest commoner in England’, able to spend over £120,000 on rebuilding Brancepeth Castle.1 PROB 11/1594/386; IR26/720/608; H.C. Surtees, Castle of Brancepeth, 38-39. His inheritance also included control of both seats at Bletchingley and one at Saltash, for which he had sat with one brief interruption since 1802; he was again returned there unopposed in 1820. There is no record of any votes or speeches by him and he may have carried out his threat of 1819 to withdraw support from Lord Liverpool’s ministry, which he believed had neglected him. He was granted a month’s leave for urgent private business, 23 June 1820, and again on account of illness, 13 Feb., 1 May 1821. He was presumably the Mr. Russell who presented a petition from Elsborough, Buckinghamshire, for relief from agricultural distress, 18 Feb. 1822.2 The Times, 19 Feb. 1822. He died three months later and his estates passed to his only son William, who was also returned for Saltash; his personalty was sworn under £120,000.3 PROB 11/1658/335; IR26/921/601.