John Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale (18 August 1748 – 16 January 1830), known as Sir John Mitford between 1793 and 1802, was an English lawyer and politician. He was Speaker of the House of Commons between 1801 and 1802 and Lord Chancellor of Ireland between 1802 and 1806.
Background
Born in London, Mitford was the younger son of John Mitford (died 1761) of Exbury, Hampshire,
and Philadelphia, daughter of Willey Reveley of Newton Underwood, Northumberland.
Career
Having become a barrister of the Inner Temple in 1777,
In 1788, he became Member of Parliament for the borough of Bere Alston in Devon, and in 1791 he successfully introduced a bill for the relief of Roman Catholics, despite being himself a committed Anglican. In 1793 he succeeded Sir John Scott as Solicitor General for England and Wales (receiving the customary knighthood at the same time), becoming Attorney General six years later,
In 1794, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
In February 1801, Mitford was chosen Speaker of the House of Commons Exactly a year later, he was appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland and raised to the peerage as Baron Redesdale, of Redesdale in the County of Northumberland. Lady Redesdale died in August 1817.