Richard Rigg OBE (27 August 1877 – 29 August 1942) was a British barrister and Liberal MP for Appleby, before defecting to the Conservative Party.
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Early life and education
Rigg was born in Windermere on 27 August 1877, the only son of innkeeper John Rigg (1845-1927) and his wife Sarah Ann Sutton (1852-1938). From 1896 he was a prominent volunteer with the 2nd (Westmorland) Volunteer Border Regiment, and was promoted to captain the following year. He studied at Gonville & Caius College at the University of Cambridge, graduating with a BA in 1900. In January 1899 he was called to the bar at the Inner Temple and was also a member of the King's Inn, Dublin. He also served in a wide range of public roles, including as president of Westmorland County Football Association.
Political career
In 1899, the North Westmoreland Liberal Association invited Rigg to contest the Appleby division of Westmorland, which had been held by Conservative Sir Joseph Savory since 1892. He was publicly announced as the Liberal candidate for the constituency in September 1900, and was elected the following month. At 23, he became one of the youngest people to be elected as an MP, and was also the first Liberal to hold the Appleby seat since 1885.