Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton, 5th Baronet (c. 1739 – 24 August 1809) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1780 to 1796.
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Early life
Cotton was the eldest son of Sir Lynch Cotton. He was educated at Westminster School and Shrewsbury School, then entered Trinity Hall, Cambridge in 1756. He was one of the founders of the Tarporley Hunt Club in 1762.
Domestic life
Cotton married Frances Stapleton, daughter and co-heiress of James Russel-Stapleton in 1767. In 1774 they were visited at Llewenli Hall by Sir Robert's cousin, Hester Thrale, who was accompanied by the writer Samuel Johnson; Frances "found Johnson, despite his rudeness, at times delightful, having a manner peculiar to himself in relating anecdotes that could not fail to attract old and young. Her impression was that Mrs. Thrale was very vexatious in wishing to engross all his attention, which annoyed him much". The Cottons later broke off relations with Hester following her 1784 marriage to an Italian music teacher.
In 1774 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.