Richard Croftes

Richard Croftes (c. 1740 – 1783) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1767 and 1780.

Croftes was the eldest son of William Croftes of West Harling Norfolk and Little Saxham Suffolk and his wife Mary Decker, daughter of Sir Matthew Decker, 1st Baronet MP and a London merchant. He was educated at Eton College from 1753 to 1758, was admitted at St John's College, Cambridge. on 3 July 1758, and graduated MA (Litt) in 1761.

It was not until 1767 that a seat was found for Croftes on Grafton's recommendation. He was returned unopposed as a member of parliament for Petersfield in a by-election on 17 December 1767. At the 1768 general election he transferred to Downton, where he was again returned unopposed. His father died in 1770, and Croftes succeeded to his estates.

In 1771, Grafton, now Chancellor of Cambridge University, suggested that Croftes stand for one of the Cambridge University seats, but the nomination was not well received in the University. The Bishop of Lincoln wrote to Lord Hardwicke on 5 February 1771 "sending down so young a man, and so little known, has given much offence". Richard Watson, regius professor of divinity, wrote to Grafton that the university was dissatisfied with Croftes. "We have no particular objections to him as a private man; nay we believe him equal to transacting the business of Downton, but we by no means think him of consequence enough in life to be the representative, or of ability sufficient to support the interest, of the University of Cambridge". Nevertheless, in January 1771 Croftes vacated his seat at Downton to stand for the University in a by-election on 4 February 1771. Although an independent section of the university put up their own candidate, Croftes was returned by 76 votes against 45.

In the 1774 general election, he held one of the Cambridge University seats unopposed. However, he was defeated at the 1780 general election and did not stand for Parliament again. There is no record of his having spoken in the House of Commons.

Croftes died aged 43 on 4 July 1783 and was buried at West Harling. He had married Harriet Darell, daughter of John Darell on 11 February 1773. They had one daughter.