He was the oldest son of Richard Arkwright (died 1843) of Willersley Castle, Derbyshire, and grandson of the entrepreneur Sir Richard Arkwright (1732–1792), whose invention of the spinning frame and other industrial innovations made him very wealthy.
Eton College; Trinity College.
Young Richard was educated at Eton and at Trinity College, Cambridge. He managed his father"s estates at Normanton Turville in Leicestershire and Sutton Scarsdale in Derbyshire.
5th United Kingdom Parliament. 8th United Kingdom Parliament]
Living at Normanton Turville, he served as an officer in the yeomanry, and as Member of Parliament for Rye from 1813 to 1818, and from 1826 to 1830.
