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 Lord Ripon as Viceroy of India; from an 1880 magazine. | |
| Viceroy of India | |
| In office 1880–1884 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Preceded by | The Lord Lytton |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Dufferin |
| Leader of the House of Lords | |
| In office 1905–1908 | |
| Monarch | Edward VII |
| Prime Minister | Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman |
| Preceded by | The Marquess of Lansdowne |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Crewe |
| Chancellor of the University of Leeds | |
| In office 1904-1909 | |
| Deputy | Nathan Bodington |
| Succeeded by | The Duke of Devonshire |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1827-10-24)24 October 1827 10 Downing Street, London |
| Died | 9 July 1909(1909-07-09) (aged 81) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse(s) | Henrietta Vyner (1833–1907) |
George Frederick Samuel Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon KG, GCSI, CIE, PC (24 October 1827 – 9 July 1909), known as Viscount Goderich from 1833 to 1859 and as the Earl de Grey and Ripon from 1859 to 1871, was a British politician who served in every Liberal cabinet from 1861 until his death forty-eight years later.
Background and education
Ripon was born at 10 Downing Street, London, the second son of Prime Minister Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich (who was created Earl of Ripon in 1833), by his wife Lady Sarah, daughter of Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire.
Political career
Although his father had been a Tory, Ripon was first a Whig and later a Liberal. He entered the House of Commons as member for Hull in 1852, and later sat for Huddersfield and the West Riding of Yorkshire. In 1859 he succeeded his father as second Earl of Ripon, taking his seat in the House of Lords, and later that year succeeded a cousin in the more senior title of Earl de Grey.
In 1861 de Grey first took office, and was then a member of every Liberal Cabinet until his death. In 1863, he was made a Privy Counsellor. He was Secretary of State for War (1863–66) under Palmerston and Secretary of State for India in 1866 under Russell. In Gladstone's first administration he was Lord President of the Council (1868–73). During this period he acted as chairman of the joint commission for drawing up the Treaty of Washington with the United States. For this he was created Marquess of Ripon. He was also made a Knight of the Garter in 1869. He served as President of the first day of the 1878 Co-operative Congress.
When Gladstone returned to power in 1880 he appointed Ripon Viceroy of India, an office he held until 1884. During his time in India, Ripon introduced legislation (the "Ilbert Bill," named for his secretary Courtenay Ilbert) that would have granted native Indians more legal rights, including the right of Indian judges to judge Europeans in court. Though progressive in its intent, this legislation was gutted by the British Parliament who did not want to lose their legal superiority. He also became a supporter of Home Rule for Ireland. In Gladstone's 1886 government he was First Lord of the Admiralty, and in that of 1892–95 he was Secretary of State for the Colonies. When the Liberals again returned to power in 1905 he took office, aged 78, as Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords. He resigned in 1908.
Other appointments
Lord Ripon was Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England from 1870 until his conversion to Catholicism in 1874. A devout Catholic in his later years, Ripon was generous in educational and charitable works. He was president of the Society of St Vincent de Paul from 1899 until his death and a great supporter of St. Joseph's Catholic Missionary Society.
He was Chancellor of the University of Leeds from 1904 until his death in 1909.
Legacy in India
Lord Ripon is very much revered in Chennai (formerly Madras), India. The Corporation of Chennai's Ripon Building was named for him, as well as the town of Riponpet in the Shivamogga district in the state of Karnataka.In Kolkata, the Ripon Street was named for him.
Family
Lord Ripon married his cousin Henrietta Anne Theodosia Vyner (17 April 1833 – 28 February 1907), daughter of Henry Vyner and his wife Lady Mary Gertrude Robinson, daughter of Thomas Robinson, 2nd Earl de Grey, on 8 April 1851. They had one son and one daughter. Lady Ripon died in February 1907, aged 73. Lord Ripon survived her by two years and died in July 1909, aged 81. He was succeeded by his only son, Frederick.
Notes
- Congress Presidents 1869-2002 (PDF), February 2002, retrieved 2008-05-10
- Henrietta Anne Theodosia Vyner at thepeerage.com (accessed 5 April 2008)
References
External links
| Leaders of the Liberal Party | |
|---|---|
| House of Lords (1859–1916) | |
| House of Commons (1859–1916) | |
| Overall Leader (1916–1988) | |
- 1827 births
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