Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
British Ambassador to France | |
---|---|
In office 1891–1896 | |
Preceded by | The Earl of Lytton |
Succeeded by | Sir Edmund Monson |
Personal details | |
Born | Frederick Temple Blackwood 21 June 1826 Bangor, County Down, UK |
Nationality | British |
Political party | Liberal |
Spouse | Hariot Rowan-Hamilton |
Children |
|
Parents | |
Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
Signature | |
Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava,
He is now best known as one of the most successful public servants of his time. His long career in public service began as a commissioner to
He served as ambassador to France from 1891 to 1896. Following his retirement from the diplomatic service in 1896, his final years were marred by personal tragedy and a misguided attempt to secure his family's financial position. His eldest son was killed in the Second Boer War and another son was badly wounded. He was chairman of a mining firm that went bankrupt after swindling people, although he was ignorant of the matter. His biographer Davenport-Hines says he was "imaginative, sympathetic, warm-hearted, and gloriously versatile."[3] He was an effective leader in Lebanon, Canada and India, averted war with Russia, and annexed Burma. He was careless with money but charming in high society on three continents.
Early life
He was born Frederick Temple Blackwood into
Dufferin was born in 1826 in
In 1856, Dufferin commissioned the
On his return, Dufferin published a book about his travels,
A natural diplomat
Despite the great success of Letters From High Latitudes, Dufferin did not pursue a career as an author, although he was known for his skilful writing throughout his career. Instead, he became a public servant, with his first major public appointment in 1860 as British representative on a commission to
Dufferin's achievements in Syria launched his long and successful career in public service. In 1864 he became Under-Secretary of State for India, moving to Under-Secretary of War in 1866, and from 1868 he held the position of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in Prime Minister Gladstone's government. In 1871 he was raised in the Peerage as Earl of Dufferin, in the County of Down, and Viscount Claneboye, of Clandeboye in the County of Down.[8]
Family
Lord Dufferin took the name Hamilton by royal licence on 9 September 1862, shortly before his marriage to Hariot Georgina Rowan-Hamilton on 23 October 1862. He was distantly related to the Hamilton family by previous marriages, and the union was partly designed to eliminate some long-standing hostilities between the families. Dufferin also took the name of Temple, on 13 November 1872.[8] They had seven surviving children; the two youngest, a son and a daughter, were born in Canada:
- Archibald James Leofric Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Earl of Ava (28 July 1863 – 11 January 1900), was a Royal Colonial Institute. He was a war correspondent in South Africa during the Second Boer War and was wounded at Wagon Hill during the Siege of Ladysmith. Lord Ava died a week later. He was unmarried.
- Lady JP for Fife, was married on 31 August 1889 to Ronald Munro Ferguson (later 1st and last Viscount Novar), who later became Governor-General of Australia. They had no issue.
- Terence Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 2nd Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (16 March 1866 – 7 February 1918). Married and had issue, three daughters.
- Lady Hermione Catherine Helen Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood (1869–19 October 1960) trained as a nurse and qualified in 1901, serving in France during the Médaille de la Reconnaissance françaisefor her services. She died unmarried.
- Ivor Churchill Guest, 1st Viscount Wimborne, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, in 1916. He returned to active service as a lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards and was killed in action in 1917. His most prominent legacy is the corpus of drawings he did for Hilaire Belloc's books (over the signature `BTB'). He was unmarried.
- Lady Robin Rathmore Plunket, 8th Baron Plunket.
- Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 3rd Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (26 February 1875 – 21 July 1930)
- In addition, they had a son, Sydney Temple Blackwood, who was born on 29 May 1867, but died the same day. His gravestone stands at St Katherine's Church, in Friern Barnet Lane, London:
Shortly after his marriage, he was deeply upset when his mother married his friend George Hay, Earl of Gifford, a man some 17 years her junior. The marriage scandalised society, but Lord Gifford died only weeks afterwards. Despite his disapproval of his mother's second marriage, Lord Dufferin was devastated by her death in 1867, and built Helen's Tower, a memorial to her, on the estate at Clandeboye. A nearby bay was also named Helen's Bay, and a railway station of that name was built there by him, seeding the growth of the modern Belfast commuter town of Helen's Bay.[9]
Governor General of Canada
After his mother's death, Dufferin's diplomatic career advanced rapidly. He became
In Dufferin's opinion, his two predecessors in the post had not given the position the prominence it deserved. He consciously set out to assume a more active role, and to get to know ordinary Canadians as much as possible.[8] He was at ease speaking with a wide variety of people, both in English and French, and became known for his charm and hospitality. At a time when a weak or uncharismatic Governor General might have loosened the ties to Empire, Dufferin felt that involving himself with the people of Canada would strengthen constitutional links to Britain. He visited every Canadian province, and was the first Governor General to visit Manitoba.[11] He took a keen interest in the Governor General's Foot Guards, organized in 1872.[12]
Lord Dufferin involved himself as much as was permissible in Canadian politics, even going so far as to advise ministers to abandon policies which he thought were mistaken. He followed proceedings in the
In 1873, Dufferin established the Governor General's Academic Medals for superior academic achievement by Canadian students. These medals are the most prestigious that school students can be awarded, and more than 50,000 have been awarded. He also instituted several sporting prizes, including the Governor General's Match for shooting, and the Governor General's Curling Trophy.[10]
Dufferin made several extensions and improvements to Rideau Hall, the Governor General's official residence. He added a ballroom in 1873, and in 1876 built the Tent Room to accommodate the increasing number of functions being held at the Hall. He also attracted ordinary Canadians to the Hall grounds by constructing an ice skating rink, to which he contributed CA$1,624.95 of his own money, which was later reimbursed by the government. Public use of the rink was on condition of being "properly dressed". These additions enhanced Rideau Hall's role as an important centre of social affairs.[11]
The Dufferins also made extensive use of the
Lady Dufferin also maintained a high profile during her husband's term as Governor General, accompanying him on tours and frequently appearing in public. Visiting Manitoba in September 1877, Lord and Lady Dufferin each drove a spike in the line of the new Canadian Pacific Railway, and the first engine on the railway was christened Lady Dufferin. Throughout her time in Canada, Lady Dufferin wrote letters to her mother in Ireland, which were later collected and published as My Canadian Journal. She later said that of all her experiences, her happiest times had been spent in Canada.[10]
The popularity and influence of the Dufferins in Canada is reflected by the large number of Canadian schools, streets and public buildings named after them. Lord Dufferin is particularly well remembered in Manitoba, being the first Governor General to visit the province; a statue of him is outside the provincial legislature.[14]
Russia and Turkey (1879–84)
After leaving Ottawa in 1878 at the end of his term, Dufferin returned to Great Britain to continue his diplomatic career. He served as ambassador to
Dufferin's time in Russia was quiet from a political and diplomatic point of view, and his papers from this time are concerned mainly with his social life. While in Russia, he began to set his sights on the ultimate diplomatic prize, the
His posting there saw Britain invade and occupy Egypt, then technically part of the
In 1882 Dufferin travelled to Egypt as British commissioner, to investigate the reorganization of the country. He wrote a report (known as the Dufferin Report) detailing how the occupation was to benefit Egypt, with plans for development which were to progressively re-involve Egyptians in running the country. Subsequent reforms proceeded largely along the lines he had proposed.[8] He was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (civil division) on 15 June 1883.
Viceroy of India (1884–88)
His experiences in Russia and Turkey had further increased his awareness of the
Just as in Canada, he presided over some great changes in India. His predecessor as Viceroy,
He was frequently occupied with external affairs during his tenure. He handled the
In 1888, he published the Report on the Conditions of the Lower Classes of Population in Bengal (known as the Dufferin Report). The report highlighted the plight of the poor in Bengal, and was used by nationalists to counter the Anglo-Indian claim that British rule had been beneficial to the poorest members of Indian society. Following publication of the report, Dufferin recommended the establishment of provincial and central councils with Indian membership, a key demand of Congress at that time.[17]
His time as Viceroy of India featured in the Rudyard Kipling poem 'One Viceroy Resigns', which was written from Dufferin's point of view, giving advice to his successor, Lord Lansdowne.
His wife
Later life
Following his return from India, Dufferin resumed his ambassadorial career, serving as ambassador to
Throughout his life, Dufferin was known for living beyond his means and had heavily mortgaged his estates to fund his lifestyle and improvements to the estates. In 1875, with his debts approaching
Soon after this misfortune, Dufferin's eldest son, Lord Ava, was killed in the
Dufferin and the ghost
Dufferin often told a tale of how he once saw a ghost which saved his life. Late one night in 1849, while staying in a house in Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland, he heard a hearse draw up, and looked down and saw a man walking across the lawn carrying a coffin on his back. The man stopped and looked up at Dufferin and their eyes met for a moment, before he continued on into the shadows and disappeared. Dufferin thought the whole event might have been just a bad dream, but the next morning his hostess assured him that the next time he saw the apparition, he would die.
Some years later Dufferin – by this point, the British ambassador to France – recognised the
French journalist Paul Heuzé demonstrated that up to the time of his research in 1922, only one person had been killed in a Grand Hotel lift accident, in 1878, years before Dufferin was in Paris.[23] A more recent investigation by BBC researcher Melvin Harris demonstrated that the story was an urban legend which Dufferin improved upon by telling as a personal anecdote.[24]
The story itself was retold by
Arms
|
Honorific eponyms
Ship
Geographic locations
- British Columbia: Dufferin Island
- Nova Scotia: Dufferin Street, Bridgewater
- Dufferin County
- Ontario: Dufferin Street, Toronto
- Ontario: Dufferin Street, Perth
- Ontario: Dufferin Islands, Queen Victoria Park, Niagara Falls
- Dufferin Subway Station, Toronto Transit Commission, Toronto, Ontario
- Autoroute Dufferin-Montmorency, Quebec City
- Quebec: Terrasse Dufferin, Quebec City
- Saskatchewan: Dufferin Avenue, Imperial
- County of Dufferin
- Spitsbergen: Kapp Dufferin
- Mandalay,Burma: Fort Dufferin
References
- ^ "Lord Dufferin". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). p. 644.
- ^ Davenport-Hines, 2004
- ^ Christine Kinealy, Charity and the Great Hunger. The Kindness of Strangers (Bloomsbury, 2013)
- ^ The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland
- ISBN 0-85036-387-X.
- ^ William Arthur, Shaw; George Dames, Burtchaell (1906). The Knights of England. London: Sherratt and Hughes. p. 282 – via Archive.org.
- ^ a b c d e f Harrison A.T. et al. (1998), The Dufferin Papers, Public Records Office of Northern Ireland
- ^ ISBN 0-349-11140-5.
- ^ a b c d "The Earl of Dufferin – biography from the Governor General's website". Retrieved 1 January 2017.
- ^ a b c Forster B. "Dictionary of Canadian Biography: Blackwood (Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood), Frederick Temple, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava". Retrieved 8 March 2005.
- ^ The Canadian Guardsman, vol. 2, no. 2, Spring 1960, p. 121.
- ^ William Arthur, Shaw; George Dames, Burtchaell (1906). The Knights of England. London: Sherratt and Hughes. p. 336 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "Manitoba Historical Society: Lord Dufferin". Retrieved 25 May 2006.
- The Tribune, 24 July 2005. Retrieved on 18 February 2007.
- ^ William Arthur, Shaw; George Dames, Burtchaell (1906). The Knights of England. London: Sherratt and Hughes. p. 400 – via Archive.org.
- ^ Islam, Sirajul (2012). "Dufferin, Lord". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ Daniel Sanjiv Roberts, "'Merely Birds of Passage': Lady Hariot Dufferin’s travel writings and medical work in India, 1884–1888," Women's History Review, (June 2006) 15#3 pp 443–457
- ^ "No. 25874". The London Gazette. 13 November 1888. p. 6145.
- ^ "Glasgow University jubilee". The Times. No. 36481. London. 14 June 1901. p. 10.
- ^ Death and Its Mystery by Camille Flammarion, translated by Eleanor Stimson Brooks and Latrobe Carroll 1922, published by The Century Company.
- ^ Gailey 2015, pp307-8
- ^ Do The Dead Live by Paul Heuzé 1923, published by E. P. Dutton & Company
- ^ Investigating The Unexplained by Melvin Harris 2003, published by Prometheus Books
- ^ Room for One More | Snopes.com
Further reading
- Davenport-Hines, Richard. "Blackwood, Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-, first marquess of Dufferin and Ava (1826–1902)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online
- Charles Edward Drummond Black (1903). The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava: diplomatist, viceroy, statesman. Vol. 1. Hutchinson.
- Sir Alfred Comyn Lyall (1905). The life of the Marquis of Dufferin and Ava. Vol. 2.
- Gailey, Andrew (2015). The Lost Imperialist: Lord Dufferin, Memory and Mythmaking in an Age of Celebrity. John Murray. ISBN 978-1444792430.
- James, Laurence (1994). The Rise and Fall of the British Empire. Abacus Books. ISBN 0-349-10667-3.
- Martin, Briton Jr. "The Viceroyalty of Lord Dufferin," History Today, (Dec 1960) 10#12 pp 821–830, and (Jan 1961) 11#1 pp 56–64
- Stewart, George (2002). Canada Under The Administration Of Lord Dufferin. University Press of the Pacific. ISBN 1-4102-0319-0.
- Yasin, Madhavi (1994). India's Foreign Policy - The Dufferin Years. Raj Publications. ISBN 81-86208-01-1.
- Underhill, Frank and C.W. de Kiewiet, Eds. Duffering-Carnarvon Correspondence, 1874-1878. Toronto: Champlain Society Publications, 1955.
External links
- Website of the Governor General of Canada. The Earl of Dufferin. Retrieved 1 January 2017
- Information on the Dufferin family archives from the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland at the Wayback Machine (archived 5 February 2007)
- Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. Retrieved 8 March 2005.
- Works by Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava at Internet Archive
- Journal of the journey of His Excellency the governor-general of Canada from Government House, Ottawa, to British Columbia and back Dufferin and Ava, Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Marquess of, London, England: Webster & Larkin, 1877 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- Address of His Excellency the Governor-General of Canada on the subject of the relations between the Dominion government and British Columbia, in respect to the Canadian Pacific Railway : delivered at Government House, Victoria, Sept. 20th, 1876, to a deputation of the reception committee, publ. R. Wolfenden, Victoria B.C., 1876 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- Message relative to the terms of union with the Province of British Columbia Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, (sent to Senate and Commons) publ. Ottawa, Ontario: Maclean, Roger, 1875
- Irish emigration and the tenure of land in Ireland (1867) at Internet Archive
- Photograph: Lord Dufferin in 1878. McCord Museum
- Photograph: Lord Dufferin in 1878. McCord Museum
- Photograph: Lady Dufferin in 1878. McCord Museum
- Edited compilation of the Duffering-Carnarvon Correspondences, 1874–1878, provided by the Champlain Society.