Henry Northcote, 1st Baron Northcote
Governor of Bombay | |
---|---|
In office 17 February 1900 – 5 September 1903 | |
Monarchs | Victoria Edward VII |
Governor General | Lord Curzon of Kedleston |
Preceded by | William Mansfield |
Succeeded by | James Monteath |
Member of Parliament for Exeter | |
In office 1 April 1880 – 19 December 1899 Serving with Edward Johnson (1880–1885) | |
Preceded by | John George Johnson |
Succeeded by | Edgar Vincent |
Personal details | |
Born | London, England | 18 November 1846
Died | 29 September 1911 Ashford, Kent, England | (aged 64)
Spouse |
Alice Stephen (m. 1873) |
Education | Eton College |
Alma mater | Merton College, Oxford |
Henry Stafford Northcote, 1st Baron Northcote,
Northcote was the son of
Background and education
Northcote was born in London, the second son of the prominent Conservative politician Sir Stafford Northcote, later first Earl of Iddesleigh, by his wife Cecilia Frances, daughter of Thomas Farrer and sister of Thomas Farrer, 1st Baron Farrer. He was educated at Eton and Merton College, Oxford (B.A. 1869; M.A. 1873), and then joined the Foreign Office as a diplomat.[1]
Diplomatic and political career
Early career
Northcote was secretary to the British delegation negotiating the
Governor of Bombay
Northcote was appointed
Governor-General of Australia
Northcote was still Governor of Bombay when the Colonial Secretary,
This was just as well, because Northcote was the first Australian Governor-General to have to deal with political instability. In doing this, he sought the advice of the Chief Justice of the newly created High Court of Australia, Sir Samuel Griffith.[12] In April 1904 the Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin, resigned, and was succeeded in quick succession by the Labor leader Chris Watson, the Free Trade leader George Reid and then Deakin again. Both Watson and Reid asked Northcote to dissolve Parliament before their resignations, and in both cases he refused. At this time no-one doubted that the Governor-General had a discretion in these cases. It is a measure of Northcote's standing that all these leaders respected his decisions.
Like his predecessors, Northcote saw himself as a diplomatic representative of the British government as well a vice-regal representative. He was actively involved in negotiations between the British and Australian governments over contentious trade and shipping issues, although his role diminished after 1906 when the Liberal Party came to power in Britain, cutting off much of his influence in London.
In 1907 Northcote and Deakin had a falling out when the Governor-General, on instructions from London, declined to give his
Personal life
Lord Northcote married in 1873 to Alice, adopted daughter of George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen "the richest man in Canada". There were no children from the marriage. Lady Northcote was created a Companion of the Order of the Crown of India (CI) when her husband became Governor of Bombay in 1900[10] and a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1919.
He was a Provincial Grand Master for Devon in the Masonic United Grand Lodge of England.[14]
Northcote's health declined after his return to Britain from Australia and he died on 29 September 1911, aged 64. The barony became extinct on his death. Lady Northcote died in June 1934.[1]
Arms
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References
- ^ a b c d thepeerage.com Henry Stafford Northcote, 1st and last Baron Northcote
- ^ "No. 24837". The London Gazette. 23 April 1880. p. 2657.
- ^ "No. 25761". The London Gazette. 25 November 1887. p. 6374.
- ^ "Court circular". The Times. No. 36041. London. 17 January 1900. p. 7.
- ^ "No. 27141". The London Gazette. 5 December 1899. p. 8182.
- ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36039. London. 15 January 1900. p. 6.
- ^ "No. 27156". The London Gazette. 23 January 1900. p. 427.
- ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36054. London. 1 February 1900. p. 9.
- ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36068. London. 17 February 1900. p. 11.
- ^ a b "No. 27165". The London Gazette. 16 February 1900. p. 1075.
- ^ The Advertiser, 10 August 1903, p. 4
- ^ Donald Markwell, "Griffith, Barton and the early governor-generals: aspects of Australia's constitutional development", Public Law Review, 1999.
- ^ "No. 27674". The London Gazette. 6 May 1904. p. 2923.
- ^ "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36933. London. 24 November 1902. p. 6.
- ^ Debrett's peerage, baronetage, knightage, and companionage. London : Dean & Son. 1903. p. 630, NORTHCOTE, BARON. (Northcote.). Retrieved 26 June 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Sources
- Serle, Percival (1949). "Northcote, Henry Stafford". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
- Donald Markwell. "Griffith, Barton and the early governor-generals: aspects of Australia's constitutional development", Public Law Review, 1999.