Archibald Corbett, 1st Baron Rowallan
Encyclopedia
Archibald Cameron Corbett, 1st Baron Rowallan (23 May 1856 – 19 March 1933), was a Scottish
Liberal Party
and Liberal Unionist Party
politician.
merchant and philanthropist, and Sarah (née Cameron), he was educated at home and at the Glasgow Academy. With his older brother Thomas, he took up the offer of a world tour rather than go to university. On his return, he briefly studied sculpture in South Kensington
and then managed his father's estates in Essex
which he bought from his uncle after his father's death in 1880. He became one of the pricipal developers of the eastern suburbs of London
.
in 1884 at the age of 28. At the 1885 general election
he was elected as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Glasgow Tradeston
, first as a Liberal and from 1886 as a Liberal Unionist. In August 1908 he crossed the floor of the House and rejoined the Liberal Party. He held Glasgow Tradeston until his retirement from the House of Commons
in 1911, when he was created 1st Baron Rowallan
.
and Arthur Cameron who joined the Royal Naval Air Service
and was killed in 1916. In 1901, the Corbetts bought the 6,000 acre Rowallan Estate
in Ayrshire
. Their previous Scottish home at Rouken Glen
was donated to the citizens of Glasgow as a public park. In 1906, he donated the Ardgoil
estate to Glasgow as well. He died on 19 March 1933 and was succeeded by his son.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
and Liberal Unionist Party
Liberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
politician.
Early Life
The second son of Thomas Corbett, a GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
merchant and philanthropist, and Sarah (née Cameron), he was educated at home and at the Glasgow Academy. With his older brother Thomas, he took up the offer of a world tour rather than go to university. On his return, he briefly studied sculpture in South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
and then managed his father's estates in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
which he bought from his uncle after his father's death in 1880. He became one of the pricipal developers of the eastern suburbs of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Political Career
An interest in philanthropy led him into politics and first contested North WarwickshireNorth Warwickshire (UK Parliament constituency)
-Notes and references:...
in 1884 at the age of 28. At the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
he was elected as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Glasgow Tradeston
Glasgow Tradeston (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow Tradeston was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1955. It elected one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting system.-Boundaries:...
, first as a Liberal and from 1886 as a Liberal Unionist. In August 1908 he crossed the floor of the House and rejoined the Liberal Party. He held Glasgow Tradeston until his retirement from the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in 1911, when he was created 1st Baron Rowallan
Baron Rowallan
Baron Rowallan, of Rowallan in the County of Ayr, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1911 for the Liberal politician Archibald Corbett. He had previously represented Glasgow Tradeston in the House of Commons. His son, the second Baron, fought in both World Wars, was...
.
Family Life
In 1887, he married Alice Mary Polson, the daughter of John Polson who was the co-founder of the corn merchants firm of Brown & Polson. They had a daughter, Elsie Cameron and two sons; Thomas Godfrey PolsonThomas Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan
Thomas Godfrey Polson Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan, KT, KBE, MC, TD , had a distinguished military career, was Chief Scout of the British Commonwealth and Empire and Governor of Tasmania.-Early life:...
and Arthur Cameron who joined the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
and was killed in 1916. In 1901, the Corbetts bought the 6,000 acre Rowallan Estate
Rowallan Castle
Rowallan Castle is an ancient castle located near Kilmaurs, at NS 4347 4242, about north of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The castle stands on the banks of the Carmel Water, which may at one time have run much closer to the low eminence upon which the original castle stood, justifying the...
in Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
. Their previous Scottish home at Rouken Glen
Rouken Glen
Rouken Glen is a park in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, to the south-west of Glasgow, Scotland.- History :The lands of Rouken Glen Park originally belonged to the Scottish Crown, and then to the Earl of Eglinton, presented to Hugh Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Eglinton on the marriage of his son in the...
was donated to the citizens of Glasgow as a public park. In 1906, he donated the Ardgoil
Ardgoil
Ardgoil is an estate in Argyll & Bute, Scotland. It is currently part of the Argyll forest park and is within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. The Ardgoil estate is managed as part of the Argyll forest park by Forestry Commission Scotland...
estate to Glasgow as well. He died on 19 March 1933 and was succeeded by his son.