Arthur Hope, 2nd Baron Rankeillour
Encyclopedia
Arthur Oswald James Hope, 2nd Baron Rankeillour GCIE
MC
(7 May 1897 – 26 May 1958) was a British politician, soldier and administrator. He was a Conservative
and served as Member of Parliament
for Nuneaton
from 1924 to 1929 and for Birmingham Aston
from 1931 to 1939, after which he was Governor of the Madras Presidency
of British India from 1940 to 1946.
Hope was born to the first Lord Rankeillour
in 1897 and had his early education in England. He served with distinction in France
during the First World War
and entered public life soon after his military service was over. He served as Conservative member of parliament for Nuneaton and later for Birmingham Aston. In 1940, he was appointed Governor of Madras and served till 1946.
Hope married Grizel Gilmour in 1919 and had four daughters. He died on 26 May 1958, nineteen days after his 61st birthday.
, by his marriage to Mabel Ellen Riddell, at Marylebone
, England
on 7 May 1897. His father had served as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. Arthur was the eldest of four children, the others being Henry John Hope, 3rd Baron Rankeillour (1899–1967), Joan Mary Hope, and Richard Frederick Hope (1901–1964).
Hope was educated at The Oratory School
and at Sandhurst
. He joined the Coldstream Guards
in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War and rose to be a Captain. He was wounded in action in France and was mentioned in dispatches
. He was awarded the Military Cross
and the Croix de Guerre
.
and at the 1924 general election
was elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom
from the Nuneaton constituency
in Warwickshire
. Hope served a total of fourteen years in the House of Commons, representing Nuneaton from 1924 to 1929 and Birmingham Aston
from 1931 to 1940. At the 1935 election
, he beat his nearest rival by a margin of 10,355 votes. He was still a member of the House of Commons when appointed as Governor of Madras butve up his seat, thereby causing a by-election. He was also a fine cricket
er and played a first class match
for the British Army
against Cambridge University at Fenners Ground
on 7 June 1926.
Hope served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Colonel George Lane Fox, Secretary for Mines
from 1924 to 1926 and was a whip from 1935 to 1946, first as an unpaid Assistant Whip in 1935, then as an unpaid Lord of the Treasury
from 1935 to 1937, as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
from May 1937 to October 1937 and finally as Treasurer of the Household
from 1937 to 1939.
on March 12, 1940.
Hope served as the Governor of Madras throughout the Second World War. Following the Japanese conquest of Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, there were strong apprehensions about possible Japanese attacks on coastal Indian cities. On April 18, 1942, in a secret communication to Lord Linlithgow, the Viceroy of India, Hope described reports of a Japanese force heading towards India. There were Japanese air raids on the coastal towns of Vizagapatam and Cocanada on April 6, 1942 followed by sea attacks on Madras port. Hope responded by evacuating commercial and administrative establishments and business offices along the Madras coast and moving them inland.
Madras was in a state of emergency when Hope took over as the last elected government had resigned in October 1939. The Quit India Movement
was started in 1942 and an Anti-British campaign was launched. The provincial governments responded with a crackdown. Hope imposed censorship of newspapers in the Presidency and reporting on internal politics was suppressed. In protest against the government's actions, newspapers all over India were suspended for a day. Hope responded by withdrawing special privileges accorded to striking newspapers.
The government also imposed censorship of Indian-language films. A provincial propaganda officer, G. D. B. Harvey was appointed to promote propaganda films in support of the British war effort. In 1943, the government issued an order under the Defence of India rules restricting the size of indigenously made films to 11,000 feet.
In the beginning, the provincial leadership of the Indian National Congress
under Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari was strongly opposed to India's forcible involvement in the Second World War. But later, Rajagopalachari changed his mind and spoke in support of the British war effort even while his colleagues in New Delhi
were still agitating against the war.
Due to economic reasons, the different battalions of the Madras Regiment
had been disbanded in stages. With the transferring of the 1st Battalion in 1928, the Madras Regiment ceased to exist. When Hope became Governor in 1940, he tried to revive the Madras Regiment and canvassed for the same.
Due to the efforts of Hope, the Madras Regiment was revived in 1942 and Hope was appointed the regiment's first Colonel-in-chief. A training centre was raised at Madukkarai
in Coimbatore district
in July 1942 and the regiment fought with distinction in the Burma campaign.
Hope's tenure came to an end on February 26, 1946 and he was succeeded by Henry Foley Knight
who served as the Acting Governor till the arrival of Hope's designated successor Archibald Edward Nye. In 1945, Hope inaugurated a polytechnic college in Coimbatore
which was later named "Arthur Hope Polytechnic" in his honour. The polytechnic was later upgraded to a college of science and technology and renamed Government College of Science and Technology
in 1950. Though the college was renamed and moved to a new campus, the area where it was originally located is still being called as "Hope College".
in 1939 just before his appointment as Governor of Madras. Arthur Hope succeeded to the barony on the death of his father, the 1st Baron on February 14, 1949.
(1857–1939) and Lady Susan Lygon (1870–1962). The couple had four daughters:
On Hope's death in 1958, due to the absence of a male heir, the barony passed on to his brother, Henry John Hope (1899–1967).
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(7 May 1897 – 26 May 1958) was a British politician, soldier and administrator. He was a Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and served 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,...
for Nuneaton
Nuneaton (UK Parliament constituency)
Nuneaton is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Pre-2010 :...
from 1924 to 1929 and for Birmingham Aston
Birmingham Aston (UK Parliament constituency)
Birmingham Aston was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1885 until 1918 the constituency was known as Aston Manor, before becoming a Birmingham division from 1918 to 1974...
from 1931 to 1939, after which he was Governor of the Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
of British India from 1940 to 1946.
Hope was born to the first Lord Rankeillour
James Fitzalan Hope, 1st Baron Rankeillour
James Fitzalan Hope, 1st Baron Rankeillour PC , was a British Conservative politician. He served as Chairman of Ways and Means from 1921 to 1924 and again from 1924 to 1929.-Background and education:...
in 1897 and had his early education in England. He served with distinction in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and entered public life soon after his military service was over. He served as Conservative member of parliament for Nuneaton and later for Birmingham Aston. In 1940, he was appointed Governor of Madras and served till 1946.
Hope married Grizel Gilmour in 1919 and had four daughters. He died on 26 May 1958, nineteen days after his 61st birthday.
Early life
Arthur Oswald James Hope was born to James Fitzalan Hope, 1st Baron RankeillourJames Fitzalan Hope, 1st Baron Rankeillour
James Fitzalan Hope, 1st Baron Rankeillour PC , was a British Conservative politician. He served as Chairman of Ways and Means from 1921 to 1924 and again from 1924 to 1929.-Background and education:...
, by his marriage to Mabel Ellen Riddell, at Marylebone
Marylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 7 May 1897. His father had served as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. Arthur was the eldest of four children, the others being Henry John Hope, 3rd Baron Rankeillour (1899–1967), Joan Mary Hope, and Richard Frederick Hope (1901–1964).
Hope was educated at The Oratory School
The Oratory School
The Oratory School is a Roman Catholic, independent school for boys in Woodcote, Berkshire. It is the last Catholic all-boys boarding school remaining in Great Britain. It has approximately 420 pupils...
and at Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. He joined the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
in 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War and rose to be a Captain. He was wounded in action in France and was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
. He was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
and the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
.
Public life
Hope left the army at the conclusion of the First World War and entered public life. He joined the Conservative PartyConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and at the 1924 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
was elected to the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
from the Nuneaton constituency
Nuneaton (UK Parliament constituency)
Nuneaton is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Pre-2010 :...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. Hope served a total of fourteen years in the House of Commons, representing Nuneaton from 1924 to 1929 and Birmingham Aston
Birmingham Aston (UK Parliament constituency)
Birmingham Aston was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1885 until 1918 the constituency was known as Aston Manor, before becoming a Birmingham division from 1918 to 1974...
from 1931 to 1940. At the 1935 election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
, he beat his nearest rival by a margin of 10,355 votes. He was still a member of the House of Commons when appointed as Governor of Madras butve up his seat, thereby causing a by-election. He was also a fine cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and played a first class match
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
against Cambridge University at Fenners Ground
Fenner's
Fenner's is the University of Cambridge's cricket ground.-History:Fenner's has hosted first-class cricket since 1848, and many of the world's great players have graced the wicket. The ground was established on land leased for the purpose by Francis Fenner, after whom the ground is named.Playing for...
on 7 June 1926.
Hope served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Colonel George Lane Fox, Secretary for Mines
Secretary for Mines
The position of Secretary for Mines is a now defunct office in the United Kingdom Government, associated with the Board of Trade. Responsibility for mines now lies with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry....
from 1924 to 1926 and was a whip from 1935 to 1946, first as an unpaid Assistant Whip in 1935, then as an unpaid Lord of the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
from 1935 to 1937, as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
from May 1937 to October 1937 and finally as Treasurer of the Household
Treasurer of the Household
The position of Treasurer of the Household is theoretically held by a household official of the British monarch, under control of the Lord Steward's Department, but is, in fact, a political office held by one of the government's Deputy Chief Whips in the House of Commons...
from 1937 to 1939.
As Governor of Madras
Hope was appointed Governor of Madras in 1940 and succeeded John Erskine, Lord ErskineJohn Erskine, Lord Erskine
John Francis Ashley Erskine, Lord Erskine GCSI, GCIE was a British soldier, Conservative Party politician and administrator who served as Member of Parliament for Weston-super-Mare and Brighton...
on March 12, 1940.
Hope served as the Governor of Madras throughout the Second World War. Following the Japanese conquest of Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, there were strong apprehensions about possible Japanese attacks on coastal Indian cities. On April 18, 1942, in a secret communication to Lord Linlithgow, the Viceroy of India, Hope described reports of a Japanese force heading towards India. There were Japanese air raids on the coastal towns of Vizagapatam and Cocanada on April 6, 1942 followed by sea attacks on Madras port. Hope responded by evacuating commercial and administrative establishments and business offices along the Madras coast and moving them inland.
Madras was in a state of emergency when Hope took over as the last elected government had resigned in October 1939. The Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
was started in 1942 and an Anti-British campaign was launched. The provincial governments responded with a crackdown. Hope imposed censorship of newspapers in the Presidency and reporting on internal politics was suppressed. In protest against the government's actions, newspapers all over India were suspended for a day. Hope responded by withdrawing special privileges accorded to striking newspapers.
The government also imposed censorship of Indian-language films. A provincial propaganda officer, G. D. B. Harvey was appointed to promote propaganda films in support of the British war effort. In 1943, the government issued an order under the Defence of India rules restricting the size of indigenously made films to 11,000 feet.
In the beginning, the provincial leadership of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
under Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari was strongly opposed to India's forcible involvement in the Second World War. But later, Rajagopalachari changed his mind and spoke in support of the British war effort even while his colleagues in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
were still agitating against the war.
Due to economic reasons, the different battalions of the Madras Regiment
Madras Regiment
The Madras Regiment is the oldest regiment in the Indian army formed in the 1750s. The regiment has been through many campaigns with both the British Indian Army and the Indian Army.- History :...
had been disbanded in stages. With the transferring of the 1st Battalion in 1928, the Madras Regiment ceased to exist. When Hope became Governor in 1940, he tried to revive the Madras Regiment and canvassed for the same.
Due to the efforts of Hope, the Madras Regiment was revived in 1942 and Hope was appointed the regiment's first Colonel-in-chief. A training centre was raised at Madukkarai
Madukkarai
Madukkarai is a suburb of Coimbatore city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Madukkarai is the Gateway to Coimbatore city from kerala state. It is located close to Kerala border. The Coimbatore International Airport is about 27 km from here...
in Coimbatore district
Coimbatore District
Coimbatore District is one of the more affluent and industrially advanced districts of the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Coimbatore is known as the Manchester of South India. It one of the most industrialized towns of Tamil Nadu. It has the highest GDP among the districts of Tamil Nadu, even ahead...
in July 1942 and the regiment fought with distinction in the Burma campaign.
Hope's tenure came to an end on February 26, 1946 and he was succeeded by Henry Foley Knight
Henry Foley Knight
Sir Henry Foley Knight KCSI CIE was a British administrator and civil servant who served as the Acting Governor of Madras in 1946.- Early life :...
who served as the Acting Governor till the arrival of Hope's designated successor Archibald Edward Nye. In 1945, Hope inaugurated a polytechnic college in Coimbatore
Coimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
which was later named "Arthur Hope Polytechnic" in his honour. The polytechnic was later upgraded to a college of science and technology and renamed Government College of Science and Technology
Government College of Technology, Coimbatore
The Government College of Technology, Coimbatore is an autonomous state funded engineering college located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. It is a constituent college of the Anna University...
in 1950. Though the college was renamed and moved to a new campus, the area where it was originally located is still being called as "Hope College".
Honours
Hope was made a Grand Commander of the Indian EmpireOrder of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
in 1939 just before his appointment as Governor of Madras. Arthur Hope succeeded to the barony on the death of his father, the 1st Baron on February 14, 1949.
Family
On June 2, 1919, at the age of 22, Hope married Grizel Gilmour, the second daughter of Brigadier-General Sir Robert Gordon GilmourRobert Gordon Gilmour
Brig.-Gen. Sir Robert Gordon Gilmour, 1st Baronet, previously Sir Robert Gordon Wolridge-Gordon, 1st Baronet married Lady Susan Lygon , 2nd daughter of the 6th Earl of Beauchamp on 19 October 1889. They had three children:*Mrs. Margaret Dugdale*Grizel Gilmour Brig.-Gen. Sir Robert Gordon Gilmour,...
(1857–1939) and Lady Susan Lygon (1870–1962). The couple had four daughters:
- Bridget Mary Hope (b.1920)
- Jean Margaret Hope (b.1923)
- Alison Mary Hope (b.1927)
- Barbara Mary Hope (b.1930)
On Hope's death in 1958, due to the absence of a male heir, the barony passed on to his brother, Henry John Hope (1899–1967).