Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry
Encyclopedia
Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry KG
, GCVO
, PC
, DL
, JP
(16 July 1852 – 8 February 1915), styled Viscount Castlereagh between 1872 and 1884, was an Anglo-Irish
Conservative
politician, landowner and benefactor, who served in various capacities in the Conservative administrations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After succeeding his father in the marquessate in 1884, he was Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland between 1886 and 1889. He later held office as Postmaster General
between 1900 and 1902 and President of the Board of Education between 1902 and 1905. A supporter of the protestant causes in Ulster
, he was an opponent of Irish Home Rule and one of the instigators of the formal alliance between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Unionists
in 1893. Staunchly Conservative, he also voted against the Parliament Act of 1911
.
, England
, he was the eldest son of George Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry
, by Mary Cornelia, only daughter of Sir John Edwards, 1st Baronet
. He was the grandson of the third Marquess and the great-nephew of the second Marquess
, better known as the statesman Lord Castlereagh. Lord Randolph Churchill
was his first cousin. He was educated at Eton
, the National University of Ireland
and Christ Church, Oxford
. He became known by the courtesy title
Viscount Castlereagh when his father succeeded in the marquessate of Londonderry in 1872. In 1885 he assumed the original and additional surname of Stewart by Royal license.
in 1878, a seat he held until 1884, when he succeeded his father in the marquessate and entered the House of Lords
. After the Conservatives came to power in 1886 under Lord Salisbury
, Lord Londonderry was sworn of the Privy Council
and appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. This was a time of difficulties in Ireland
. Gladstone's first Home Rule Bill had just been rejected by parliament and national feelings ran high in Ireland. According to the Dictionary of National Biography
, Londonderry "... filled the viceroyalty with tact and courage, so that when he left Dublin in 1889 the discontent had abated and some measure of prosperity had been restored." He was appointed a Knight of the Garter
in 1888 and admitted to the Irish Privy Council
in 1892. He opposed Gladstone's second Home Rule Bill
in 1893 and presided over the meeting which led to the formal political alliance between the Conservatives and the Liberal Unionists
.
From 1895 to 1897 Londonderry was Chairman of the London School Board
. He returned to the government in April 1900 when Salisbury made him Postmaster General
, and became a member of the cabinet in November of that year. After Arthur Balfour
became prime minister in August 1902, Londonderry became President of the Board of Education. In this role he oversaw the Education Act of 1902 to 1903. Between 1903 and 1905 he was also Lord President of the Council
. The Unionist fell in December 1905 and Londonderry subsequently focused mostly on Irish affairs. A staunch conservative, he was one of the 114 peers who voted against the Parliament Act of 1911
. As president of the Ulster Unionist council he opposed the third Home Rule Bill proposed by the Liberal government in 1912 and was the second signature of the Ulster Covenant
after Sir Edward Carson
.
of Montgomeryshire
and County Durham
and a Justice of the Peace
for County Durham. In 1910 he was Mayor of Durham
. As a large coal-owner in County Durham, he played a major role in this county. He was also a great benefactor, patron of agriculture and race-horse owner. King Edward VII
was the guest at Londonderry's County Durham seat Wynyard Park
on five occasions. In 1903 Londonderry was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
(GCVO).
, in 1875. They had two sons and one daughter. The second son, Lord Charles Stewart Reginald Vane-Tempest-Stewart, died in October 1899, aged 19. The daughter, Lady Helen, married the 6th Earl of Ilchester
. Londonderry died of pneumonia
at Wynyard Park, County Durham, in February 1915, aged 62, and was succeeded by his eldest and only surviving son, Charles
. The Marchioness of Londonderry died in March 1919.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(16 July 1852 – 8 February 1915), styled Viscount Castlereagh between 1872 and 1884, was an Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
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...
politician, landowner and benefactor, who served in various capacities in the Conservative administrations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After succeeding his father in the marquessate in 1884, he was Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland between 1886 and 1889. He later held office as Postmaster General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
between 1900 and 1902 and President of the Board of Education between 1902 and 1905. A supporter of the protestant causes in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, he was an opponent of Irish Home Rule and one of the instigators of the formal alliance between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Unionists
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...
in 1893. Staunchly Conservative, he also voted against the Parliament Act of 1911
Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949
The Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 are two Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which form part of the constitution of the United Kingdom. Section 2 of the Parliament Act 1949 provides that that Act and the Parliament Act 1911 are to be construed as one.The Parliament Act 1911 The...
.
Background and education
Born Charles Vane-Tempest in LondonLondon
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...
, 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...
, he was the eldest son of George Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry
George Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry
George Henry Robert Charles William Vane-Tempest, 5th Marquess of Londonderry KP , styled Viscount Seaham between 1823 and 1854 and known as The Earl Vane between 1854 and 1872, was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, businessman, diplomat and Conservative politician.-Background and education:Born George...
, by Mary Cornelia, only daughter of Sir John Edwards, 1st Baronet
Sir John Edwards, 1st Baronet, of Garth
Sir John Edwards, 1st Baronet , served as Member of Parliament for Montgomery from 8th April 1833 to 23rd June 1841 and the Edwards Baronetcy, of Garth in the County of Montgomery, was created for him in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom in 1838...
. He was the grandson of the third Marquess and the great-nephew of the second Marquess
Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh
Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry, KG, GCH, PC, PC , usually known as Lord CastlereaghThe name Castlereagh derives from the baronies of Castlereagh and Ards, in which the manors of Newtownards and Comber were located...
, better known as the statesman Lord Castlereagh. Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill MP was a British statesman. He was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his wife Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane , daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
was his first cousin. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, the National University of Ireland
National University of Ireland
The National University of Ireland , , is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997.The constituent universities are...
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. He became known by the courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
Viscount Castlereagh when his father succeeded in the marquessate of Londonderry in 1872. In 1885 he assumed the original and additional surname of Stewart by Royal license.
Political career
Castlereagh was returned to parliament as one of two representatives for DownDown (UK Parliament constituency)
Down was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland. It was a two member constituency and existed in two periods, 1801-1885 and 1922-1950.-Boundaries:1801-1885: The whole of County Down, excluding the Boroughs of Downpatrick and Newry....
in 1878, a seat he held until 1884, when he succeeded his father in the marquessate and entered the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. After the Conservatives came to power in 1886 under Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
, Lord Londonderry was sworn of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
and appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. This was a time of difficulties in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Gladstone's first Home Rule Bill had just been rejected by parliament and national feelings ran high in Ireland. According to the Dictionary of National Biography
Dictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
, Londonderry "... filled the viceroyalty with tact and courage, so that when he left Dublin in 1889 the discontent had abated and some measure of prosperity had been restored." He was appointed a Knight of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
in 1888 and admitted to the Irish Privy Council
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
in 1892. He opposed Gladstone's second Home Rule Bill
Irish Government Bill 1893
The Government of Ireland Bill 1893 was the second attempt made by William Ewart Gladstone, as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, to enact a system of home rule for Ireland...
in 1893 and presided over the meeting which led to the formal political alliance between the Conservatives and the Liberal Unionists
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...
.
From 1895 to 1897 Londonderry was Chairman of the London School Board
London School Board
The School Board for London was an institution of local government and the first directly elected body covering the whole of London....
. He returned to the government in April 1900 when Salisbury made him Postmaster General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
, and became a member of the cabinet in November of that year. After Arthur Balfour
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
became prime minister in August 1902, Londonderry became President of the Board of Education. In this role he oversaw the Education Act of 1902 to 1903. Between 1903 and 1905 he was also Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
. The Unionist fell in December 1905 and Londonderry subsequently focused mostly on Irish affairs. A staunch conservative, he was one of the 114 peers who voted against the Parliament Act of 1911
Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949
The Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 are two Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which form part of the constitution of the United Kingdom. Section 2 of the Parliament Act 1949 provides that that Act and the Parliament Act 1911 are to be construed as one.The Parliament Act 1911 The...
. As president of the Ulster Unionist council he opposed the third Home Rule Bill proposed by the Liberal government in 1912 and was the second signature of the Ulster Covenant
Ulster Covenant
The Ulster Covenant was signed by just under half a million of men and women from Ulster, on and before September 28, 1912, in protest against the Third Home Rule Bill, introduced by the Government in that same year...
after Sir Edward Carson
Edward Carson, Baron Carson
Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson PC, PC , Kt, QC , often known as Sir Edward Carson or Lord Carson, was a barrister, judge and politician from Ireland...
.
Other public appointments
Lord Londonderry was also Lord-Lieutenant of Belfast from 1900 to 1904 and Lord-Lieutenant of Down from 1902 to 1915, a Deputy LieutenantDeputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
and County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for County Durham. In 1910 he was Mayor of Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
. As a large coal-owner in County Durham, he played a major role in this county. He was also a great benefactor, patron of agriculture and race-horse owner. King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
was the guest at Londonderry's County Durham seat Wynyard Park
Wynyard Park, County Durham
Wynyard Park, sometimes known as Wynyard Hall is a large country house in County Durham, England. The house used to be the family seat of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of Londonderry, an Anglo-Irish aristocratic dynasty, but it was sold in the 1980s.-The house:Designed by Philip Wyatt...
on five occasions. In 1903 Londonderry was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(GCVO).
Family
Lord Londonderry married Lady Theresa Susey Helen Talbot, daughter of Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of ShrewsburyCharles Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury
Charles John Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury, 19th Earl of Waterford, 4th Earl Talbot, PC , styled Viscount Ingestre between 1849 and 1868, was a British Conservative politician...
, in 1875. They had two sons and one daughter. The second son, Lord Charles Stewart Reginald Vane-Tempest-Stewart, died in October 1899, aged 19. The daughter, Lady Helen, married the 6th Earl of Ilchester
Giles Fox-Strangways, 6th Earl of Ilchester
Giles Stephen Holland Fox-Strangways, 6th Earl of Ilchester GBE, FSA, DL , styled Lord Stavordale until 1905, was a British peer and philanthropist.-Background and education:...
. Londonderry died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at Wynyard Park, County Durham, in February 1915, aged 62, and was succeeded by his eldest and only surviving son, Charles
Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry
Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry, KG, MVO, PC, PC , styled Lord Stewart until 1884 and Viscount Castlereagh between 1884 and 1915, was an Anglo-Irish peer and had careers in both Irish and British politics...
. The Marchioness of Londonderry died in March 1919.