Francis Needham, 3rd Earl of Kilmorey
Encyclopedia
Francis Charles Needham, 3rd Earl of Kilmorey KP (2 August 1842 – 28 July 1915), known as Viscount Newry from 1851 to 1880, was an Anglo-Irish
peer
and Conservative
Member of Parliament
.
, son of Francis Needham, 2nd Earl of Kilmorey
. His mother was Anne Amelia Colville, daughter of General Sir Charles Colville
.
He attended Christ Church
college, Oxford, and in 1862 (aged nineteen), proposed to give a ball; this was prohibited by the college authorities, chiefly by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (better known as Lewis Carroll
). The wife of Henry Liddell
, the Dean of the college, had supported the ball; the Liddell's Irish residence was close to the Kilmorey seat, and this favour to a family friend might have made social connexions for her several daughters (including Alice
). The ball and the resulting coldness between the Liddells and Carroll is mentioned in his diary as "Lord Newry's business". He was graduated in 1864.
In 1874 he served as High Sheriff of Down
and was then elected to the House of Commons
for Newry
in 1871, a seat he held until 1874. In 1880 he succeeded his grandfather as Earl of Kilmorey, but as this was an Irish peerage it did not entitle him to an automatic seat in the House of Lords
. However, the following year Kilmorey was elected an Irish Representative Peer
, and sat in the House of Lords until his death in 1915. In 1890 he was made a Knight of the Order of St Patrick.
Lord Kilmorey married in 1881 Ellen Constance Baldock, daughter of Edward Holmes Baldock (MP
for Shrewsbury). He died in July 1915, aged 72, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son Francis
. Lady Kilmorey died in 1920.
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...
peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
and 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...
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,...
.
Life
Kilmorey was the eldest son of Francis Needham, Viscount NewryFrancis Needham, Viscount Newry
Francis Jack Needham, Viscount Newry , was an Anglo-Irish Member of Parliament.Newry was the eldest son of Francis Needham, 2nd Earl of Kilmorey, and Jane Gun-Cuninghame. He gained the courtesy title of Viscount Newry when his father succeeded as Earl of Kilmorey in 1832...
, son of Francis Needham, 2nd Earl of Kilmorey
Francis Needham, 2nd Earl of Kilmorey
Francis Jack Needham, 2nd Earl of Kilmorey , known as Viscount Newry from 1822 to 1832, was an Anglo-Irish peer and Member of Parliament....
. His mother was Anne Amelia Colville, daughter of General Sir Charles Colville
Charles Colville
Sir Charles Colville was a British military leader who fought in the Peninsular War and in action near the Battle of Waterloo, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General. He was the son of John Colville, 8th Lord Colville of CulrossAmong other battles, Colville led the 2nd Brigade in Picton's 3rd...
.
He attended Christ Church
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...
college, Oxford, and in 1862 (aged nineteen), proposed to give a ball; this was prohibited by the college authorities, chiefly by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (better known as Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
). The wife of Henry Liddell
Henry Liddell
Henry George Liddell was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, dean of Christ Church, Oxford, headmaster of Westminster School , author of A History of Rome , and co-author of the monumental work A Greek-English Lexicon, which is still used by students of Greek...
, the Dean of the college, had supported the ball; the Liddell's Irish residence was close to the Kilmorey seat, and this favour to a family friend might have made social connexions for her several daughters (including Alice
Alice Liddell
Alice Pleasance Liddell , known for most of her adult life by her married name, Alice Hargreaves, inspired the children's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, whose protagonist Alice is said to be named after her.-Biography:...
). The ball and the resulting coldness between the Liddells and Carroll is mentioned in his diary as "Lord Newry's business". He was graduated in 1864.
In 1874 he served as High Sheriff of Down
High Sheriff of Down
The High Sheriff of Down is the Sovereign's judicial representative in County Down. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became annually appointed from the Provisions of Oxford in 1258. Besides his judicial importance, he has ceremonial and administrative...
and was then elected to 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...
for Newry
Newry (UK Parliament constituency)
Newry was a United Kingdom Parliament constituency, in Ireland, returning one MP. It was an original constituency represented in Parliament when the Union of Great Britain and Ireland took effect on 1 January 1801.-Members of Parliament:...
in 1871, a seat he held until 1874. In 1880 he succeeded his grandfather as Earl of Kilmorey, but as this was an Irish peerage it did not entitle him to an automatic seat in 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....
. However, the following year Kilmorey was elected an Irish Representative Peer
Representative peer
In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords...
, and sat in the House of Lords until his death in 1915. In 1890 he was made a Knight of the Order of St Patrick.
Lord Kilmorey married in 1881 Ellen Constance Baldock, daughter of Edward Holmes Baldock (MP
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 Shrewsbury). He died in July 1915, aged 72, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son Francis
Francis Needham, 4th Earl of Kilmorey
Francis Charles Adelbert Henry Needham, 4th Earl of Kilmorey PC OBE , styled Viscount Newry from 1883 to 1915, was an Anglo-Irish peer.-Background:...
. Lady Kilmorey died in 1920.