Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin
Encyclopedia
Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin PC (22 December 1840 – 29 May 1923) was a British
landowner, racehorse owner and Conservative Party
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 until 1916 when he was raised to the peerage
.
family, Chaplin was born at Ryhall
, Rutland
, the second son of the Reverend Henry Chaplin, of Blankney
, Lincolnshire
and his wife Carolina Horatia Ellice, daughter of William Ellice. His younger brother Edward Chaplin
was also a politician. Chaplin was educated at Harrow
and Christ Church, Oxford
, where he was a friend of the Prince of Wales
. At the age of 21, he inherited substantial estates in Lincolnshire (including the family seat of Blankney Hall in Blankney), Nottinghamshire
and Yorkshire
. He was a J.P.
and a Deputy Lieutenant
of Lincolnshire, and a leading member of the Turf.
and a celebrated beauty. The wedding was to be the society event of the year with the Prince of Wales one of many to offer his congratulations. However, during their engagement Florence had secretly fallen in love with Henry Rawdon-Hastings, 4th Marquess of Hastings
. Just before her wedding, she had Chaplin take her to Marshall & Snelgrove
's on Oxford Street
to add to her wedding outfit. While Chaplin waited in the carriage outside, Florence walked straight through the shop and out to the other side, where Hastings waited for her in a carriage. Hastings and Florence were married on the same day. After the wedding, a reception was held in St James’ Place before the newly married couple set off to Scotland and then for a longer stay in India whilst the scandal died down. Florence Paget informed Chaplin by letter the next day.
In the 1867 Derby
, Chaplin renewed his rivalry with Lord Hastings. Hastings wagered thousands of pounds against Chaplin's horse, Hermit
. Ten days before the race Hermit was injured and Chaplin was advised not to enter him. However, the injury was not as serious as first thought, and though not fully fit, Hermit entered the race and won it. Lord Hastings lost heavily and fell into severe debts. Added to a drinking problem, Chaplin's great rival died in poverty already the following year, aged only 26.
as Member of Parliament
(MP) for Mid-Lincolnshire
. He represented this constituency until it was replaced under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
. In the 1885 general election
he was returned to parliament for the new Sleaford
division which he held until his defeat at the 1906 general election
.
Chaplin was sworn of the Privy Council in 1885 and filled the office of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
in Lord Salisbury
's short ministry of 1885 to 1886. He became the first President of the Board of Agriculture in 1889, with a seat in the cabinet, and retained this post till 1892. In the Conservative cabinet of 1895 to 1900 he was President of the Local Government Board
, and was responsible for the Agricultural Rates Act 1896. However, he was not included in the ministry after its reconstruction in 1900.
Chaplin had always been an advocate of protectionism, being in this respect the most prominent inheritor of the views of Lord George Bentinck
; and when in 1903 the tariff reform movement
began under Chamberlain's leadership, he gave it his enthusiastic support, becoming a member of the Tariff Commission and one of the most strenuous advocates in the country of the new doctrines in opposition to free trade.
After losing his seat at Sleaford in 1906, Chaplin was returned to the House of Commons at a by-election
in May 1907 as member for Wimbledon
. He held the seat until 1916, when he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Chaplin, of Saint Oswald's, Blankney, in the County of Lincoln.
Known as the "Squire of Blankney", Chaplin took an active interest in agricultural questions, as a popular and typical representative of the English "country gentleman" class. However, mounting debts forced him to sell the family seat of Blankney Hall to Lord Londesborough
in 1887.
. They had one son and two daughters. Their eldest daughter, the Hon. Edith
, married Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry
, and became a well-known society hostess. Lady Florence died in childbirth in 1881, giving birth to her youngest daughter, Florence. Lord Chaplin remained a widower until his death in May 1923, aged 82. He was succeeded in the viscountcy by his only son, Eric.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
landowner, racehorse owner and Conservative Party
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 who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 until 1916 when he was raised to the peerage
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...
.
Background and education
The member of an old LincolnshireLincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
family, Chaplin was born at Ryhall
Ryhall
Ryhall is a village and civil parish in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England. It is located close to the eastern boundary of the county, about 2 miles north of Stamford.-The Village:...
, Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
, the second son of the Reverend Henry Chaplin, of Blankney
Blankney
Blankney is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 239 according to the 2001 census. The village is about south of Lincoln and north of Sleaford...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
and his wife Carolina Horatia Ellice, daughter of William Ellice. His younger brother Edward Chaplin
Edward Chaplin (MP)
Colonel Edward Chaplin was a British Conservative politician.-Background:Chaplin was the son of Reverend Henry Chaplin and Caroline Horatia, daughter of William Ellice...
was also a politician. Chaplin was educated at Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
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...
, where he was a friend of the Prince of Wales
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...
. At the age of 21, he inherited substantial estates in Lincolnshire (including the family seat of Blankney Hall in Blankney), Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. He was a J.P.
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...
and a Deputy Lieutenant
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....
of Lincolnshire, and a leading member of the Turf.
Engagement to Lady Florence Paget
In 1864 Chaplin fell in love with and became engaged to Lady Florence, daughter of Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of AngleseyHenry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey
Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey PC , styled Lord Paget 1812 and 1815 and Earl of Uxbridge between 1815 and 1854, was a British peer and Whig politician...
and a celebrated beauty. The wedding was to be the society event of the year with the Prince of Wales one of many to offer his congratulations. However, during their engagement Florence had secretly fallen in love with Henry Rawdon-Hastings, 4th Marquess of Hastings
Henry Rawdon-Hastings, 4th Marquess of Hastings
Henry Weysford Charles Plantagenet, 4th Marquess of Hastings , styled Lord Henry Rawdon-Hastings from birth until 1851, was a British peer....
. Just before her wedding, she had Chaplin take her to Marshall & Snelgrove
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
's on Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
to add to her wedding outfit. While Chaplin waited in the carriage outside, Florence walked straight through the shop and out to the other side, where Hastings waited for her in a carriage. Hastings and Florence were married on the same day. After the wedding, a reception was held in St James’ Place before the newly married couple set off to Scotland and then for a longer stay in India whilst the scandal died down. Florence Paget informed Chaplin by letter the next day.
In the 1867 Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
, Chaplin renewed his rivalry with Lord Hastings. Hastings wagered thousands of pounds against Chaplin's horse, Hermit
Hermit (horse)
Hermit was a 19th-century British Thoroughbred racehorse that was a direct descendant of Eclipse. He won the 1867 Epsom Derby, despite running in a snowstorm at 1000:15 odds with 10 false starts.-Breeding:...
. Ten days before the race Hermit was injured and Chaplin was advised not to enter him. However, the injury was not as serious as first thought, and though not fully fit, Hermit entered the race and won it. Lord Hastings lost heavily and fell into severe debts. Added to a drinking problem, Chaplin's great rival died in poverty already the following year, aged only 26.
Political career
Chaplin first entered parliament at the 1868 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
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 Mid-Lincolnshire
Mid Lincolnshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Mid Lincolnshire, formally called the Mid Division of Lincolnshire, was a county constituency in Lincolnshire. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote electoral system.-History:The constituency was created by...
. He represented this constituency until it was replaced under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, in an attempt to equalise representation across...
. In 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 returned to parliament for the new Sleaford
Sleaford (UK Parliament constituency)
Sleaford was a county constituency in Lincolnshire, centred on the town of Sleaford. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
division which he held until his defeat at the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
.
Chaplin was sworn of the Privy Council in 1885 and filled the office of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
in 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...
's short ministry of 1885 to 1886. He became the first President of the Board of Agriculture in 1889, with a seat in the cabinet, and retained this post till 1892. In the Conservative cabinet of 1895 to 1900 he was President of the Local Government Board
President of the Local Government Board
The President of the Local Government Board was a ministerial post, frequently a Cabinet position, in the United Kingdom, established in 1871. The Local Government Board itself was established in 1871 and took over supervisory functions from the Board of Trade and the Home Office, including the...
, and was responsible for the Agricultural Rates Act 1896. However, he was not included in the ministry after its reconstruction in 1900.
Chaplin had always been an advocate of protectionism, being in this respect the most prominent inheritor of the views of Lord George Bentinck
Lord George Bentinck
Lord George Frederick Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck , better known as simply Lord George Bentinck, was an English Conservative politician and racehorse owner, best known for his role in unseating Sir Robert Peel over the Corn Laws.Bentinck was a younger son of the 4th Duke of Portland, and elected a...
; and when in 1903 the tariff reform movement
Tariff Reform League
The Tariff Reform League was a pressure group formed in 1903 to protest against 'unfair' foreign imports and to advocate Imperial Preference to protect British industry from foreign competition. It was well funded and included politicians, intellectuals and businessmen, and was popular with the...
began under Chamberlain's leadership, he gave it his enthusiastic support, becoming a member of the Tariff Commission and one of the most strenuous advocates in the country of the new doctrines in opposition to free trade.
After losing his seat at Sleaford in 1906, Chaplin was returned to the House of Commons at a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in May 1907 as member for Wimbledon
Wimbledon (UK Parliament constituency)
Wimbledon is one of two parliamentary constituencies in the London Borough of Merton in south-west London. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first-past-the-post voting system....
. He held the seat until 1916, when he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Chaplin, of Saint Oswald's, Blankney, in the County of Lincoln.
Agriculture
William Denison, 1st Earl of Londesborough
William Henry Forester Denison, 1st Earl of Londesborough , known as The Lord Londesborough from 1860 to 1887, was a British peer and Liberal politician. He was also one of the main founders of Scarborough FC....
in 1887.
Family
In 1876 Chaplin married Lady Florence, daughter of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of SutherlandGeorge Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland
George Granville William Sutherland Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland , styled Viscount Trentham until 1833, Earl Gower in 1833 and Marquess of Stafford between 1833 and 1861, was a British politician.-Background:Sutherland was the son of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland...
. They had one son and two daughters. Their eldest daughter, the Hon. Edith
Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry
Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry DBE was a noted socialite and philanthropist in the United Kingdom between World War I and World War II.-Family:...
, married Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry
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...
, and became a well-known society hostess. Lady Florence died in childbirth in 1881, giving birth to her youngest daughter, Florence. Lord Chaplin remained a widower until his death in May 1923, aged 82. He was succeeded in the viscountcy by his only son, Eric.