Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford
Encyclopedia
Herbrand Arthur Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford KG
KBE
DL
LLD
FRS FSA (19 February 1858 – 27 August 1940) was the son of Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford
.
on 31 January 1888 at Barrackpore
, India
. They had one child, Hastings William Sackville Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford
(1888–1953) Mary, Duchess of Bedford was later appointed DBE
. Dame Mary Russell died in 1937, three years before her husband.
and was made a Colonel of the 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment between 1897 and 1908. He fought in the Egyptian campaign in 1882 and in the First World War, where he was mentioned in dispatches.
He held the office of Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex
between 1898 and 1926, President of the Zoological Society in 1899, Mayor of Holborn
in 1900, Aide-de-Camp
to the Viceroy of India between 1885 and 1886, Militia Aide-de-Camp between 1908 and 1920, to King Edward VII
and King George V
and sometime Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire.
The Duke of Bedford was instrumental in saving the Père David's Deer
from extinction after they became extinct in their native China. He acquired the few remaining deer from European zoos and nurtured a herd at Woburn Abbey
Bedford served as president of the Cremation Society of Great Britain
from 1921 to his death in 1940.
(K.G.St.J.), as a Fellow of the Society of Arts (F.S.A.) on 14 March 1901, Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG)
on 30 May 1902, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
in 1919, was invested as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1908 and made an honorary Freeman of Holborn in 1931.
He was made an Honorary Doctor of Law
(LL.D.) by Edinburgh University in 1906.
His grandson John Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford
describes him as follows: "A selfish, forbidding man, with a highly developed sense of public duty and ducal responsibility, he lived a cold, aloof existence, isolated from the outside world by a mass of servants, sycophants and an eleven-mile wall." In conjunction with his son Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford
, he developed plans to protect the Bedford fortune from the British tax regime. However, he died too soon for these to come to fruition and the only result was to involve his grandson in enormous difficulties in obtaining access to the family properties.
Herbrand and Hastings Russell feature largely in the 13th Duke's memoir, A Silver-Plated Spoon (World Books, 1959).
According to Jane Goodall
in her book Hope for Animals, the Duke was instrumental in saving the milu (or Père David's deer
) which was already extinct by 1900 in its native China.
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...
KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
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....
LLD
Doctor of law
Doctor of Law or Doctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degrees such as the LL.D., Ph.D., J.D., J.S.D., and Dr. iur.-Argentina:...
FRS FSA (19 February 1858 – 27 August 1940) was the son of Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford
Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford
Francis Charles Hastings Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford KG was an English politician and agriculturalist.-Life:...
.
Family
He married Mary du Caurroy TribeMary Russell, Duchess of Bedford
Dame Mary Russell, Duchess of Bedford, DBE, RRC, FLS was an English aviatrix and ornithologist.-Early and personal life:...
on 31 January 1888 at Barrackpore
Barrackpore
Barrackpore or Barrackpur is headquarters of Barrackpore subdivision in North 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The town was a military and administrative center under British rule, and was the scene of several acts of rebellion against Britain during the 19th century...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. They had one child, Hastings William Sackville Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford
Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford
Hastings William Sackville Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford MA , nicknamed Spinach Tavistock, was the son of Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford....
(1888–1953) Mary, Duchess of Bedford was later appointed DBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. Dame Mary Russell died in 1937, three years before her husband.
Career
He gained the rank of officer in the service of the Grenadier GuardsGrenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
and was made a Colonel of the 3rd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment between 1897 and 1908. He fought in the Egyptian campaign in 1882 and in the First World War, where he was mentioned in dispatches.
He held the office of Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex
Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex
This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex. The office was abolished on 1 April 1965, with the creation of Greater London and the post of Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, with small parts of Middlesex coming under the jurisdiction of the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, the...
between 1898 and 1926, President of the Zoological Society in 1899, Mayor of Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
in 1900, Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Viceroy of India between 1885 and 1886, Militia Aide-de-Camp between 1908 and 1920, to 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...
and King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and sometime Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire.
The Duke of Bedford was instrumental in saving the Père David's Deer
Père David's Deer
Père David's Deer, Elaphurus davidianus, also known as the Milu , is a species of deer known only in captivity. It prefers marshland, and is believed to be native to the subtropics of China. It grazes on a mixture of grass and water plants. It is the only extant member of the genus Elaphurus...
from extinction after they became extinct in their native China. He acquired the few remaining deer from European zoos and nurtured a herd at Woburn Abbey
Bedford served as president of the Cremation Society of Great Britain
Cremation Society of Great Britain
The Cremation Society of Great Britain is an special interest organisation that advocates cremation in the United Kingdom.-The beginnings:Cremation was not legal in Great Britain until 1885, but interest in this form of burial emerged during the second half of the 19th century from ideas that...
from 1921 to his death in 1940.
Honours
Herbrand Russell was invested as a Knight of Grace of the Order of St JohnVenerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
(K.G.St.J.), as a Fellow of the Society of Arts (F.S.A.) on 14 March 1901, Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG)
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...
on 30 May 1902, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1919, was invested as a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1908 and made an honorary Freeman of Holborn in 1931.
He was made an Honorary Doctor of Law
Doctor of law
Doctor of Law or Doctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degrees such as the LL.D., Ph.D., J.D., J.S.D., and Dr. iur.-Argentina:...
(LL.D.) by Edinburgh University in 1906.
His grandson John Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford
John Ian Robert Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford was a British peer and writer, the son of Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford. He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1985.- Biography :...
describes him as follows: "A selfish, forbidding man, with a highly developed sense of public duty and ducal responsibility, he lived a cold, aloof existence, isolated from the outside world by a mass of servants, sycophants and an eleven-mile wall." In conjunction with his son Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford
Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford
Hastings William Sackville Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford MA , nicknamed Spinach Tavistock, was the son of Herbrand Russell, 11th Duke of Bedford....
, he developed plans to protect the Bedford fortune from the British tax regime. However, he died too soon for these to come to fruition and the only result was to involve his grandson in enormous difficulties in obtaining access to the family properties.
Herbrand and Hastings Russell feature largely in the 13th Duke's memoir, A Silver-Plated Spoon (World Books, 1959).
According to Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
in her book Hope for Animals, the Duke was instrumental in saving the milu (or Père David's deer
Père David's Deer
Père David's Deer, Elaphurus davidianus, also known as the Milu , is a species of deer known only in captivity. It prefers marshland, and is believed to be native to the subtropics of China. It grazes on a mixture of grass and water plants. It is the only extant member of the genus Elaphurus...
) which was already extinct by 1900 in its native China.