Stephen Rumbold Lushington
Encyclopedia
Stephen Rumbold Lushington (6 May 1776 – 5 Aug 1868) was an English Tory politician and an administrator in India. He was Governor of Madras from 1827 to 1835.
Lushington was born in Godmersham
, Kent
. He was educated at Rugby School
, and was in India from 1792. Initially he was a translator.
In England from 1807, he unsuccessfully contested the borough of Canterbury
at the 1807 general election
, but in July that year he was elected at an uncontested by-election as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for the borough of Rye
in Sussex. At the 1812 general election
he was returned without a contest for Canterbury
, and held that seat until the 1830 general election
. He was Secretary to the Treasury
from 1823 to 1827. He unsuccessfully contested Canterbury again at the 1835 general election
, but the result was overturned on petition
and he held the seat until he stood down in the 1837
.
Lushington served as Governor of Madras from 1827 to 1832. The Madras Club
was started in 1832 during Lushington's tenure as Governor. In 1830, the Court of Directors of the East India Company
sent a despatch to Madras urging the authorities to improve the quality of English education in the Presidency.
His 1840 book The Life and Services of General Lord Harris, G. C. B. was a biography of George Harris, 1st Baron Harris
, his father-in-law by his second marriage. He owned Norton Court in Norton, Kent, where he knew Jane Austen
, and founded nearby schools.
Lushington was born in Godmersham
Godmersham
Godmersham is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village is located on the Great Stour river where it cuts through the North Downs...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. He was educated at Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, and was in India from 1792. Initially he was a translator.
In England from 1807, he unsuccessfully contested the borough of Canterbury
Canterbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Canterbury is a county constituency which has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
at the 1807 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1807
The election to the 4th Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1807 was the third general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland....
, but in July that year he was elected at an uncontested by-election as a 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 the borough of Rye
Rye (UK Parliament constituency)
Rye was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Rye in East Sussex. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was halved under the Reform Act 1832....
in Sussex. At the 1812 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1812
The election to the 5th Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1812 was the fourth general election to be held after the Union of Great Britain and Ireland....
he was returned without a contest for Canterbury
Canterbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Canterbury is a county constituency which has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, and held that seat until the 1830 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1830
The 1830 United Kingdom general election, was triggered by the death of King George IV and produced the first parliament of the reign of his successor, William IV. Fought in the aftermath of the Swing Riots, it saw electoral reform become a major election issue...
. He was Secretary to the Treasury
Secretary to the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are several Secretaries to the Treasury, who are junior Treasury ministers nominally acting as secretaries to HM Treasury. The origins of the office are unclear, although it probably originated during Lord Burghley's tenure as Lord Treasurer in the 16th century. The...
from 1823 to 1827. He unsuccessfully contested Canterbury again at the 1835 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1835
The 1835 United Kingdom general election was called when Parliament was dissolved on 29 December 1834. Polling took place between 6 January and 6 February 1835, and the results saw Robert Peel's Conservatives make large gains from their low of the 1832 election, but the Whigs maintained a large...
, but the result was overturned on petition
Election petition
An election petition refers to the procedure for challenging the result of a Parliamentary election or local government election in the United Kingdom and in Hong Kong.- Outcomes :...
and he held the seat until he stood down in the 1837
United Kingdom general election, 1837
The 1837 United Kingdom general election saw Robert Peel's Conservatives close further on the position of the Whigs, who won their fourth election of the decade....
.
Governor of Madras
In 1827, Lushington was appointed Governor of Madras in succession to Thomas Munro, 1st Baronet. But as Munro fell ill and died even before his tenure had ended, Henry Sullivan Graeme acted as the Governor in interim till Lushington's arrival in Madras.Lushington served as Governor of Madras from 1827 to 1832. The Madras Club
Madras Club
Madras Club, or Adyar Club, is a gentleman's club in the city of Chennai, India. Founded in 1832, it is the second oldest of its kind in India.- History :...
was started in 1832 during Lushington's tenure as Governor. In 1830, the Court of Directors of the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
sent a despatch to Madras urging the authorities to improve the quality of English education in the Presidency.
His 1840 book The Life and Services of General Lord Harris, G. C. B. was a biography of George Harris, 1st Baron Harris
George Harris, 1st Baron Harris
George Harris, 1st Baron Harris GCB was a British soldier.Harris was the son of the Reverend George Harris, curate of Brasted, Kent. He was educated at Westminster School and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, he was commissioned to the Royal Artillery in 1760, transferring to an ensigncy in...
, his father-in-law by his second marriage. He owned Norton Court in Norton, Kent, where he knew Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
, and founded nearby schools.