Constituency : Buckingham 1832-41, Bedford 1847-52, Buckingham 1857-74, 1880-85
Sir Harry was the son and heir of a baronet. He was educated at Harrow and Cambridge. Between 1919 and 1944 he enjoyed a military career rising to the rank of major. He had an interest in railways and in 1837 raised concerns about how railway bills were handled in Parliament. He was defeated in 1852 . In 1857 he proposed to Florence Nightingale but she turned him down and a year later was married to her sister. His grand-daughter recalled that "he forwarded anything she might want and lobbied and did everything he could to get what she wanted carried. The other members of the House of Commons called him 'the member for Florence Nightingale'". He later became her "prayer partner".
Sir Harry was a Whig who made frequent interventions on military matters. In 1868 he intervened to prevent the publication of a gossipy letter about the Duke of Edinburgh from an associate of his sister-in-law. She described him as "a persuasive sort of person & also firm in his purpose".
Sir Harry was one of the founders of the Royal Agricultural Society. He held two chairmanships of railway companies.
Sir Harry talked of retiring after the 1868 election as he thought politics was dragging him "earthwards" but was dissuaded and recaptured the seat in 1880 after defeat in 1874. He finally retired in 1885 and was succeeded by his son Edmund.
Sir Harry had been a long-time friend of Gladstone but opposed Home Rule which politically estranged him from both his sons. In 1886 the Tories at North Buckinghamshire used some unguarded letters of his to help defeat Edmund.
He died in 1892 aged 94.
No comments:
Post a Comment