Constituency : Midlothian 1895-1900
Sir Thomas succeeded to Midlothian as Gladstone finally left the Commons.
Thomas was the son of a baronet and church minister from Edinburgh. He was born an Anglican but brought up a Presbyterian. He was educated at a church school at Wixenford and Cambridge. He suceeded to his father's baronetcy in 1891. He acted as private secretary to George Trevelyan and Lord Dalhousie when they were Secretary of State for Scotland during Gladstone's brief third ministry. He contested Peebles and Selkirk in 1892. He was appointed Chairman of the Scottish Board of Lunacy in 1894.
Thomas was a close friend of Edward Grey who described him as having the "acutest brain in Europe". He was a reserved man with no talent for public speaking and not really suited to political life.
Thomas stood down in 1900.
In 1908 Thomas was appointed Governor of Victoria. He was there for three years before switching to Madras. In 1912 he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Carmichael. Also in that year he switched to Bengal until 1917.
Thomas was a beekeeper and founded the Scottish Beekeepers Association. He was also a Freemason. He also bred Angus cattle. He had Turner and Constable watercolours in his art collection. He died in 1926 aged 66.
No comments:
Post a Comment