Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, (21 September 1867 – 3 July 1958) was a British

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician and colonial governor. He was Governor-General of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935.

Early life

Bathurst was born in London, the second son of Charles Bathurst, of

Lydney Park Lydney Park is a 17th-century country estate surrounding Lydney House, located at Lydney in the Forest of Dean district in Gloucestershire, England. It is known for its gardens and Roman temple complex. House and gardens Lydney Park wa ...

, Gloucestershire, and Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel Thomas Hay by Georgette Arnaud. He was educated at Sherborne School,

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

and then

University College, Oxford University College (in full The College of the Great Hall of the University of Oxford, colloquially referred to as "Univ") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It has a claim to being the oldest college of the unive ...

, where he graduated with a law degree in 1890. He then studied law and was admitted to the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

in 1892, when he gained a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

from Oxford. He was also called to the bar. He inherited Lydney Park on the death of his elder brother.

Member of Parliament and the First World War

Bathurst worked as a barrister and conveyancer. In

1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...

he entered

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

representing the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

as MP for the South or Wilton division of

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

. He served as

Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food Control, later the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food was a junior Ministerial post in the Government of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1921 and then from 1939 to 1954. The post supp ...

. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

of 1914–1918, Bathurst joined the Royal Engineers Special Reserves, and then served in Southern Command as Assistant Military Secretary at the War Office. He carried out the task of ensuring the country had a supply of sugar when asked to chair the Royal Commission on Sugar Supply until 1919. Bathurst was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1917, and raised to the peerage as Baron Bledisloe of

Lydney Lydney is a town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is on the west bank of the River Severn in the Forest of Dean District, and is 16 miles (25 km) southwest of Gloucester. The town has been bypassed by the A48 road since 199 ...

in the

County of Gloucester Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Glouce ...

on 15 October 1918. He remained in parliament until 1928, serving as

Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries was a junior ministerial office in the British government, serving under the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. The title changed to Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of ...

from 1924 onwards. The following year Bristol University granted him an honorary Doctorate of Science. He served as a member of the Privy Council from 1926. Stanley Baldwin appointed Lord Bledisloe to chair the Royal Commission on Land Drainage, probably owing to his own experiences on the banks of the

Severn , name_etymology = , image = SevernFromCastleCB.JPG , image_size = 288 , image_caption = The river seen from Shrewsbury Castle , map = RiverSevernMap.jpg , map_size = 288 , map_c ...

in Gloucestershire. This was his last such honour before being posted overseas.

Governor-General of New Zealand

After leaving parliament, Lord Bledisloe was created a

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

and invested a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem on appointment as the fourth Governor-General of New Zealand, an office he held from 1930 until 1935, proving to be well liked and respected. His social conscience was much appreciated during the Depression era, as was his insistence that his salary should be cut as were the salaries of public servants at the time. Bledisloe also contributed to improved

Pākehā Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non- Māori New Z ...

–

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

relations, purchasing the site where the

Treaty of Waitangi The Treaty of Waitangi ( mi, Te Tiriti o Waitangi) is a document of central importance to the History of New Zealand, history, to the political constitution of the state, and to the national mythos of New Zealand. It has played a major role in ...

was signed and presenting it to the nation as a memorial. In 1934, the site was dedicated as a national reserve. The dedication ceremony attracted thousands of people, both Māori and Pākehā. Bledisloe continued to take an interest in the site even after his term expired and he returned to England. He also contributed to the recognition of the

Māori King Movement The Māori King Movement, called the in Māori, is a movement that arose among some of the Māori (tribes) of New Zealand in the central North Island in the 1850s, to establish a role similar in status to that of the monarch of the British c ...

by developing a friendship with King Koroki and Te Puea Herangi, and his willingness to use the title "king" without reticence. Bledisloe also promoted various causes and events by the presentation of trophies, notably the

Bledisloe Cup The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby union competition originally staged between the national teams of Australia's Wallabies and New Zealand's All Blacks that has been contested since the 1930s. The frequency that the competition is held has va ...

, the trophy for an ongoing

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

competition between New Zealand and Australia, first awarded in 1932, and currently contested annually. He also initiated the New Zealand Chess Federation inter-club championship trophy, also called the

. Bledisloe was a freemason. During his term as governor-general, he was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand.

Later life

In 1935, Bledisloe was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, honorary doctorate of civil laws (DCL) from Oxford, and honorary doctorate of Law (LLD) from Edinburgh. Upon returning to England he was elevated on 24 June 1935 to Viscount Bledisloe, of

in the County of Gloucester. He continued to serve on a number of committees and councils, and was made a fellow of

and Pro-Vice Chancellor of

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

. He received the King's Coronation Medal from George VI in 1937 and was admitted at the same time as Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. Bledisloe was a director of

Lloyds Bank Lloyds Bank plc is a British retail and commercial bank with branches across England and Wales. It has traditionally been considered one of the " Big Four" clearing banks. Lloyds Bank is the largest retail bank in Britain, and has an exte ...

and the

Australian Mutual Provident Society AMP is a financial services company in Australia and New Zealand providing superannuation and investment products, financial advice, and banking products (through AMP Banking) including home loans and savings accounts. Its headquarters is in Syd ...

; and latterly also of the P & O Steamship Company. Lord Bledisloe chaired the

Bledisloe Commission The Bledisloe Commission, also known as the Rhodesia-Nyasaland Royal Commission, was a Royal Commission, appointed in 1937 and undertaking its enquiries between 1937 and 1939. to examine the possible closer union of the three British territories ...

, also known as the Rhodesia-Nyasaland Royal Commission, appointed in 1937–39 to examine the possible closer union of the three British territories in Central Africa:

Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally kno ...

, Northern Rhodesia and

Nyasaland Nyasaland () was a British protectorate located in Africa that was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Between 1953 and 1963, Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasala ...

. These territories were to some degree economically inter-dependent, and it was suggested that an association would promote their rapid development. (The three territories would ultimately unite as the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1953.) In 1943, he created the Empire Knowledge Trophies, a school competition to promote the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

to grammar and secondary technical schools. The competition was organized by the Gloucestershire Education Committee. Lord Blesdisloe himself often attended to present the prizes to the pupils. On his 90th birthday he endowed the

Bledisloe Gold Medal for Landowners The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) promotes the scientific development of English agriculture. It was established in 1838 with the motto "Practice with Science" and received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1840. RASE is bas ...

of the

Royal Agricultural Society of England The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) promotes the scientific development of English agriculture. It was established in 1838 with the motto "Practice with Science" and received its Royal Charter from Queen Victoria in 1840. RASE is bas ...

, to be awarded annually for the application of science or technology to some branch of British husbandry. Bledisloe died, aged 90, at Lydney on 3 July 1958, and was succeeded as Viscount Bledisloe by his eldest son, Benjamin Ludlow Bathurst.

Family

Charles Bathurst married Hon Bertha Susan, daughter of

Henry Lopes, 1st Baron Ludlow Henry Charles Lopes, 1st Baron Ludlow, (3 October 1828 – 25 December 1899) was a British judge and Conservative Party politician. Background and education Ludlow was a younger son of Sir Ralph Lopes, 2nd Baronet, and the uncle of Henry Lopes, ...

by Cordelia Clark. They had two boys and a girl. * Benjamin Ludlow, 2nd Viscount Bledisloe (1899–1979) * Ursula Mary (1900–1975), married Horace Field Parshall Jr (1903–1986) * Hon Henry Charles Hiley (1904–1969)

Sports

Lord Bledsoe and Ben Davidson at Carlaw Park, 1930

Upon its formation in 1888, Bathurst was invited to become President of

Lydney Rugby Football Club Lydney Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Lydney, Gloucestershire. The club currently play in Regional 1 South West at the fifth tier of the English rugby union system following their promotion after the 2021-22 season. Histor ...

. He held this position for 70 years until his death and was succeeded as by his eldest son, Benjamin. The Australia – New Zealand

, and

Bledisloe Park Bledisloe Park is a cricket and football (soccer) ground in Pukekohe, Auckland Region, Auckland, New Zealand. It is named after Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe. Cricket The first recorded match held on the ground came in December 1950 w ...

sports ground in New Zealand, are named for Bledisloe.

Styles

*1867–1910: Charles Bathurst *1910–1914: Charles Bathurst, MP *1914–1917: Captain Charles Bathurst, MP *1917–24 October 1918: Captain Sir Charles Bathurst, KBE, MP *24 October 1918 – 1926:

The Right Honourable ''The Right Honourable'' (abbreviation: ''Rt Hon.'' or variations) is an honorific Style (form of address), style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire and the Commonwealth ...

The Lord Bledisloe, KBE *1926–1930: The Right Honourable The Lord Bledisloe, KBE, PC *1930-1 January 1935:

His Excellency Excellency is an honorific style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder usually retains the righ ...

The Right Honourable The Lord Bledisloe,

GCMG The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

, KBE, PC *1 January – 28 June 1935: The Right Honourable The Lord Bledisloe, GCMG, KBE, PC,

KStJ The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...

*28 June 1935 – 1958: The Right Honourable The

Viscount Bledisloe Viscount Bledisloe, of Lydney in the County of Gloucestershire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1935 for the Conservative politician Charles Bathurst, 1st Baron Bledisloe, upon his retirement as Governor-Gen ...

, GCMG, KBE, PC, KStJ

Arms

References

External links

*
Lydney Rugby Football Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bledisloe, Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount 1867 births 1958 deaths People educated at Cheam School People educated at Sherborne School People educated at Eton College Alumni of University College, Oxford Members of the Inner Temple Bathurst, Charles Bathurst, Charles Bathurst, Charles UK MPs who were granted peerages Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Governors-General of New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Knights of Grace of the Order of St John Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Charles New Zealand Freemasons Viscounts created by George V