Sir Charles John Wingfield (16 April 1820 – 27 January 1892) was a British civil servant and politician. He had a distinguished career with the

Bengal Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 300 million p ...

, was later elected as the first Member of Parliament for the United Kingdom's Parliament constituency of Gravesend.

Early years

Wingfield was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

and Haileybury. Wingfield's father, William Wingfield (1772–1858), was a

Master in Chancery The Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid a slow pace of change and possible harshness (or "inequity") of the common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equ ...

and served as a member of parliament for

Bodmin Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor. The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordere ...

in 1806. William changed his surname to Wingfield-Baker in 1849 by Royal licensure after his inheritance of

Orsett Hall Orsett Hall was a 17th-century Grade II listed building in Orsett, Essex (de-listed on 10 March 2008). It was set in of parkland and was the centre of the Orsett Hall agricultural estate. The house was destroyed by fire on 11 May 2007 and rebuilt ...

in Essex. Several of William's children changed their surname as well. From William's first marriage to Lady Charlotte-Maria (died 1807), eldest daughter of

Henry Digby, 1st Earl Digby Henry Digby, 1st Earl Digby (21 July 1731 – 25 September 1793) was a British peer and Member of Parliament. Early life Digby was the younger son of Charlotte Fox and Hon. Edward Digby, a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire from 1726 to 1746 ...

, Wingfield had several older half siblings including: George-Digby, John-Digby, Mary, Caroline, Frances-Eliza, and Richard Baker Wingfield-Baker, a member of parliament for South Essex. By his father's marriage to Wingfield's mother, Elizabeth Mills, Wingfield had several additional siblings, including: William-Wriothesley-Digby, Frederick, Henry, Kenelm-Digby, Julia, and Lucy.

Career

Wingfield served in the Bengal Civil Service from 1840 to 1866. He was a proponent of Charles Canning's clemency policy during the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

. While in the BCS, he held several offices including Commissioner of

Gorakhpur Gorakhpur is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, along the banks of the Rapti river in the Purvanchal region. It is situated 272 kilometers east of the state capital Lucknow. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur dist ...

, which is the post he held when appointed

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

on 18 May 1860, and Vice-Chairman of the

East India Association The East India Association (EIA) was a London-based organisation for matters concerning India. Its members were Indians and retired British officials. About the Society The East India Association was founded by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1866. The first ...

's Council. From 15 February 1859 to 20 April 1860, he was the

Chief Commissioner A chief commissioner is a commissioner of a high rank, usually in chief of several commissioners or similarly styled officers. Colonial In British India the gubernatorial style was chief commissioner in various (not all) provinces (often after be ...

of Oude. On 24 May 1866, he was appointed

Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes: # Knight Grand Commander (GCSI) # Knight Commander ( KCSI) # Companion ( CSI) No appointments ...

. A

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

, Wingfield was elected to Parliament over

Bedford Pim Bedford Clapperton Trevelyan Pim (12 June 1826 – 30 September 1886) was a Royal Navy officer, Arctic explorer, barrister, and author. He was the first man who travelled from a ship on the eastern side of the Northwest Passage to one on t ...

, serving served during the period of 18 November 1868 to 5 February 1874 when Wingfield was unseated by Pim.

Personal life

Wingfield never married. His residence was located first at 12 Albert Mansions,

Victoria Street, London Victoria is an area of Central London in the City of Westminster. It is named after Victoria Station, which is a major transport hub. The station was named after the nearby Victoria Street. The name is used to describe streets adjoining or n ...

, and at the time of his death on 27 January 1892 at 66

Portland Place Portland Place is a street in the Marylebone district of central London. Named after the Third Duke of Portland, the unusually wide street is home to BBC Broadcasting House, the Chinese and Polish embassies, the Royal Institute of British A ...

, London. In his will ( proved on 4 March 1892), Wingfield bequeathed money to at least two charities, including the London and the National Dental Hospitals.

Legacy

The Wingfield Park, named in his honour, is half a mile south of

Sikandar Bagh Sikandar Bagh ( hi, सिकन्दर बाग़, ur, سِکندر باغ), formerly known by the British as Sikunder/Sikandra/Secundra Bagh, is a villa and garden enclosed by a fortified wall, with loopholes, gateway and corner bastions, ...

Lucknow Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...

, Uttar Pradesh, India.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wingfield, Charles John 1820 births 1892 deaths Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1868–1874 Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of India Companions of the Order of the Bath Indian Civil Service (British India) officers People educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College People educated at Westminster School, London