Charles Thomson Ritchie, 1st Baron Ritchie of Dundee, (19 November 1838 – 9 January 1906) was a Scottish businessman and

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politician who sat in the

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from 1874 until 1905 when he was raised to the

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. He served as

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...

from 1900 to 1902 and as

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from 1902 to 1903.

Background and education

Ritchie was born at

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

, Scotland, the third son of Elizabeth (née Thomson), daughter of James Thomson, and William Ritchie, of Rockhill near

Broughty Ferry Broughty Ferry (; ; ) is a suburb of Dundee, in Scotland. It is situated four miles east of the City Centre, Dundee, city centre on the north bank of the Firth of Tay. The area was a separate burgh from 1864 until 1913, when it was incorporated ...

Forfarshire Angus (; ) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross. Main industries include agriculture and fishing. Global pharmaceuticals ...

. His father was head of the firm of William Ritchie & Sons, of London and Dundee, East India merchants, jute spinners and manufacturers. The Ritchie family had long been connected with the town of Dundee. His elder brother James Thomson Ritchie was

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from 1903 to 1904 and was created a Baronet in 1903 (a title which became extinct on his death). Ritchie was educated at the

City of London School The City of London School, also known as CLS and City, is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private day school for Single-sex education, boys in the City of London, England, on the banks of the River Thames next to the Millennium Bridge, ...

, after which he went into the family business. On 7 December 1858, he married Margaret Ower, daughter of Thomas Ower of Perth with whom he had three sons and seven daughters.

Political career

In 1874, he was returned to parliament as

member for the

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. In 1885, he was made secretary to the Admiralty, and from 1886 to 1892 was

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in Lord Salisbury's second administration, sitting as member for St George in the East. He was responsible for the

Local Government Act 1888 The Local Government Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict. c. 41) was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales. It came into effect ...

, instituting county councils; and a large section of the Conservative party always owed him a grudge for having originated the

London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...

. In Lord Salisbury's later ministries, as member for

Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...

(1895–1906), he was

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(1895–1900) and

(1900–1902); and when Sir Michael Hicks-Beach retired in August 1902, he became

in Balfour's cabinet. In his earlier years he had been a fair-trader and he was strongly opposed to Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain's movement for a preferential tariff, leading to his sacking by Balfour in September 1903. Ritchie's son in law, the Scottish architect Mervyn Macartney, built a country house for Ritchie, Welders House, in the Buckinghamshire village of Jordans. On 22 December 1905, he was created a peer as Baron Ritchie of Dundee, of Welders in the Parish of Chalfont St Giles in the County of Buckingham. However, he was in ill-health, and died at

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, France in January 1906. He is buried at

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of North Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in P ...

, London. He was succeeded in the title by his second son, Charles. Ritchie was elected as Rector of the University of Aberdeen in late October 1902, taking up the position the following month, serving for three years until November 1905.

Arms

Notes

References

* Attribution: *

External links

* * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Ritchie of Dundee, Charles Ritchie, 1st Baron 1838 births 1906 deaths People from Broughty Ferry Politicians from Dundee Nobility from Dundee Chancellors of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom Secretaries of State for the Home Department Ritchie, Charles Ritchie, Charles Ritchie, Charles Ritchie, Charles Ritchie, Charles Ritchie, Charles Ritchie, Charles UK MPs who were granted peerages Politics of the London Borough of Croydon People educated at the City of London School Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Rectors of the University of Aberdeen Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Progressive Party (London) politicians Members of London County Council Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Presidents of the Board of Trade Peers created by Edward VII