Anthony Evelyn Melbourne Ashley (24 July 1836 – 16 November 1907) was British barrister and

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 ...

politician. He was private secretary to

Lord Palmerston Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865) was a British statesman who was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century. Palmerston dominated British foreign policy during the period ...

and later published a biography of him. After entering Parliament at a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

in 1864, Ashley served under

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade in the United Kingdom was a member of Parliament assigned to assist the Board of Trade and its President with administration and liaison with Parliament. It replaced the Vice-President of the Board o ...

from 1880 to 1882 and as

Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and, from 1948, also to a Minister of State. Under-Secretaries of State for the Col ...

from 1882 to 1885.

Background and education

Ashley was the third child and second son of

Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury (28 April 1801 – 1 October 1885), styled Lord Ashley from 1811 to 1851, was a British Tory politician, philanthropist, and social reformer. He was the eldest son of The 6th Earl of Shaftesbury ...

and Lady Emily Cowper, eldest daughter of Peter Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper and sister of

William Cowper-Temple, 1st Baron Mount Temple William Francis Cowper-Temple, 1st Baron Mount Temple, PC (13 December 1811 – 16 October 1888), known as William Cowper (pronounced "Cooper") before 1869 and as William Cowper-Temple between 1869 and 1880, was a British Liberal statesman. B ...

. He was educated at Harrow and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

. On William Cowper-Temple's death in 1888, he inherited a 10,000 acre estate on the

Mullaghmore Peninsula The Mullaghmore Peninsula (), also referred to as Mullaghmore Head, is a small peninsula in the north of County Sligo, Ireland. The coastal village of Mullaghmore is the peninsula's sole settlement. The village has 136 year-round residents accord ...

in Sligo, around

Classiebawn Castle Classiebawn Castle is a country house built for The 3rd Viscount Palmerston (1784–1865) on what was formerly a estate on the Mullaghmore Peninsula near the village of Cliffoney, County Sligo, in the Republic of Ireland. The current castle wa ...

. He would spend part of every year there.

Legal and political career

Ashley was private secretary to

from 1858 to 1865 and worked as a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

on the

Oxford Circuit The courts of assize, or assizes (), were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes ex ...

from 1865 to 1874. He sat as Liberal Member of Parliament for

Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...

from

1874 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx. * January 2 – Ignacio María González becomes head of state of the Dominican Republic for the first time. * January 3 – Third Carlist War &ndas ...

to 1880 and for

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

from 1880 to 1885 and served under

from 1880 to 1882 and as

from 1882 to 1885. He was also an Ecclesiastical and Church Estates Commissioner from 1880 to 1885, a

Verderer Verderers are forestry officials in England who deal with common land in certain former royal hunting areas which are the property of the Crown. The office was developed in the Middle Ages to administer forest law on behalf of the King. Verderers ...

of the

New Forest The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, featu ...

and

High Sheriff of Sligo The High Sheriff of Sligo was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Sligo, Ireland, from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Sligo County Sheriff. The sheri ...

in 1889. In 1891 he was sworn of the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

. His publications include the ''Life of Lord Palmerston''. He later stood unsuccessfully for the Liberal Unionist Party in the Glasgow Bridgeton by-election in 1887 and

1888 Ayr Burghs by-election The 1888 Ayr Burghs by-election was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Ayr Burghs (UK Parliament constituency), Ayr Burghs on 15 June 1888. The seat had become vacant when the sitting Liberal Unionis ...

Family

Ashley married Sybella Charlotte Farquhar, daughter of Sir Walter Farquhar, 3rd Baronet, on 28 July 1866. They had two children: * Wilfred William Ashley, later

Baron Mount Temple Baron Mount Temple was a title that was created twice in British history, both times in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came on 25 May 1880 when the Liberal politician the Honourable William Cowper-Temple was made Baron M ...

(13 September 1867 – 3 July 1939) *Lillian Blanche Georgiana Ashley (27 June 1875 – 14 September 1939), married

Hercules Pakenham Colonel Hercules Arthur Pakenham (17 February 1863 – 28 March 1937) was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland. A member of the Pakenham family headed by the Earl of Longford, he was the eldest son of Lieutenant-General Thomas Pakenh ...

. Following Sybella's death on 31 August 1886 he married Lady Alice Cole, daughter of

William Cole, 3rd Earl of Enniskillen William Willoughby Cole, 3rd Earl of Enniskillen, FRS (25 January 180712 November 1886) styled by the courtesy title Viscount Cole until 1840, was an Irish palaeontologist and Conservative Member of Parliament. He also served as the first Impe ...

on 30 June 1891. Ashley died in November 1907, aged 71. Lady Alice Ashley died on 25 August 1931 They had one son: Anthony Henry Evelyn Ashley (1895 - 14 January 1921) - Educated Harrow School, Magd College and Captain 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards - Died of wounds received in action in 1916≠

References

5. ≠Harrow Register 1885 -1949 - term 1907/3

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ashley, Evelyn 1836 births 1907 deaths People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Younger sons of earls English biographers Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1874–1880 UK MPs 1880–1885 Members of Parliament for the Isle of Wight

Evelyn Evelyn may refer to: Places * Evelyn, London *Evelyn Gardens, a garden square in London * Evelyn, Ontario, Canada * Evelyn, Michigan, United States * Evelyn, Texas, United States * Evelyn, Wirt County, West Virginia, United States * Evelyn ...

Liberal Unionist Party parliamentary candidates Parliamentary Secretaries to the Board of Trade Church Estates Commissioners