Sir John Arthur Ransome Marriott (17 August 1859 – 6 June 1945) was a British educationist, historian, and
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 i ...
member of parliament (MP).
Marriott taught modern history at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
from 1884 to 1920. He was an Honorary fellow, formerly fellow, lecturer and tutor in modern History, of
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...
. He was the
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 i ...
MP for
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
from 1917 to 1922, and for
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
from 1923 to 1929. After defeat in 1929, he retired from active politics.
During the course of his lifetime, Marriott wrote more than forty books on British and European history, as well as current political subjects. He was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in 1924.
Early life
He was born in
Bowdon, Cheshire
Bowdon is a suburb and Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward in the Trafford, Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England.
History
Within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, histori ...
, the son of Francis Marriott, a solicitor from a family of small landowners, and his wife Elizabeth Ransome, daughter of the surgeon Joseph Atkinson Ransome. He was educated at
Repton School
Repton School is a 13–18 Mixed-sex education, co-educational, Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school in the English Public school (United Kingdom), public school tradition, in Repton, Derbyshire, ...
and
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...
, graduating in 1882 with a Second in Modern History.
As an undergraduate, he was an active member of the Canning Club, a Conservative society.
Educationist and historian
In 1883, Marriott became a lecturer in Modern History at New College, and soon after at
Worcester College
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...
, of which he became a Fellow in 1914.
In 1886, he was recruited by
M. E. Sadler as an Oxford University extension lecturer, to give lectures in towns across the country. He was a "natural platform orator... notable for characteristic gestures and the full sweep of his gown".
In 1895, he became secretary of the Extension delegacy, which he remained until 1920.
Marriott wrote prolifically, on modern English and European history, the British Empire, and on political institutions. His books, aimed at a non-specialist audience, benefitted from his experience as an extension lecturer.
Politician
Marriott had been politically active as an undergraduate, and in 1885 was adopted as the Conservative candidate for
East St Pancras, although he later withdrew. In 1886, he was selected for
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
but lost in the
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
to the defending Liberal,
Thomas Bayley Potter
Thomas Bayley Potter DL, JP (29 November 1817 – 6 November 1898) was an English merchant in Manchester and Liberal Party politician.
Early life
Born in Polefield, Lancashire, he was the second son of Sir Thomas Potter and his wife Esther ...
. He applied for selection as Conservative candidate for the
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
by-election in 1914, but was not successful.
In 1917, he was elected unopposed under the
war-time electoral pact
The war-time electoral pact was an electoral pact established by the member parties of the UK coalition governments in the First World War, and re-established in the Second World War. Under the pact, in the event of a by-election only the party whi ...
to represent
Oxford City
Oxford City Football Club is a semi-professional English association football club based in Marston, Oxford. They currently compete in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football, and play their home matches at Marsh Lane.
...
in
the by-election following the elevation to a UK peerage of
Lord Valentia. Re-elected in 1918 (in the so-called
Coupon Election
The 1918 United Kingdom general election was called immediately after the Armistice with Germany which ended the History of the United Kingdom during the First World War, First World War, and was held on Saturday, 14 December 1918. The governing ...
), he lost his seat in the
general election of 1922 to
Frank Gray
Francis Tierney Gray (born 27 October 1954) is a Scottish Association football, football manager (association football), manager and former player. He played for Leeds United F.C., Leeds United, Nottingham Forest F.C., Nottingham Forest, Sunde ...
, the Liberal.
Marriott returned to parliament in
1923 for
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, defending his seat successfully in the
1924 general election, but lost in
1929
This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...
to a Labour candidate,
Frederick George Burgess
Frederick George Burgess (16 July 1871 – 31 March 1951) was a British politician and trade unionist.
Burgess worked on the railways for many years and became active in the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and its successor, the Nation ...
.
Personal life
In 1891, Marriott married Henrietta Robinson, daughter of William Percy Robinson, warden of
Trinity College, Glenalmond
Glenalmond College is a co-educational independent boarding school in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, for children aged between 12 and 18 years. It is situated on the River Almond near the village of Methven, about west of the city of Perth. T ...
, and they had one daughter, Cicely, in 1892.
He died in
Llandrindod Wells
Llandrindod Wells (, ; cy, Llandrindod, /ɬanˈdɾindɔd/ "Trinity Parish"), sometimes known colloquially as Llandod, is a town and community in Powys, within the historic boundaries of Radnorshire, Wales. It serves as the seat of Powys ...
on 6 June 1945.
Works
''George Canning and his Times: A Political Study,''John Murray, 1903.
''The Life and Times of Lucius Cary, Viscount Falkland,''G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1907.
''The Remaking of Modern Europe from the Outbreak of the French Revolution to the Treaty of Berlin, 1789-1878,''Methuen & Co., 1910
st Pub. 1909
''Second Chambers: an Inductive Study in Political Science,''Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1910.
''English Political Institutions; an Introductory Study,''Oxford : The Clarendon Press, 1913.
''The French Revolution of 1848 in its Economic Aspect''2 Vol. Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1913.
''England Since Waterloo,''G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1916
st Pub. 1913
*
''English History in Shakspeare,''E.P. Dutton Company, 1918.
''Europe and Beyond,''E. P. Dutton & Company, 1921; ''Europe and beyond: a preliminary survey of world-politics 1870-1939'' (1951)
''Economics and Ethics: A Treatise on Wealth and Life,''Methuen & Co., 1923.
* ''Makers of Modern Italy: Napoleon-Mussolini,'' Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1931.
* ''The English in India: A Problem of Politics,'' 1932.
* ''Queen Victoria and her ministers'' (1933)
* ''The life of John Colet'' (1933)
* ''Oxford: its place in national history'' (1933)
* ''Modern England'' (1934) 4th ed 1948 published as ''Modern England: 1885-1945: A history of my own times''
* ''Castlereagh,'' 1936.
* ''Commonwealth or Anarchy?: A Survey of Projects of Peace, from the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Century,'' Oxford University Press, 1939
st Pub. 1937
* ''English History in English Fiction,'' Blackie & Son, 1940.
* ''The Tragedy of Europe,'' Blackie & Son, 1941.
* ''Anglo-Russian Relations, 1689-1943,'' Methuen & Co., 1944.
* ''Memories of Four Score Years: The Autobiography of the Late Sir John Marriott,'' Blackie & Son Limited, 1946.
* ''A history of Europe from 1815 to 1939'' (1948)
* ''The Evolution of Prussia The Making of an Empire'' Oxford University Press, 1915. Joint authorship with Sir Charles Grant Robertson
Articles
"The 'Right to Work',"''
The Nineteenth Century and After
''The Nineteenth Century'' was a British monthly literary magazine founded in 1877 by James Knowles. It is regarded by historians as 'one of the most important and distinguished monthlies of serious thought in the last quarter of the nineteenth ...
,'' Vol. LXIII, January/June 1908.
"Democracy, Diplomacy and War,"''
The Edinburgh Review
The ''Edinburgh Review'' is the title of four distinct intellectual and cultural magazines. The best known, longest-lasting, and most influential of the four was the third, which was published regularly from 1802 to 1929.
''Edinburgh Review'' ...
,'' Vol. CCXXII, N°. 454, October 1915.
"The Hellenic Factor in the Problem of the Near East,"''The Edinburgh Review,'' Vol. CCXXIII, N°. 445, January, 1916.
"The Foreign Policy of the United States,"''The Edinburgh Review,'' Vol. CCXXIX, N°. 468, April 1919.
"Swiss Democracy,"''The Edinburgh Review,'' Vol. CCXXXII, N°. 474, October 1920.
"The Party System and Parliamentary Government,"''The Edinburgh Review,'' Vol. CCXXXIV, N°. 478, October 1921.
* "Under-Garrisoned Dominions," ''The Living Age,'' December 1937.
See also
*
Charles Oman
Sir Charles William Chadwick Oman, (12 January 1860 – 23 June 1946) was a British Military history, military historian. His reconstructions of medieval battles from the fragmentary and distorted accounts left by chroniclers were pioneering. ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marriott, John
1859 births
1945 deaths
British historians
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Fellows of Worcester College, Oxford
Knights Bachelor
UK MPs 1910–1918
UK MPs 1918–1922
UK MPs 1923–1924
UK MPs 1924–1929
People from Altrincham
People educated at Repton School
Alumni of New College, Oxford