John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley (7 January 18268 April 1902), known as The Lord Wodehouse from 1846 to 1866, was a British

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 held office in every Liberal administration from 1852 to 1895, notably as Secretary of State for the Colonies and as Foreign Secretary.

Early life and education

Kimberley was born in 1826 in

Wymondham Wymondham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the South Norfolk district of Norfolk, England, south-west of Norwich off the A11 road to London. The River Tiffey runs through. The parish, one of Norfolk's largest, includes rural areas to ...

, Norfolk, the eldest son of the Hon. Henry Wodehouse (1799–1834) and grandson of

John Wodehouse, 2nd Baron Wodehouse John Wodehouse, 2nd Baron Wodehouse (11 January 1771 – 31 May 1846), styled The Honourable John Wodehouse from 1797 to 1834, was a British peer and Member of Parliament. Background Wodehouse was the eldest son of John Wodehouse, 1st Baron Wod ...

.. His mother was Anne Gurdon (d. 1880), daughter of Theophilus Thornhagh Gurdon. In 1846 he succeeded his grandfather as third Baron Wodehouse. He was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

and Christ Church, Oxford, where he took a first-class degree in classics in 1847.

Early career (1852–1874)

He was by inheritance a Liberal in politics, and in 1852–1856 and 1859–1861 he was

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs is a vacant junior position in the British government, subordinate to both the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and since 1945 also to the Minister of State for Foreign Affai ...

in Lord Aberdeen's and Lord Palmerston's ministries. In the interval (1856–1858) he had been envoy-extraordinary to Russia; and in 1863 he was sent on a special mission to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

in the hope of finding a solution to the

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...

question. However, the mission was a failure. In 1864 Kimberley became

Under-Secretary of State for India This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the British India, period of British rule be ...

, but towards the end of the year was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. In that capacity, he had to grapple with the first manifestations of

Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicated ...

ism, and in recognition of his services, he was created

Earl of Kimberley Earl of Kimberley, of Kimberley in the County of Norfolk, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1866 for the prominent Liberal politician John Wodehouse, 3rd Baron Wodehouse. During his long political career, he n ...

in 1866. In July 1866 he vacated his office with the fall of Lord Russell's ministry, but in 1868 he became Lord Privy Seal in Gladstone's cabinet, and in July 1870 was transferred from that post to be Secretary of State for the Colonies. It was the moment of the great diamond discoveries in southern Africa, and the town of Kimberley in the

Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with t ...

was named after him. Lord Kimberley has been credited with the change in British policy towards the independent Malay states that led to the signing of the

Pangkor Treaty of 1874 The Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was a treaty signed between Great Britain and the Sultan of Perak on 20 January 1874, on the Colonial Steamer Pluto, off the coast of Perak. The treaty is significant in the history of the Malay states as it legitimis ...

, after which British political agents known as Residents were placed in the Malay states as advisors to the rulers.

Later career (1875–1902)

After an interval in opposition from 1874 to 1880, Lord Kimberley returned to the Colonial Office in Gladstone's next ministry. He was in that office when responsible government was granted to

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

was added to the Dominion of Canada and during the

First Boer War The First Boer War ( af, Eerste Vryheidsoorlog, literally "First Freedom War"), 1880–1881, also known as the First Anglo–Boer War, the Transvaal War or the Transvaal Rebellion, was fought from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881 betwee ...

. At the end of 1882 he exchanged this office first for that of

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a ministerial office in the Government of the United Kingdom. The position is the second highest ranking minister in the Cabinet Office, immediately after the Prime Minister, and senior to the Minist ...

and then for the secretaryship of state for India, a post he retained during the remainder of Gladstone's tenure of power (1882–1885, 1886, 1892–1894), though in 1892–1894 he combined with it that of the lord presidency of the council. In Lord Rosebery's cabinet (1894–1895) he was Foreign Secretary. During this time he signed the landmark

Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Commerce and Navigation The signed by Britain and Japan, on 16 July 1894, was a breakthrough agreement; it heralded the end of the unequal treaties and the system of extraterritoriality in Japan. The treaty came into force on 17 July 1899. From that date British subje ...

Sir Edward Grey Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, (25 April 1862 – 7 September 1933), better known as Sir Edward Grey, was a British Liberal statesman and the main force behind British foreign policy in the era of the First World War. An adhe ...

who served as

Parliamentary Under-Secretary Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (or just Parliamentary Secretary, particularly in departments not led by a Secretary of State) is the lowest of three tiers of government minister in the UK government, immediately junior to a Minister o ...

under Kimberley at the Foreign Office portrays him unfavourably as prolix and prone to irrelevant digressions in conversation although ''concise, definite and clear'' on paper. However, according to the

Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is a 29-volume reference work, an edition of the '' Encyclopædia Britannica''. It was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. S ...

, "As leader of the Liberal party in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

he acted with undeviating dignity, and in opposition, he was a courteous antagonist and a critic of weight and experience".

Other public positions

On 5 April 1850, he joined the

Canterbury Association The Canterbury Association was formed in 1848 in England by members of parliament, peers, and Anglican church leaders, to establish a colony in New Zealand. The settlement was to be called Canterbury, with its capital to be known as Christchurch ...

, formed to establish a colony (in the later

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

region) on the South Island of New Zealand. Lord Kimberley took interest in education, and after being for many years a member of the senate of the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

, he became its chancellor in 1899.

Family

Lord Kimberley married Lady Florence FitzGibbon (d. 1895), daughter of

Richard FitzGibbon, 3rd Earl of Clare Richard Hobart FitzGibbon, 3rd Earl of Clare (2 October 1793 – 10 January 1864) was an Anglo-Irish politician and noble. Born at Mountshannon House in County Limerick, FitzGibbon was educated at Harrow School. He joined the British Army, a ...

, on 16 August 1847. They had three children: *

John Wodehouse, 2nd Earl of Kimberley John Wodehouse, 2nd Earl of Kimberley (10 December 1848 - 7 January 1932), known as Lord Wodehouse from 1866 to 1902, was a British peer and landowner, who was the first member of the Labour Party in the House of Lords. Wodehouse was born at the ...

(10 Dec 1848 – 7 Jan 1932) *Lady Alice Wodehouse (17 Dec 1850 – 8 Jan 1937) married Hussey Packe, son of

George Hussey Packe George Hussey Packe (1 May 1796 – 2 July 1874) was a United Kingdom Member of Parliament, an army officer present at the Battle of Waterloo, and was instrumental in establishing the Great Northern Railway. Personal life George Hussey Packe w ...

on 14 August 1872. They had two children, Sir Edward, and Florence the wife of Lt.-Col. Cuthbert James. * Hon. Armine Wodehouse (24 Sep 1860 – 1 May 1901) He died at 35 Lowndes Square in London (now the High Commission of Pakistan) on 8 April 1902, aged 76, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son, John. His more distant relations include the writer

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

Ancestry

Memorials

The following places were named after the 1st Earl of Kimberley: * the Kimberley region of Western Australia; * Kimberley, a town in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

and; * Kimberley, New Zealand, a hamlet of in the

Selwyn District Selwyn District is a predominantly rural district in central Canterbury, on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is named after the Selwyn River / Waikirikiri, which is in turn named after Bishop George Selwyn, the first Anglican bis ...

. *

Kimberley Road Kimberley Road () is a road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Location Starting at Nathan Road in the west, it runs eastwards until Observatory Road and continues northeastwards. The Road runs parallel to and north of Kimberley Street, Came ...

and

Kimberley Street Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia * Kimberley (Western Australia) ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley * Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania * Kimberley, Tasmania a small town * County of Kimberley, a c ...

in Hong Kong * Kimberley Street, George Town, Penang,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

* Kimberley Park,

Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth ( ; kw, Aberfala) is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,797 (2011 census). Etymology The name Falmouth is of English ...

* County of Kimberley, a cadastral unit in South Australia.

Notes

References

* * Burke and Burke (1847)
''A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland''
volume 1 (London: Henry Colburn). * Burke, J.B. (1858)

(London: Harrison). * Hunter, J. and Clay, J.W. (ed.) (1895)
''Familiae Minorum Gentium''
volume 3. (London: Harleian Society). * Cokayne, G.E. (1892)
''Complete Peerage''
1st edition, volume 4 (London: George Bell and Sons; Exeter: William Pollard & Co.) * Collins, A. (1779). ooks.google.co.uk/books?id=zfk-AQAAMAAJ ''The Peerage of England'' 5th edition, volume 6. * Crisp, F.A. (1911)
''Visitation of England and Wales: Notes''
volume 9 (printed privately). * Wright, T. (1836)
''The History and Topography of the County of Essex''
volume 1. * Wroth, W.W. (1895). "Norris, John (1754-1777)", ''Dictionary of National Biography'', volume 41. Attribution: *

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kimberley, John Wodehouse, 1st Earl Of 1826 births 1902 deaths British Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs Lords Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Presidents of the Council Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Lords Privy Seal Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster Liberal Party (UK) hereditary peers Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Chancellors of the University of London Deputy Lieutenants of Norfolk Knights of the Garter 11 Diplomatic peers John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Russia People from Wymondham John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Denmark Members of the Canterbury Association Secretaries of State for India Secretaries of State for the Colonies Leaders of the House of Lords Peers of the United Kingdom created by Queen Victoria People educated at Eton College