Matthew White Ridley, 1st Viscount Ridley, (25 July 1842 – 28 November 1904), known as Sir Matthew White Ridley, 5th Baronet, from 1877 to 1900, was a British

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

statesman. He notably 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 1895 to 1900.

Background and education

Ridley was born in London, the eldest son of Sir Matthew White Ridley, 4th Baronet, and his wife the Hon. Cecilia Anne, daughter of

James Parke, 1st Baron Wensleydale James Parke, 1st Baron Wensleydale PC (22 March 1782 – 25 February 1868) was a British barrister and judge. After an education at The King's School, Macclesfield and Trinity College, Cambridge he studied under a special pleader, before b ...

, and his wife Cecilia Arabella Frances Barlow. He was educated at Harrow and

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1865, he was a

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

of All Souls for nine years.

Political career

In 1868, he was elected Conservative Member of Parliament for Northumberland North, and held this seat until the 1885 general election, when he was defeated in his attempt to stand for the new seat of

Hexham Hexham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the south bank of the River Tyne, formed by the confluence of the North Tyne and the South Tyne at Warden nearby, and close to Hadrian's Wall. Hexham was the administra ...

. At the 1886 general election he contested

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

, again unsuccessfully, but returned to Parliament in an 1886 by-election at

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

. Having been

Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department This article lists past and present parliamentary under-secretaries of state serving the home secretary of the United Kingdom at the Home Office. Non-permanent and parliamentary under-secretaries, 1782–present *April 1782: Evan Nepean *Apri ...

for two years in Disraeli's administration, Sir Matthew Ridley (as he became when he succeeded his father as fifth baronet in 1877) was

Financial Secretary to the Treasury The Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a mid-level ministerial post in HM Treasury. It is nominally the fifth most significant ministerial role within the Treasury after the first lord of the Treasury, the chancellor of the Exchequer, the ch ...

in Lord Salisbury's interim government of 1885 to 1886. In 1895, after the fall of Lord Rosebery's ministry, and having already failed in April of that year to be elected Speaker of the House of Commons, Ridley became

, and held this post until his retirement in 1900. He was that same year created Viscount Ridley and Baron Wensleydale, of Blagdon and Blyth in the

County A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

Family

Lord Ridley married Mary Georgiana Marjoribanks (1850 – 14 March 1909), daughter of the 1st Baron Tweedmouth and his wife, Isabella Weir-Hogg, on 10 December 1873. They were parents to five children: *

Matthew White Ridley, 2nd Viscount Ridley Matthew White Ridley, 2nd Viscount Ridley, (6 December 1874 – 14 February 1916) was a British peer and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician. His political career was most noted for his support of Tariff Reform League, Tariff Refor ...

(6 December 1874 – 14 February 1916) * Cecilia Marjorie Ridley (1879 – 16 August 1896) * Hon. Stella Ridley (18 December 1884 – 8 June 1973), married Rupert Gwynne * Hon. Sir Jasper Nicholas Ridley (6 January 1887 – 1 October 1951), married Countess Nathalie Louise von Benckendorff. He was a

Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

. * Hon. Grace Ridley (16 February 1889 – 22 September 1959), married The 3rd Earl of Selborne. Lord Ridley died aged 62 at his Blagdon Hall home in

, and was buried there.

References

External links

*
History of the Ridley estate – Blagdon Estate
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridley, Matthew White Ridley, 1st Viscount 1842 births 1904 deaths People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Politicians from London Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Deputy lieutenants of Northumberland Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Secretaries of State for the Home Department UK MPs 1868–1874 UK MPs 1874–1880 UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1886–1892 UK MPs 1892–1895 UK MPs 1895–1900 UK MPs who were granted peerages Matthew North Eastern Railway (United Kingdom) people Peers of the United Kingdom created by Queen Victoria