Arthur Oliver Villiers Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill (19 February 1869 – 7 July 1935) was a British peer,

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is ...

, and civil servant. He served as

Governor of Madras This is a list of the governors, agents, and presidents of colonial Madras, initially of the English East India Company, up to the end of British colonial rule in 1947. English Agents In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized b ...

from October 1900 to February 1906, and as acting

Viceroy of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...

from April to December 1904. Russell served as the Assistant Private Secretary to

Joseph Chamberlain Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually served as a leading imperialist in coalition with the C ...

from 1895 -1897, and as Private Secretary to the same from 1897 to 1900, when he was appointed Governor of Madras. Russell also served as the Viceroy of India from April 1904 to December 1904, when

Lord Curzon George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), styled Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and then Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a British Conservative statesman ...

periodically returned to England.

Early life

Arthur Oliver Villiers Russell was born on 19 February 1869 in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. He was the eldest son of the 1st Baron Ampthill, and Lady Emily Theresa (née Villiers), who was Lady of the Bedchamber to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

and daughter of the 4th

Earl of Clarendon Earl of Clarendon is a title that has been created twice in British history, in 1661 and 1776. The family seat is Holywell House, near Swanmore, Hampshire. First creation of the title The title was created for the first time in the Peera ...

. Russell succeeded to the barony of Ampthill at the age of 15 on the death of his father. He was educated at Chignell's,

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

, 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 ...

, from which he graduated in 1892 with a third-class honours in modern history. His entry in ''Vanity Fair'' noted of him: New College garden front Oxford England

Politics

In 1895, Russell was appointed Assistant Secretary to the Colonial Secretary,

: in 1897, he was promoted to Private Secretary, but did not continue in this position as a consequence of his sympathy with the natives of South- and East- Africa, and of India. During the First World War, Lord Ampthill commanded a battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment, and two battalions of the Bedfordshire Regiment in France.

Governor of Madras

Russell was appointed Governor of the Madras Presidency on 5September 1900, when he was aged 31 years. He served in this position from 1900 to 1906: his tenure was almost contemporaneous with Lord Curzon's Viceregality. As Governor of Madras, Ampthill he inaugurated the King Institute in Madras; the

Rangaraya Medical College Rangaraya Medical College is a Government Medical College in Andhra Pradesh. It was established in 1958 and is in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is affiliated to Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences. History Dr. Datla Satyanarayana Ra ...

Cocanada Kakinada ( formerly called Kakinandiwada, Coringa, and Cocanada; ) is the sixth largest city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the district headquarters of the Kakinada District. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. J. ...

, on 4 December 1903; and the

Cochin State Forest Tramway The Cochin State Forest Tramway was a cable railway line that ran from the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in Palakkad District to the town of Chalakudy in Thrissur District in India. Operating from 1907 to 1963, it served the State of Coc ...

, the latter on 3October 1905. During Russell's tenure, sympathy for the

Oriya Movement Oriya (also spelled Odia) may refer to: * Odia people in India * Odia language, an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family * Odia script, a writing system used for the Oriya language ** Oriya (Unicod ...

for the creation of a separate province of Orissa increased: Russell opposed the demands for the separation of the Oriya-speaking tracts of Vizagapatam and Ganjam districts from Madras.

Viceroy of India

When Lord Curzon's tenure came to an end in 1904, Russell was chosen to act as the Viceroy of India until the appointment of a new Viceroy. Russell served from April to December 1904 as Viceroy of India. During his tenure, the proponents of a separate province of Orissa submitted a petition to this effect to Russell. However, Russell rejected all demands to create a separate province of Orissa and include areas from Madras Presidency in it. As Viceroy, Russell was loyal to Curzon and successfully countered the efforts of

St John Brodrick, 1st Earl of Midleton William St John Fremantle Brodrick, 1st Earl of Midleton, KP, PC, DL (14 December 185613 February 1942), styled as St John Brodrick until 1907 and as Viscount Midleton between 1907 and 1920, was a British Conservative and Irish Unionist Alli ...

, the

Secretary of State for India His (or Her) Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for India, known for short as the India Secretary or the Indian Secretary, was the British Cabinet minister and the political head of the India Office responsible for the governance of th ...

, who wanted to introduce anti-Curzon policies. However, he was unsuccessful against Lord Kitchener, who tightened his stranglehold over the military department.

Later life

On returning to England in 1906, Russell took up the cause of Indians in South Africa. He chaired an advisory committee on Indian students in the United Kingdom but disagreed with the

John Morley John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn, (24 December 1838 – 23 September 1923) was a British Liberal statesman, writer and newspaper editor. Initially, a journalist in the North of England and then editor of the newly Liberal-leani ...

on the issue of constitutional reforms. In 1909, Russell wrote an introduction to Joseph Doke's book ''M. K. Gandhi: an Indian Patriot in South Africa''. On 13July 1909, Lord Ampthill was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

. He then went on to fight in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, during which he was twice

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

, and was one of the co-founders of the National Party in 1917. He retired from the service in 1926 with the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. Lord Ampthill was President of The Magic Circle.

Death

Lord Ampthill died of pneumonia 7July 1935, a day before Nickalls, prompting the following anonymous epigram among the various tributes in ''The Times'':

''Oarsmen they lived, and silver goblets mark''
''The well-timed prowess of their trusty blades:''
''In death their rhythm kept, they now embark''
''To row their long last course among the Shades''

Family

On 6 October 1894, Ampthill married Lady Margaret Lygon, the daughter of the 6th Earl Beauchamp in

Madresfield Madresfield is a village and civil parish in the administrative district of Malvern Hills in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is located about two miles east of Malvern town centre at the foot of the Malvern Hills and is less than two ...

, Worcestershire, and they had five children: *

John Russell, 3rd Baron Ampthill Captain John Hugo Russell, 3rd Baron Ampthill, CBE (4 October 1896 – 3 June 1973) was a British peer who served in the Royal Navy in both the First and Second World Wars. He was the son of Oliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill. He succeeded to the ...

(1896–1973) * Adm Sir Guy Russell (1898–1977) * Phyllis Margaret Russell, OBE (3 June 1900 – c. 24 May 1998) * Wg Cdr Edward Wriothesley Curzon Russell, OBE (2 June 1901 – 1982). * Brig Leopold Oliver Russell, CBE, TD (26 January 1907 – 1988) He was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son, John Russell.

Rowing

Lord Ampthill started rowing at Eton. His record of rowing was one of the longest of his time at Eton and he first had an oar in the Dreadnought on 1 March 1885, going on to be Captain of the Boats in 1887 and 1888. Whilst at New College, Oxford Ampthill rowed 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 ...

three times against

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

the Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. There are separate men's ...

(1889 to 1891), winning twice. He was president of both

OUBC Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) is the rowing club for male, heavyweight oarsman of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century. The Boat Race The club races agai ...

and the

Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest ...

in 1891. After Oxford, he rowed for

Leander Club Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world, and the oldest non-academic club. It is based in Remenham in Berkshire, England and adjoins Henley-on-Thames. Only three other surviving clubs were founded prior to ...

for a short while then moved to

London Rowing Club London Rowing Club (LRC, or colloquially, 'London') is the second-oldest of the non-academic active rowing clubs on the Thames in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1856 by members of the long-disbanded Argonauts Club wishing to compete at ...

, becoming club president in 1893, a position he remained in for almost 40 years until his death in 1935. Ampthill raced in the

Ladies' Challenge Plate The Ladies' Challenge Plate is one of the events at Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. Crews of men's eight-oared boats below the standard of the Grand Challenge Cup can enter, although international standard ...

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thre ...

for Eton in 1886, 1887 and 1888. In 1889 he raced both the

Grand Challenge Cup The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and best-known event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing ...

and the

Silver Goblets The Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless pairs at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing club A rowing club ...

, losing in the final of the latter by 2-foot to

CUBC The Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) is the rowing club of the University of Cambridge, England. The club was founded in 1828 and has been located at the Goldie Boathouse on the River Cam, Cambridge since 1882. Nowadays, training primarily ...

in a race which the Henley records for the year describe as "One of the best and closest races ever seen" . In 1890 he again competed in both events, this time racing under New College colours, and collected his first Henley medal, rowing with

Guy Nickalls Guy Nickalls (13 November 1866 – 8 July 1935) was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics as a member of the British eight that won gold, won 22 events at Henley Royal Regatta and won the Wingfield Sculls three times. Ear ...

in the Goblets. In 1891, racing this time as Leander, Lord Ampthill was in the crew which won the

, setting a new course record. He also repeated his Goblets win, again with Guy Nickalls. Lord Ampthill was elected a Steward of Henley Royal Regatta in 1896, a role he performed until 1900 then again from 1910 until 1927.

Henley wins

*1890 –

(rowing as New College Oxford, with Guy Nickalls) *1891 –

(rowing as Leander Club) *1891 –

(rowing as Leander Club, with Guy Nickalls)

International Olympic Committee

Between 1894 and 1898, Lord Ampthill was a member of the original

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

Freemasonry

Ampthill was initiated into

Apollo University Lodge Apollo University Lodge No 357 is a Masonic Lodge based at the University of Oxford aimed at past and present members of the university. It was consecrated in 1819, and its members have met continuously since then. University of Oxford Membershi ...

No. 357, Oxford, in 1890. He went on to take the chair in several lodges, including Bard of Avon Lodge No. 778, Hampton Court; Royal Alpha Lodge No. 16, London; and Grand Master's Lodge No. 1, London. He was appointed Provincial Grand Master of Bedfordshire in 1900 and as District Grand Master of Madras from 1901 to 1906. He served as

Pro Grand Master A Grand Master is a title of honour as well as an office in Freemasonry, given to a freemason elected to oversee a Masonic jurisdiction, derived from the office of Grand Masters in chivalric orders. He presides over a Grand Lodge and has certa ...

United Grand Lodge of England The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the governing Masonic lodge for the majority of freemasons in England, Wales and the Commonwealth of Nations. Claiming descent from the Masonic grand lodge formed 24 June 1717 at the Goose & Gridiron ...

from 1908 until his death in 1935. Lodge Ampthill No.3682 was consecrated in his name in 1914, and continues to meet in

Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...

, India, under the District Grand Lodge of Madras of

. Its celebrated its Centenary year in 2014.

Honours

After his appointment as Governor of Madras, Russell was appointed a

Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1878. The Order includes members of three classes: #Knight Grand Commander (GCIE) #Knight Commander ( KCIE) #Companion ( CIE) No appoi ...

(GCIE) on 28 December 1900, shortly before his departure for India. He was later appointed a Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India (GCSI) on 2 September 1904.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * The ''London Gazette'' * ''The New York Times'', 2 December 1906, p. 1

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ampthill, Oliver Russell, 2nd Baron Alumni of New College, Oxford English male rowers British male rowers 2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment officers Royal Leicestershire Regiment officers British Army personnel of World War I Deputy Lieutenants of Bedfordshire Governors of Madras Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire 1869 births 1935 deaths Russell, Oliver O International Olympic Committee members Ampthill Members of Leander Club Oxford University Boat Club rowers Freemasons of the United Grand Lodge of England Presidents of the Oxford Union Eldest sons of British hereditary barons