Ralph Anstruther Earle (1835 – 10 June 1879) was a British

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

politician.

Early career

He came from a well-known

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family with a Whig background, and was educated at Harrow, before joining the British

Foreign Service Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtains diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to o ...

. While working as an attaché at the embassy in

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, from 1857 he supplied Benjamin Disraeli, who was leading the

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in the

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, with secret diplomatic information to use against the government of

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 ...

Political activity

Probably hoping Disraeli would become Foreign Secretary on a change of government, he became the politician's private secretary. Disraeli in fact became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1858, and Earle served as his secretary for eight years. Disraeli sent him to Paris in 1858, on a confidential mission to the Emperor

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

, without consulting the Foreign Secretary,

Malmesbury Malmesbury () is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately west of Swindon, northeast of Bristol, and north of Chippenham. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the upp ...

, in an unsuccessful attempt to influence events in

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. Earle was elected at the 1859 general election as a

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(MP) for

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, but

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from the House of Commons the same year, taking the

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on 12 August 1859, under a bargain with his electoral opponent. He returned to

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at the 1865 general election, when he was elected as one of the two MPs for

Maldon Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea Salt which is produced ...

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. After a further spell in opposition, he accepted the post of Parliamentary Secretary to the

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when the Conservatives returned to office in 1866, and Disraeli ceased using him as his confidant. In 1867 he rebelled against the government over the

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and resigned. He did not stand for the Commons again when Maldon's representation was reduced to one seat at the 1868 general election.

Later life

Having left Parliament, he became agent for Baron Hirsch in his Turkish railway negotiations, earning £10,000 in commission (worth some £1.2 million today). He was said to be the writer of articles in 1878 attacking Disraeli in the ''

Fortnightly Review ''The Fortnightly Review'' was one of the most prominent and influential magazines in nineteenth-century England. It was founded in 1865 by Anthony Trollope, Frederic Harrison, Edward Spencer Beesly, and six others with an investment of £9,000 ...

'', though he denied this. When he died the next year, aged 44, he left some £40,000.

Earle family

Many of his relatives were slave traders, they include William Earle, Thomas Earle and

Hardman Earle Sir Hardman Earle, 1st Baronet (11 July 1792 – 25 January 1877) was a British railway director and slave owner. Earle owned plantations and enslaved people in what is now modern-day Guyana. He bought shares in the Liverpool to Manchester railw ...

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Earle, Ralph A 1835 births 1879 deaths Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of Parliament for Maldon UK MPs 1859–1865 UK MPs 1865–1868