Matthew White Ridley, 2nd Viscount Ridley, (6 December 1874 – 14 February 1916) was a British peer and

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 ...

politician. His political career was most noted for his support of

Tariff Reform Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations. ...

Biography

Ridley was the son and heir of Sir

Matthew White Ridley, 1st Viscount Ridley 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 statesman. He notably served as Home Secretary from 1895 to 1900. Bac ...

and the Hon. Mary Georgiana Marjoribanks (1850 – 14 March 1909), daughter of

Dudley Marjoribanks, 1st Baron Tweedmouth Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks, 1st Baron Tweedmouth, also known as the Laird of Guisachan and Glenaffric (29 December 1820 – 4 March 1894), was a Scottish businessman and a Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1853 until 1880 ...

. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

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 ...

, where he graduated as BA in 1897, taking Honours in Greats. Whilst at Oxford he became a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

in the

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 Membersh ...

, a

Masonic lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...

for students and former students of the university. He was elected as the Member of Parliament for

Stalybridge Stalybridge () is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, it had a population of 26,830. Historic counties of England, Historically divided between Cheshire and Lancashire, it is east o ...

at the 1900 general election. While in parliament he also served as parliamentary private secretary to the Home Secretary, Charles Ritchie from 1900 to 1902, and to the Chancellor of the Exchequer,

Austen Chamberlain Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain (16 October 1863 – 16 March 1937) was a British statesman, son of Joseph Chamberlain and older half-brother of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. He served as a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of ...

from 1902 to 1904. He was chairman of the

Tariff Reform League The Tariff Reform League (TRL) was a protectionist British pressure group formed in 1903 to protest against what they considered to be unfair foreign imports and to advocate Imperial Preference to protect British industry from foreign competiti ...

, in succession to its founder, Arthur Pearson. On 21 May 1901, he was appointed a DL of the County of

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 ...

, and in 1904 a JP. He was commissioned a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the

Northumberland Hussars The Northumberland Hussars was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army, transferred to the Royal Artillery for the duration of the Second World War. It was disbanded as an independent Territorial Army unit in 1967, a time when the strength of t ...

in 1897, was promoted

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 12 April 1902, then

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

in 1904, becoming lieutenant colonel in command in 1913. He was in command of the regiment in the early months of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

but did not go abroad Appendix F - Peers and Sons of Peers who served in the Great War 1914–18, lists him as having done "Home Service", without entitled campaign medals. and relinquished command in 1915, remaining on the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...

reserve of officers. He was also Honorary Colonel of the 5th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, from 1910.

Illness and death

Ridley suddenly fell ill at his home at

Blagdon Hall Blagdon Hall () is a privately owned English country house near Cramlington in Northumberland. It is a Grade I listed building. The house and estate have been in the ownership of the White Ridley family since 1698. The present Viscount Ridley i ...

on 28 January 1916 and required a "severe operation." ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' reported Lord Ridley had been "in indifferent health since his last grave illness three or four years ago, when an operation was also necessary," but did not offer specifics. Ridley had entertained Field Marshal John French at Blagdon two days before his illness and was scheduled to go to France with the Northumberland Hussars. He underwent a second operation on 13 February and died the following day in hospital, aged 41. His son succeeded him as viscount.

Family

He married in London, on 8 February 1899, Rosamond Cornelia Gwladys Guest (1878–1947), daughter of

Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne, 2nd Baronet, DL (29 August 1835 – 22 February 1914) was a British industrialist and a member of the prominent Guest family. Early life Ivor Bertie Guest was born at Dowlais, near Merthyr Tydfil, the so ...

and Lady Cornelia Henrietta Maria Spencer-Churchill. Through her mother, she was a first cousin of

Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

. Rosamond, Viscountess Ridley, was invested as a

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1918, and died 2 December 1947. They had three children: * Gwladys Marjorie Ridley (17 September 1900 – 28 July 1983) *

Matthew White Ridley, 3rd Viscount Ridley Matthew White Ridley, 3rd Viscount Ridley (16 December 1902 – 25 February 1964) was a British peer, landowner, public servant and race car driver. He was also the third Baron Wensleydale and seventh Baronet Ridley. Biography Early life an ...

(16 December 1902 – 25 February 1964) * Vivien Catherine Evelyn Ridley (born 15 December 1906), married Hans Karg von Bebenburg, 1934

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ridley, Matthew White Ridley, 2nd Viscount 1874 births 1916 deaths Military personnel from London British Army personnel of World War I

Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Chinese Elm ''Ulmus parvifolia'' Christianity * Matthew the Apostle, one of ...

People educated at Eton College Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1900–1906 UK MPs who inherited peerages Northumberland Hussars officers English justices of the peace