Robert Thornhagh Gurdon, 1st Baron Cranworth, (18 June 1829 – 13 October 1902) was a British Member of Parliament. Gurdon was the eldest son of Brampton Gurdon (1797–1881), of Letton Hall in

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

and of

Grundisburgh Grundisburgh () is a village of 1,584 residents situated in the English county of Suffolk. It is in the East Suffolk district, six north-east from Ipswich and north-west of Woodbridge located on the B1079. Flowing through the village are ...

Hall in Suffolk, who was a

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

Member of Parliament from Norfolk. His mother Henrietta Susanna Ridley-Colborne (1810–1880) was the daughter of Lord Colborne, another Member of Parliament. He was educated at Eton and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

, and was

called to the Bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

in 1856. His early career saw him practicing on the Northern Circuit. Gurdon was elected to the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

for

South Norfolk South Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, England. The largest town is Wymondham, and the district also includes the towns of Costessey, Diss, Harleston, Hingham, Loddon and Long Stratton. The council was based in Long S ...

as a Liberal in

1880 Events January *January 27 – Thomas Edison is granted a patent for the incandescent light bulb. Edison filed for a US patent for an electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected ... to platina contact wires." gr ...

, after having tried unsuccessfully in the elections of

1871 Events January–March * January 3 – Franco-Prussian War: Battle of Bapaume – Prussians win a strategic victory. * January 18 – Proclamation of the German Empire: The member states of the North German Confederation and the sout ...

and 1874. He held the seat until 1885, when he was returned for

Mid Norfolk Mid Norfolk is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament since 2010 by George Freeman (po ...

. In 1886, he split with the Liberal leader

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

over Irish Home Rule, and joined the Liberal Unionists. Gurdon continued to represent Mid Norfolk until 1892, and then again briefly in 1895. He was chairman of the

Norfolk County Council Norfolk County Council is the upper-tier Local government in England, local authority for Norfolk, England. Below it there are seven second-tier district councils: Breckland District, Breckland, Broadland, Borough of Great Yarmouth, Great Yarmo ...

from its institution and until early 1902, when he resigned due to ill health. He was also chairman of quarter sessions, an honorary colonel of the 4th Volunteer battalion, Norfolk Regiment, and a deputy lieutenant and justice of the peace for Norfolk. In 1899 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Cranworth, of Letton and Cranworth in the County of Norfolk. Lord Cranworth married firstly, in 1862, Harriott Ellin Miles, daughter of Sir William Miles, 1st Baronet, and they had a daughter, Amy Harriott Gurden, in 1864. After her death in childbirth in 1864 he married secondly, in 1874, Emily Frances Heathcote, daughter of Robert Boothby Heathcote. Lord Cranworth died aged 73 at his residence Letton Hall, near

Thetford Thetford is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Breckland District of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road (England), A11 road between Norwich and London, just east of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, coverin ...

, on 13 October 1902, and was succeeded in the barony by his son from his second marriage Bertram Francis Gurdon. Lady Cranworth died in 1934.

Arms

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cranworth, Robert Gurdon, 1st Baron 1829 births 1902 deaths People educated at Eton College Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Liberal Unionist Party MPs for English constituencies Cranworth, Robert Gurdon, 1st Baron Deputy lieutenants of Norfolk

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

Heathcote family Members of Norfolk County Council UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1885–1886 UK MPs 1886–1892 UK MPs 1892–1895 UK MPs who were granted peerages People from Breckland District Liberal Unionist Party peers Peers of the United Kingdom created by Queen Victoria