Sir Robert Gray Cornish Mowbray, 2nd Baronet, DL (21 May 1850 – 23 July 1916), 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 ...

politician.

Early life

Mowbray was the eldest son of the

Father of the House of Commons Father of the House is a title that has been traditionally bestowed, unofficially, on certain members of some legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the title refers to the longest continuously ...

Sir John Mowbray, 1st Baronet Sir John Robert Mowbray, 1st Baronet PC (3 June 1815 – 22 April 1899), known as John Cornish until 1847, was a British Conservative politician and long-serving Member of Parliament, eventually serving as Father of the House. Family and ed ...

, and his wife Elizabeth Grey (née Mowbray). Among his siblings were his younger brothers, Reginald Ambrose Mowbray, later the 3rd Baronet, and the Reverend Edmund George Lionel Mowbray, later the 4th Baronet. His paternal grandparents were Robert Stirling Cornish and the former Marianne Powning. His mother was the daughter, and sole heir, of George Isaac Mowbray of

Bishopwearmouth Bishopwearmouth () is a former village and parish which now constitutes the west side of Sunderland City Centre, in the county of Tyne and Wear, England, merging with the settlement as it expanded outwards in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is ...

and the former Elizabeth Gray. 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 ...

(1863–8) before graduating from

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 ...

with a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

degree in 1872. He was gazetted as 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 part-time Royal Berkshire Militia on 1 June 1872, but he never joined the regiment for its annual training and resigned on 29 April 1874. He became a

Fellow of All Souls All Souls College (official name: The College of All Souls of the Faithful Departed, of Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full me ...

in 1873 and a

Barrister-at-law A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching the law and giv ...

of the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

in 1876. He served as secretary of the

Royal Commission A royal commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue in some monarchies. They have been held in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Malaysia, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia. In republics an equi ...

on the

Stock Exchange A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for ...

in 1876. Emma Elizabeth Thoyts, ''History of the Royal Berkshire Militia (Now 3rd Battalion Royal Berks Regiment)'', Sulhamstead, Berks, 1897/Scholar Select, ISBN 978-1-37645405-5, pp. 194, 299–300.

Career

He was elected to Parliament for

Prestwich Prestwich ( ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England, north of Manchester, north of Salford and south of Bury. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, Prestwich was the seat of the ...

at the 1886 general election, and held the seat until his defeat at the 1895 general election. From 1887 til 1892 he was Parliamentary Private Secretary to George Goschen,

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...

. He returned 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 ...

at an unopposed by-election in March 1900 for the

Brixton Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...

constituency, and held that seat until he stood down at the

1906 general election The following elections occurred in the year 1906. Asia * 1906 Persian legislative election Europe * 1906 Belgian general election * 1906 Croatian parliamentary election * Denmark ** 1906 Danish Folketing election ** 1906 Danish Landsting e ...

. He lived at 'Warennes Wood' at Stratfield Mortimer in

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

and was appointed a deputy lieutenant of that county in 1900. He was a member of the Royal Commission on Opium in India from 1893 to 1895, and a member of the Royal Commission on Indian Expenditure in 1896.Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors).
Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage
' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. pp. 620, 725, 770.

Personal life

Mowbray died, unmarried, in July 1916, aged 66.

References

External links

* *
Mowbray, Sir Robert Gray Cornish (1850–1916) 2nd Baronet, barrister and politician
at

The National Archives National archives are the archives of a country. The concept evolved in various nations at the dawn of modernity based on the impact of nationalism upon bureaucratic processes of paperwork retention. Conceptual development From the Middle Ages i ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mowbray, Sir Robert, 1st Baronet 1850 births 1916 deaths Royal Berkshire Militia officers Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Deputy lieutenants of Berkshire UK MPs 1886–1892 UK MPs 1892–1895 UK MPs 1900–1906 People from West Berkshire District Presidents of the Oxford Union 19th-century British Army personnel