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Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle

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The Duke of Newcastle
The 5th Duke of Newcastle, c. 1860
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
In office
28 December 1852 – 10 June 1854
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Earl of Aberdeen
Preceded bySir John Pakington, Bt
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Secretary of State for War
Secretary at War
In office
12 June 1854 – 30 January 1855
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Earl of Aberdeen
Preceded byNew office
Succeeded byThe Lord Panmure
Secretary of State for the Colonies
In office
18 June 1859 – 7 April 1864
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Viscount Palmerston
Preceded bySir Edward Lytton, Bt
Succeeded byEdward Cardwell
Chief Secretary for Ireland
In office
14 February 1846 – June 1846
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterSir Robert Peel
Preceded bySir Thomas Freemantle
Succeeded byHenry Labouchere
Personal details
Born(1811-05-22)22 May 1811
Died18 October 1864(1864-10-18) (aged 53)
NationalityBritish
Political party
SpouseLady Susan Douglas-Hamilton (1814–1889)
Children
Parents
Alma materUniversity of Oxford

Henry Pelham Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, KG, PC (22 May 1811 – 18 October 1864), styled Earl of Lincoln before 1851, was a British politician and aristocrat. He sat in Parliament for South Nottinghamshire (1832–46) and for Falkirk Burghs (1846–51) until inheriting the dukedom.

Newcastle held several key offices in the mid-19th century, including Chief Secretary for Ireland, Secretary of State for the Colonies, and Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. In 1855, he resigned as Secretary of State for War owing to disastrous casualties during the Crimean War (1853–56).

Background

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Newcastle was the son of Henry Pelham-Clinton, 4th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, by his wife Georgina Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Miller-Mundy. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his B.A. degree in 1832, and was created a D.C.L. in 1863.[1]

Political career

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Newcastle was returned to Parliament for South Nottinghamshire in 1832, a seat he held until 1846, and then represented Falkirk Burghs until 1851, when he succeeded his father in the dukedom. Initially a Tory, he served under Sir Robert Peel as First Commissioner of Woods and Forests from 1841 to 1846 and as Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1846, as the effects of the Great Irish Famine began to take hold. He was admitted to the British Privy Council in 1841, and to the Irish Privy Council on 14 February 1846.[1]

Newcastle joined the Peelites in 1846, and held office in Lord Aberdeen's coalition government as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies between 1852 and 1854, and as Secretary of State for War and Secretary at War between 12 June 1854 and 1 February 1855, when he resigned over the Crimean War.[1]

From 18 June 1859 to April 1864, he served as Secretary of State for the Colonies in Lord Palmerston's Liberal administration. In 1860, while holding this office, he went to Canada and the United States, in company with the Prince of Wales. Apart from his political career he also held the honorary posts of Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire from 1857 to 1864 and Lord Warden of the Stannaries from 1862 to 1864. He was made a Knight of the Garter on 17 December 1860.[1]

Lord Lincoln was a member of the Canterbury Association from 27 March 1848. Upon succeeding to the dukedom, he joined the association's management committee on 29 January 1851.[2] In 1849, the chief surveyor of the Canterbury Association, Joseph Thomas, named the future town of Lincoln in New Zealand after him. The town's university was in turn also named after Lord Lincoln.[2][3]

Family

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The Duke of Newcastle (right) with Sir Edmund Walker Head, 8th Baronet, Sir Christopher Teesdale, the Prince of Wales and the Hon. Robert Bruce.

Newcastle married Lady Susan Hamilton (9 June 1814 – 28 November 1889), daughter of Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton, on 27 November 1832. They had five children:

The marriage was unhappy and the Duke and Duchess were divorced in 1850, after a considerable scandal in which the Duchess eloped with Horatio Walpole, Lord Walpole, and had an illegitimate child by him. Newcastle died in October 1864, aged 53, and was succeeded in the dukedom by his eldest son, Henry.

His papers are now held at Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Boase 1887.
  2. ^ a b Blain, Rev. Michael (2007). The Canterbury Association (1848–1852): A Study of Its Members' Connections (PDF). Christchurch: Project Canterbury. pp. 66–68. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  3. ^ Hight, James; C. R. Straubel (1957). A History of Canterbury. Vol. I : to 1854. Christchurch: Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd. p. 120.
  4. ^ Robert Aldrich, Garry Wotherspoon, "Who's who in gay and lesbian history: from antiquity to World War II", Routledge, 2001, ISBN 0-415-15982-2, p.66
  • F. Darrell Munsell, The Unfortunate Duke: Henry Pelham, Fifth Duke of Newcastle, 1811-1864 (University of Missouri Press, 1985) ISBN 978-0-826-20456-1

Attribution:  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainBoase, George Clement (1887). "Clinton, Henry Pelham Fiennes Pelham (1811-1864)". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 11. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 98–99.

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament for South Nottinghamshire
18321846
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Falkirk Burghs
18461851
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by First Commissioner of Woods and Forests
1841–1846
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Secretary for Ireland
1846
Succeeded by
Preceded by Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
1852–1854
Succeeded by
Himself
as Secretary of State for War
Succeeded byas Secretary of State for the Colonies
Preceded by
Himself
as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
Secretary of State for War
1854–1855
Succeeded by
Preceded by Secretary at War
1854–1855
Preceded by Secretary of State for the Colonies
1859–1864
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire
1857–1864
Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Warden of the Stannaries
1862–1864
Succeeded by
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
1851–1864
Succeeded by