Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere (January 1, 1800 - February 18, 1857) - British politician, traveler, public figure, writer and philanthropist . In honor of him were named the Canadian island of Ellesmere and a lake in New Zealand.
| Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere | |
|---|---|
| Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere | |
 | |
| Date of Birth | January 1, 1800 |
| Place of Birth | London |
| Date of death | February 18, 1857 (57 years old) |
| Place of death | London |
| Citizenship | Great Britain |
| Occupation | statesman, politician, writer, translator, poet, traveler, philanthropist |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
| Children | eleven |
| Awards and prizes | KG, PC |
Biography
The youngest son of the 1st Duke of Sutherland , the British ambassador to revolutionary France. He studied at prestigious institutions Eaton and Christchurch.
In the years 1822-1826 was the first member of the British Parliament. Then he went there twice more. In 1827 he was appointed Lord of the Treasury. Then he held several key government posts, including the post of Secretary for Irish Affairs, and in 1833 adopted the name Egerton , which was certified by a royal license. In politics, he was a conservative (Tory) of original views and an early advocate of free trade.
In his youth, he published a volume of poems, and then performed one of the first translations of Goethe's Faust into English . In 1839 he visited the Mediterranean and the Holy Land, describing his impressions in the book Mediterranean Sketches (1843) , and also wrote a poem in the wake of the trip. Published a number of other works. Literary success allowed him in 1841 to take the post of rector of the University of Aberdeen .
Interested in military theory, he, being Wellington’s protege , participated in discussions about military art and published an anonymous translation of Clausewitz ’s work on the Russian campaign of Napoleon (1843). Also under his influence, the duke himself wrote an essay on the ideas of Clausewitz.
He was a major and still underrated patron of the arts. Count Ellesmere inherited a large collection of paintings and substantially supplemented it during his lifetime, moreover, he built a gallery to demonstrate works of art, where the public had free access. He was president of the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Asian Society (1849-1852), as well as one of the trustees of the National Gallery. One of the founders of the collection of the National Portrait Gallery , which was presented by the Chandosovsky portrait of Shakespeare.
Count Ellesmere was married to Lady Harriet Catherine Greville [1] , the couple had 11 children, some of whom later became known in politics and maritime affairs (two of them were members of Parliament, and one was also an admiral).
Earl Ellesmere died in his London mansion at the age of 57.
Notes
- ↑ Francis Egerton .