Alexander Hugh Baring, 4th Baron Ashburton DL (4 May 1835 – 18 July 1889) was a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 landowner and Conservative Party

Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

.

Baring was the son of Francis Baring, 3rd Baron Ashburton

Francis Baring, 3rd Baron Ashburton

Francis Baring, 3rd Baron Ashburton was a British peer Whig and later Tory politician.He was elected at the 1830 general election as a Whig Member of Parliament for the borough of Thetford in Norfolk,...

 (1800-1868) and his wife Hortense Eugenie Claire Maret de Bassano (c. 1812-1882). He was educated at Harrow School

Harrow School

Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...

 and Christ Church

Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...

, Oxford, graduating in 1857.

He married the Hon. Leonora Caroline Digby, daughter of Edward Digby, 9th Baron Digby

Edward Digby, 9th Baron Digby

Edward St Vincent Digby, 9th Baron Digby , also 3rd Baron Digby in the Peerage of Great Britain, was a British peer.-Biography:...

 and Lady Theresa Anna Maria Fox-Strangways, on 5 January 1864.

Baring was elected unopposed as a Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 (MP) for Thetford

Thetford (UK Parliament constituency)

Thetford was a constituency of the British House of Commons. It elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election until it was disenfranchised in 1868...

 at a by-election in December 1857, filling the vacancy caused by his father's succession to the peerage. He was re-elected in 1859

United Kingdom general election, 1859

In the 1859 United Kingdom general election, the Whigs, led by Lord Palmerston, held their majority in the House of Commons over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives...

 and 1865

United Kingdom general election, 1865

The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...

, and held the seat until he succeeded to the peerage in 1867 on the death of his father.

He succeeded to the title of 4th Baron Ashburton

Baron Ashburton

Baron Ashburton, of Ashburton in the County of Devon, is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.-History:...

, of Ashburton

Ashburton, Devon

Ashburton is a small town on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, adjacent to the A38 Devon Expressway.It was formerly important as a stannary town , and remains the largest town within the National Park, with a population of around 3,500...

, Devon

Devon

Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...

, on 6 September 1868 and held the office of Deputy Lieutenant

Deputy Lieutenant

In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....

. He died at Bath House, Piccadilly, London, England.