C. E. Howard Vincent
Encyclopedia
Colonel Sir Charles Edward Howard Vincent KCMG
CB
DL
(31 May 1849 – 7 April 1908), known as Howard Vincent or C. E. Howard Vincent, was a British
soldier, barrister
, police
official and Conservative Party
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1908.
, near Horsham
in Sussex
, the second son of Sir Frederick Vincent, 11th Baronet, the village's rector
. His brothers included Sir William Vincent, 12th Baronet, Claude Vincent, who became an administrator in India
, and the financier and diplomat Edgar Vincent, 1st Viscount D'Abernon
.
He was educated at Westminster School
and in November 1866 entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Passing out in 1868, he purchased a commission
in the 23rd Foot (later the Royal Welch Fusiliers
). He was promoted Lieutenant
in 1871. In 1871, he served as a correspondent with the Daily Telegraph in Berlin
and then went on to Russia
to learn the language and study the country's military organisation. In 1872 he began to write articles and lecture at the Royal United Services Institution. After his regiment was posted to Ireland
later that year, he began to address political meetings on the Irish question
, expressing generally Liberal
views.
On 3 May 1873, Vincent enrolled as a pupil barrister at the Inner Temple
. In that and the following year he travelled to Turkey
and again to Russia, learning Turkish
(to add to Russian
, French
, German
and Italian
, which he already knew). He also became an expert on the politics of the Near East
. In 1874, he was commissioned into the Royal Berkshire Militia
as a Captain
. He resigned his commission in November 1875, but a month later was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 40th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps (Central London Rangers), again resigning his commission in 1878. He continued to write on political and military matters.
in the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division, although he never really devoted himself to the law. On the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War in 1877, the Daily Telegraph sent him to report on the Russian Army
, but he was refused permission to accompany the army into the field, as the Russians were suspicious that he spoke Russian and suspected him of being a Turkish sympathiser.
In 1877 he enrolled as a student at the Faculté de Droit in Paris
and investigated the Parisian police
. When, later that year, the Metropolitan Police Detective Branch was hit by a scandal in which several senior officers were dismissed, Vincent was asked to report on the Paris detective system. This so impressed R. A. Cross, the Home Secretary
, that in 1878 he was appointed to the new post of Director of Criminal Investigation to head the new Criminal Investigation Department
. Although without the official status of Assistant Commissioner
, this post was equivalent to the two Assistant Commissioners in almost every way. Vincent answered directly to the Home Secretary and not to the Commissioner
, which put him in a rather strange position, as his deputy, Adolphus Williamson
, and his men did answer to the Commissioner (luckily Vincent and Commissioner Sir Edmund Henderson
had a good relationship). Vincent completely reorganised the department. From 1883 he also edited the Police Gazette
.
In 1884, however, realising that his police post offered little chance of further advancement, he resigned to enter politics. That year he was also appointed Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Queen's Westminster Volunteers, holding the post for twenty years until 1904. He was rewarded for his police service by being appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1885.
that he decided to stand for the Conservative Party
(although he had previously tended towards Liberalism). At the general election in November 1885
he defeated Samuel Plimsoll
to win the constituency of Sheffield Central. He remained in Parliament until his death, being returned unopposed in 1895 and 1900, although he had to win the elections of 1886, 1892 and 1906. He also served on London County Council
from 1889 to 1906. He was chairman of the National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations
from 1895, chairman of the Conservative Party Publication Committee from 1896, and vice-chairman of the Primrose League
from 1901. He founded the United Empire Trade League in 1891 and served as its honorary secretary until his death. In 1898 he was appointed to the Royal Commission
organising the United Kingdom's participation in the Paris Exhibition of 1900. In 1901 he chaired an inquiry into the Royal Irish Constabulary
and the Dublin Metropolitan Police
. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of London
in 1889 and was granted the honorary rank of Colonel in 1894.
Vincent was knighted
in 1896 and appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1898 for his service as British delegate to a conference on anarchists in Rome
. He was selected to command the infantry of the City Imperial Volunteers in the Second Boer War
, but was eventually refused permission to go due to a heart problem. He went in a private capacity anyway, however. He was awarded the Volunteer Officers' Decoration, and appointed Aide-de-Camp
to the King, and Colonel in the Volunteer Force in 1901. He resigned his commission for the final time in 1904, retaining his rank. He retained his Parliamentary seat until his death on 7 April 1908.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
DL
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....
(31 May 1849 – 7 April 1908), known as Howard Vincent or C. E. Howard Vincent, 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...
soldier, barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
official 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 who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1908.
Early life and education
Vincent was born in SlinfoldSlinfold
Slinfold is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the A29 road 3.4 miles west of Horsham.The parish has a land area of 1695 hectares...
, near Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, the second son of Sir Frederick Vincent, 11th Baronet, the village's rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
. His brothers included Sir William Vincent, 12th Baronet, Claude Vincent, who became an administrator in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and the financier and diplomat Edgar Vincent, 1st Viscount D'Abernon
Edgar Vincent, 1st Viscount D'Abernon
Edgar Vincent, 1st Viscount D'Abernon, GCB, GCMG, PC, FRS was a British politician, diplomat, art collector and author.-Early life:...
.
He was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and in November 1866 entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Passing out in 1868, he purchased a commission
Sale of commissions
The sale of commissions was a common practice in most European armies where wealthy and noble officers purchased their rank. Only the Imperial Russian Army and the Prussian Army never used such a system. While initially shunned in the French Revolutionary Army, it was eventually revived in the...
in the 23rd Foot (later the Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
). He was promoted Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1871. In 1871, he served as a correspondent with the Daily Telegraph in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and then went on to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to learn the language and study the country's military organisation. In 1872 he began to write articles and lecture at the Royal United Services Institution. After his regiment was posted to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
later that year, he began to address political meetings on the Irish question
Irish question
The Irish Question was a phrase used mainly by members of the British ruling classes from the early 19th century until the 1920s. It was used to describe Irish nationalism and the calls for Irish independence....
, expressing generally Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
views.
On 3 May 1873, Vincent enrolled as a pupil barrister at the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. In that and the following year he travelled to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and again to Russia, learning Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
(to add to Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, which he already knew). He also became an expert on the politics of the Near East
Near East
The Near East is a geographical term that covers different countries for geographers, archeologists, and historians, on the one hand, and for political scientists, economists, and journalists, on the other...
. In 1874, he was commissioned into the Royal Berkshire Militia
Royal Berkshire Militia
The Royal Berkshire Militia was a militia regiment in the United Kingdom from 1759 to 1881, when it was amalgamated into The Princess Charlotte of Wales's ....
as a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
. He resigned his commission in November 1875, but a month later was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the 40th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps (Central London Rangers), again resigning his commission in 1878. He continued to write on political and military matters.
Lawyer, soldier and policeman
He was called to the bar on 20 January 1876 and joined the South-Eastern CircuitCircuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
in the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division, although he never really devoted himself to the law. On the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War in 1877, the Daily Telegraph sent him to report on the Russian Army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
, but he was refused permission to accompany the army into the field, as the Russians were suspicious that he spoke Russian and suspected him of being a Turkish sympathiser.
In 1877 he enrolled as a student at the Faculté de Droit in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and investigated the Parisian police
Prefecture of Police
The Prefecture of Police , headed by the Prefect of Police , is an agency of the Government of France which provides the police force for the city of Paris and the surrounding three suburban départements of Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, and Val-de-Marne...
. When, later that year, the Metropolitan Police Detective Branch was hit by a scandal in which several senior officers were dismissed, Vincent was asked to report on the Paris detective system. This so impressed R. A. Cross, the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, that in 1878 he was appointed to the new post of Director of Criminal Investigation to head the new Criminal Investigation Department
Criminal Investigation Department
The Crime Investigation Department is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police forces, to which plain clothes detectives belong. It is thus distinct from the Uniformed Branch and the Special Branch.The Metropolitan Police Service CID,...
. Although without the official status of Assistant Commissioner
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, usually just Assistant Commissioner , is the third highest rank in London's Metropolitan Police, ranking below Deputy Commissioner and above Deputy Assistant Commissioner. There are usually four officers in the rank...
, this post was equivalent to the two Assistant Commissioners in almost every way. Vincent answered directly to the Home Secretary and not to the Commissioner
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is the head of London's Metropolitan Police Service, classing the holder as a chief police officer...
, which put him in a rather strange position, as his deputy, Adolphus Williamson
Adolphus Williamson
Frederick Adolphus "Dolly" Williamson was the first head of the Detective Branch of the Metropolitan Police and the first head of the Detective Branch's successor organisation, the Criminal Investigation Department . He joined the force in 1850 and eventually became Chief Constable.-References:...
, and his men did answer to the Commissioner (luckily Vincent and Commissioner Sir Edmund Henderson
Edmund Henderson
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Edmund Yeamans Walcott Henderson KCB was an officer in the British Army who was Comptroller-General of Convicts in Western Australia from 1850 to 1863, Home Office Surveyor-General of Prisons from 1863 to 1869, and Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, head of the London...
had a good relationship). Vincent completely reorganised the department. From 1883 he also edited the Police Gazette
Police Gazette
The National Police Gazette, commonly referred to as simply the Police Gazette, was an American magazine founded in 1845 by two journalists, Enoch E. Camp, also an attorney, and George Wilkes, a transcontinental railroad booster...
.
In 1884, however, realising that his police post offered little chance of further advancement, he resigned to enter politics. That year he was also appointed Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Queen's Westminster Volunteers, holding the post for twenty years until 1904. He was rewarded for his police service by being appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1885.
Politician
Vincent went on a world tour, in which he was so impressed with the effects of imperialismBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
that he decided to stand for the 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...
(although he had previously tended towards Liberalism). At the general election in November 1885
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
he defeated Samuel Plimsoll
Samuel Plimsoll
Samuel Plimsoll was a British politician and social reformer, now best remembered for having devised the Plimsoll line .-Early life:Plimsoll was born in Bristol and soon moved to Whiteley Wood...
to win the constituency of Sheffield Central. He remained in Parliament until his death, being returned unopposed in 1895 and 1900, although he had to win the elections of 1886, 1892 and 1906. He also served on London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
from 1889 to 1906. He was chairman of the National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations
National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations
The National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations was a federation of the voluntary wing of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom....
from 1895, chairman of the Conservative Party Publication Committee from 1896, and vice-chairman of the Primrose League
Primrose League
The Primrose League was an organisation for spreading Conservative principles in Great Britain. It was founded in 1883 and active until the mid 1990s...
from 1901. He founded the United Empire Trade League in 1891 and served as its honorary secretary until his death. In 1898 he was appointed to the Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
organising the United Kingdom's participation in the Paris Exhibition of 1900. In 1901 he chaired an inquiry into the Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
and the Dublin Metropolitan Police
Dublin Metropolitan Police
The Dublin Metropolitan Police was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána.-19th century:...
. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of London
County of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
in 1889 and was granted the honorary rank of Colonel in 1894.
Vincent was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1896 and appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in 1898 for his service as British delegate to a conference on anarchists in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He was selected to command the infantry of the City Imperial Volunteers in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, but was eventually refused permission to go due to a heart problem. He went in a private capacity anyway, however. He was awarded the Volunteer Officers' Decoration, and appointed Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the King, and Colonel in the Volunteer Force in 1901. He resigned his commission for the final time in 1904, retaining his rank. He retained his Parliamentary seat until his death on 7 April 1908.