Charles Maule Ramsay
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel the Honourable Charles Maule Ramsay (27 January 1859 – 7 April 1936) was a British
army
officer and briefly a Liberal Unionist
Member of Parliament
(MP).
He was the youngest son of the 12th Earl of Dalhousie
, an admiral
in the Royal Navy
, and his wife Sarah née Roberts. He obtained a commission as an officer in the Royal Artillery
, but retired from the army at a young age.
He moved to the United States
where he took up ranching, and married Martha Estelle Garrison of New York in 1885. He later unsuccessfully took part in the Klondike Gold Rush
in the Yukon Territory.
He returned to Scotland
where he became an officer in the Forfarshire and Kincardineshire Artillery Militia
. He was a major landlord in the area having inherited a large estate in Forfarshire
. In 1894, he was chosen as Liberal Unionist candidate to contest a parliamentary by-election in Forfarshire
in November 1894. The vacancy was caused when the sitting Liberal
MP, Sir John Rigby
was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal
. The Liberals had chosen a London-based stockbroker as their candidate in preference to a local businessman, Martin White, a decision that led to many voters switching their allegiance to Ramsay, who gained the seat. He held the seat for only a few months, as he was defeated by White at the subsequent general election in 1895
.
With the outbreak of the First World War Ramsay returned to active service. Following the ending of the conflict he devoted himself to voluntary work supporting the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
.
C M Ramsay had no children, and became a widower in 1904. He died in London in April 1936 aged 77.
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...
army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer and briefly a Liberal Unionist
Liberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
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).
He was the youngest son of the 12th Earl of Dalhousie
George Ramsay, 12th Earl of Dalhousie
George Ramsay, 12th Earl of Dalhousie was a British naval officer.He served in the Royal Navy from 1820, rising to the rank of Admiral by 1875. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1856. He succeeded his cousin, Fox Maule Ramsay in 1874, and was created first Baron Ramsay of...
, an admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, and his wife Sarah née Roberts. He obtained a commission as an officer in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, but retired from the army at a young age.
He moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he took up ranching, and married Martha Estelle Garrison of New York in 1885. He later unsuccessfully took part in the Klondike Gold Rush
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike Gold Rush, also called the Yukon Gold Rush, the Alaska Gold Rush and the Last Great Gold Rush, was an attempt by an estimated 100,000 people to travel to the Klondike region the Yukon in north-western Canada between 1897 and 1899 in the hope of successfully prospecting for gold...
in the Yukon Territory.
He returned to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
where he became an officer in the Forfarshire and Kincardineshire Artillery Militia
Militia (United Kingdom)
The Militia of the United Kingdom were the military reserve forces of the United Kingdom after the Union in 1801 of the former Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland....
. He was a major landlord in the area having inherited a large estate in Forfarshire
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
. In 1894, he was chosen as Liberal Unionist candidate to contest a parliamentary by-election in Forfarshire
Forfarshire by-election, 1894
The Forfarshire by-election, 1894 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Forfarshire, Scotland on 17 November 1894...
in November 1894. The vacancy was caused when the sitting 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...
MP, Sir John Rigby
John Rigby (politician)
Sir John Rigby PC , was a British judge and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1885 and 1894.-Background and education:...
was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal
Lord Justice of Appeal
A Lord Justice of Appeal is an ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, the court that hears appeals from the High Court of Justice, and represents the second highest level of judge in the courts of England and Wales-Appointment:...
. The Liberals had chosen a London-based stockbroker as their candidate in preference to a local businessman, Martin White, a decision that led to many voters switching their allegiance to Ramsay, who gained the seat. He held the seat for only a few months, as he was defeated by White at the subsequent general election in 1895
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
.
With the outbreak of the First World War Ramsay returned to active service. Following the ending of the conflict he devoted himself to voluntary work supporting the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes is an organisation created by the British government in 1921 to run recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families...
.
C M Ramsay had no children, and became a widower in 1904. He died in London in April 1936 aged 77.