Frank Russell, 2nd Earl Russell
Encyclopedia
John Francis Stanley Russell, 2nd Earl Russell known as Frank Russell, (12 August 1865 – 3 March 1931) was the elder surviving son of Viscount Amberley
and his wife the Honourable Katharine (Kate) Stanley, and was raised by his paternal grandparents after his non-conventional parents both died young. He was the grandson of former prime minister
, John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
and elder brother of philosopher Bertrand Russell
. He was married three times, lastly to Elizabeth von Arnim
, who is said to have caricatured him in her novel Vera
. Despite his landmark achievements in other respects, this Earl Russell is most famous for being tried for bigamy
in 1901. Thenceforth, he was known to Edwardian society as the "Wicked Earl".
His first wife was Mary Edith Scott (Mabel). They married in 1890, and Mabel tried to divorce him (and lost) in 1891; she sued for restoration of conjugal rights in 1894. The earl requested a judicial separation in 1895, but she appealed and it was overturned. His mother-in-law also tried to harass him and was convicted for libel in 1897. Mabel, Countess Russell made her living by singing on the variety stage even while she was married to Frank Russell.
Russell next married Marion Cooke (born c.1857-1858), the divorced wife of George John Somerville, a twice-divorced daughter of an Irish master shoemaker, in the United States
in 1900, after establishing domicile in that country and obtaining a divorce in Nevada. The British authorities considered such a divorce invalid, and Lord Russell was arrested and was convicted of bigamy
in the House of Lords
on 18 July 1901. He was sentenced to only three months in prison, on account of the "extreme torture" he had suffered in his first marriage. The first Countess Russell had already obtained a divorce, and he married Mrs Somerville on 31 October 1901, three days after it became absolute. His second wife divorced him in 1915, after obtaining an annual income for life, suggesting some collusion.
Russell married thirdly the novelist Elizabeth von Arnim
(née Mary Annette Beauchamp), widow of Count Henning August von Arnim-Schlagenthin (d. 1910), the next year. Von Arnim, who had a three-year affair with H.G. Wells, ended her relationship with him when his other lover Rebecca West
became pregnant. She became involved with Russell in 1914, and married Russell on 11 February 1916. The marriage failed quickly and acrimoniously, and the couple separated in 1919, or immediately (according to other sources). However, they never divorced. At the start of the Second World War, Von Arnim moved to the United States where she died.
Earl Russell had no children, but his second and third marriages brought him several stepchildren. His second wife Marion had one son by her first husband and two sons by her second husband. His third wife Elizabeth had five children by her first husband.
Ottaway (2007) comments that:
and was Labour's Leader in the House of Lords. He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Under-Secretary of State for India
in Ramsay MacDonald
's government 1929-1931.
As Under-Secretary of State for Transport, he introduced the highway code and abolished speed limits. He went on to become Secretary of State for India. The Ramsay MacDonald Government later reintroduced speed limits, but waited until the second Earl Russell had died on 3 March 1931.
During his life, Russell spoke for reform of the divorce laws, but his efforts to obtain such reforms starting in 1902 were partly negated by his own personal history.
, and was a close friend of George Santayana
.
Rupert Furneaux. Tried by their Peers. Cassell, London, 1959. Two chapters are devoted to trials for bigamy, that of Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston and that of the 2nd Earl Russell.
Ian Watson. "Mollie, Countess Russell", Russell: the Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies 23 (2003): 65-68.
John Russell, Viscount Amberley
John Russell, Viscount Amberley was the eldest son of John Russell, 1st Earl Russell. As such, from 1861 he took his father's junior title of Viscount Amberley, but he did not live to inherit the earldom; this passed, after his death, to his eldest son John Francis Stanley Russell, 2nd Earl Russell...
and his wife the Honourable Katharine (Kate) Stanley, and was raised by his paternal grandparents after his non-conventional parents both died young. He was the grandson of former prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
and elder brother of philosopher Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
. He was married three times, lastly to Elizabeth von Arnim
Elizabeth von Arnim
Elizabeth von Arnim , born Mary Annette Beauchamp, was an Australian-born British novelist. By marriage she became Gräfin von Arnim-Schlagenthin, and by a second marriage, Countess Russell...
, who is said to have caricatured him in her novel Vera
Vera (novel)
Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim is a black comedy based on her disastrous second marriage to Earl Russell: a mordant analysis of the romantic delusions through which wives acquiesce in husbands' tyrannies. In outline the story of this utterly unromantic novel anticipates DuMaurier's Rebecca. Naive Lucy...
. Despite his landmark achievements in other respects, this Earl Russell is most famous for being tried for bigamy
Bigamy
In cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...
in 1901. Thenceforth, he was known to Edwardian society as the "Wicked Earl".
Marital history
Frank Russell was twice divorced, and separated permanently from his third and last wife three years after they married. He was also known to have had extramarital affairs.His first wife was Mary Edith Scott (Mabel). They married in 1890, and Mabel tried to divorce him (and lost) in 1891; she sued for restoration of conjugal rights in 1894. The earl requested a judicial separation in 1895, but she appealed and it was overturned. His mother-in-law also tried to harass him and was convicted for libel in 1897. Mabel, Countess Russell made her living by singing on the variety stage even while she was married to Frank Russell.
Russell next married Marion Cooke (born c.1857-1858), the divorced wife of George John Somerville, a twice-divorced daughter of an Irish master shoemaker, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1900, after establishing domicile in that country and obtaining a divorce in Nevada. The British authorities considered such a divorce invalid, and Lord Russell was arrested and was convicted of bigamy
Bigamy
In cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...
in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on 18 July 1901. He was sentenced to only three months in prison, on account of the "extreme torture" he had suffered in his first marriage. The first Countess Russell had already obtained a divorce, and he married Mrs Somerville on 31 October 1901, three days after it became absolute. His second wife divorced him in 1915, after obtaining an annual income for life, suggesting some collusion.
Russell married thirdly the novelist Elizabeth von Arnim
Elizabeth von Arnim
Elizabeth von Arnim , born Mary Annette Beauchamp, was an Australian-born British novelist. By marriage she became Gräfin von Arnim-Schlagenthin, and by a second marriage, Countess Russell...
(née Mary Annette Beauchamp), widow of Count Henning August von Arnim-Schlagenthin (d. 1910), the next year. Von Arnim, who had a three-year affair with H.G. Wells, ended her relationship with him when his other lover Rebecca West
Rebecca West
Cicely Isabel Fairfield , known by her pen name Rebecca West, or Dame Rebecca West, DBE was an English author, journalist, literary critic and travel writer. A prolific, protean author who wrote in many genres, West was committed to feminist and liberal principles and was one of the foremost public...
became pregnant. She became involved with Russell in 1914, and married Russell on 11 February 1916. The marriage failed quickly and acrimoniously, and the couple separated in 1919, or immediately (according to other sources). However, they never divorced. At the start of the Second World War, Von Arnim moved to the United States where she died.
Earl Russell had no children, but his second and third marriages brought him several stepchildren. His second wife Marion had one son by her first husband and two sons by her second husband. His third wife Elizabeth had five children by her first husband.
Russell as a motoring enthusiast
Lord Russell was issued England's first car numberplate, number A 1, in 1903.Ottaway (2007) comments that:
"In the early days before personalised number plates, the focus was on number plates such as A1. That particular number plate was sold by London county council in 1903 to the second Earl Russell, who queued for the entire night outside the council offices to have the right to be able to buy it. He beat someone else to it by just five seconds. Having acquired it, he sold it to the chairman of the London county council four years later, in 1907. History does not relate whether he made a profit."
Political career
Despite his conviction for bigamy and complicated marital history, he became the first peer to join the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
and was Labour's Leader in the House of Lords. He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Under-Secretary of State for India
Under-Secretary of State for India
This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the period of British rule between 1866 and 1948, and for Burma from 1858-1948....
in Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
's government 1929-1931.
As Under-Secretary of State for Transport, he introduced the highway code and abolished speed limits. He went on to become Secretary of State for India. The Ramsay MacDonald Government later reintroduced speed limits, but waited until the second Earl Russell had died on 3 March 1931.
During his life, Russell spoke for reform of the divorce laws, but his efforts to obtain such reforms starting in 1902 were partly negated by his own personal history.
Other activities
Russell supported his brother's pacifism and anti-War stand during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and was a close friend of George Santayana
George Santayana
George Santayana was a philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist. A lifelong Spanish citizen, Santayana was raised and educated in the United States and identified himself as an American. He wrote in English and is generally considered an American man of letters...
.
Further reading
Anonymous. Russell's parents and grandparents. This university website has portraits of the 2nd Earl Russell and describes him as "already quite uncontrollable, as later demonstrated by his marital and financial turbulence" when he came to live with his grandparents.Rupert Furneaux. Tried by their Peers. Cassell, London, 1959. Two chapters are devoted to trials for bigamy, that of Elizabeth Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston and that of the 2nd Earl Russell.
Ian Watson. "Mollie, Countess Russell", Russell: the Journal of Bertrand Russell Studies 23 (2003): 65-68.