Frederic Rogers, 1st Baron Blachford
Encyclopedia
Frederic Rogers, 1st Baron Blachford (31 January 1811 – 21 November 1889), British
civil servant, eldest son of Sir Frederick Leman Rogers, 7th Baronet (whom he succeeded in the baronetcy in 1851), was born in London
.
He was educated at Eton
and Oriel College, Oxford, where he had a brilliant career, winning the Craven University scholarship, and taking a double first-class in classics and mathematics. He became a fellow of Oriel College in 1833, and won the Vinerian Scholarship
(1834), and fellowship (1840). He was called to the bar
in 1837, but never practised.
At school and at Oxford he was a contemporary of William Ewart Gladstone
, and at Oxford he began a lifelong friendship with J. H. Newman and R. W. Church
; his classical and literary tastes, and his combination of liberalism in politics with High Church views in religion, together with his good social position and interesting character, made him an admired member of their circles.
For two or three years (1841–1844) he wrote for The Times
, and he helped to found The Guardian
in 1846; he also did a good deal to assist the Tractarian movement. But he eventually settled down to the life of a government official.
He began in 1844 as registrar of joint-stock companies
, and in 1846 became commissioner of lands and emigration. Between 1857 and 1859 he was engaged in government missions abroad, connected with colonial questions, and in 1860 he was appointed permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
. Sir Frederic Rogers was the guiding spirit of the Colonial Office
under six successive secretaries of state
, and on his retirement in 1871 was raised to the Peerage
as Baron Blachford, of Wisdome in the County of Devon, a title taken from his country home. His Barony became extinct upon his death in 1889.
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...
civil servant, eldest son of Sir Frederick Leman Rogers, 7th Baronet (whom he succeeded in the baronetcy in 1851), was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Oriel College, Oxford, where he had a brilliant career, winning the Craven University scholarship, and taking a double first-class in classics and mathematics. He became a fellow of Oriel College in 1833, and won the Vinerian Scholarship
Vinerian Scholarship
The Vinerian Scholarship is a scholarship given to the University of Oxford student that "gives the best performance in the examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Civil Law." Currently, £2,400 is given to the winner of the scholarship, with an additional £950 awarded to a proxime accessit...
(1834), and fellowship (1840). He was called to the bar
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
in 1837, but never practised.
At school and at Oxford he was a contemporary of William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
, and at Oxford he began a lifelong friendship with J. H. Newman and R. W. Church
Richard William Church
Richard William Church was an English churchman and writer. He was son of Christopher Church, brother of Sir Richard Church, a merchant, was born in Newport, his early years being mostly spent in Bulwark, part of Chepstow, Monmouthshire...
; his classical and literary tastes, and his combination of liberalism in politics with High Church views in religion, together with his good social position and interesting character, made him an admired member of their circles.
For two or three years (1841–1844) he wrote for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, and he helped to found The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 1846; he also did a good deal to assist the Tractarian movement. But he eventually settled down to the life of a government official.
He began in 1844 as registrar of joint-stock companies
Joint stock company
A joint-stock company is a type of corporation or partnership involving two or more individuals that own shares of stock in the company...
, and in 1846 became commissioner of lands and emigration. Between 1857 and 1859 he was engaged in government missions abroad, connected with colonial questions, and in 1860 he was appointed permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and, from 1948, also to a Minister of State....
. Sir Frederic Rogers was the guiding spirit of the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
under six successive secretaries of state
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies....
, and on his retirement in 1871 was raised to the Peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
as Baron Blachford, of Wisdome in the County of Devon, a title taken from his country home. His Barony became extinct upon his death in 1889.