James Graham, 4th Duke of Montrose
Encyclopedia
James Graham, 4th Duke of Montrose KT
, PC (16 July 1799 – 30 December 1874), styled Marquess of Graham until 1836, was a British Conservative
politician.
, by his second wife Lady Caroline Marie, daughter of George Montagu, 4th Duke of Manchester
. He was educated at Eton
and Trinity College, Cambridge
.
cricket
appearance for England in 1828 against Hampshire
.
, despite not having a seat in parliament, and was sworn of the Privy Council the same year. He remained as Vice-Chamberlain until 1827. He was returned to Parliament for Cambridge
in 1825, a seat he held until 1832, and served as a Commissioner of the India Board between 1828 and 1830. In 1836 he succeeded his father in the dukedom and entered the House of Lords
.
When the Earl of Derby
became Prime Minister in February 1852, Montrose was appointed Lord Steward of the Household, a post he retained until the government fell in December of the same year. He again served under Derby as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
between 1858 and 1859 and under Derby and later Benjamin Disraeli as Postmaster General
between 1866 and 1868, although he was never a member of the cabinet. As Postmaster-General he introduced the Electric Telegraphs Bill which resulted in the transfer of British telegraph companies to the Post Office.
Apart from his political career Montrose served as Chancellor of the University of Glasgow
between 1837 and 1874 (succeeding his father) and as Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire
between 1843 and 1874. He was made a Knight of the Thistle
in 1845.
He died in December 1874, aged 75, and was succeeded in the dukedom by his son, Douglas, Marquess of Graham
. The Duchess of Montrose later remarried and died in November 1894.
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, PC (16 July 1799 – 30 December 1874), styled Marquess of Graham until 1836, was a British Conservative
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.
Background and education
Montrose was the son of James Graham, 3rd Duke of MontroseJames Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose
James Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose KG, KT, PC , styled Marquess of Graham until 1790, was a Scottish nobleman and statesman.-Background:...
, by his second wife Lady Caroline Marie, daughter of George Montagu, 4th Duke of Manchester
George Montagu, 4th Duke of Manchester
George Montagu, 4th Duke of Manchester PC was a British politician and diplomat.Manchester was the son of Robert Montagu, 3rd Duke of Manchester....
. 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 Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
.
Cricket
Montrose made a single first-classFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
appearance for England in 1828 against Hampshire
Hampshire county cricket teams
Hampshire county cricket teams have been traced back to the 18th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that...
.
Political career
In 1821, aged 21, Montrose was appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdVice-Chamberlain of the Household
The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is usually a junior government whip in the British House of Commons and is an officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. He or she is the Deputy to the Lord Chamberlain of the Household. The Vice-Chamberlain's main role is to compile...
, despite not having a seat in parliament, and was sworn of the Privy Council the same year. He remained as Vice-Chamberlain until 1827. He was returned to Parliament for Cambridge
Cambridge (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridge is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
in 1825, a seat he held until 1832, and served as a Commissioner of the India Board between 1828 and 1830. In 1836 he succeeded his father in the dukedom and entered 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....
.
When the Earl of Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
became Prime Minister in February 1852, Montrose was appointed Lord Steward of the Household, a post he retained until the government fell in December of the same year. He again served under Derby as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
between 1858 and 1859 and under Derby and later Benjamin Disraeli as Postmaster General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
between 1866 and 1868, although he was never a member of the cabinet. As Postmaster-General he introduced the Electric Telegraphs Bill which resulted in the transfer of British telegraph companies to the Post Office.
Apart from his political career Montrose served as Chancellor of the University of Glasgow
Chancellor of the University of Glasgow
The Chancellor is the titular head of the University of Glasgow and President of the General Council, by whom he is elected. The office is intended to be held for life. His principal duty is to confer degrees upon those presented to him by the Senate, although this role is usually carried out by...
between 1837 and 1874 (succeeding his father) and as Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire
Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire
This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Stirlingshire in Scotland. The office was abolished in 1975, and replaced with the Lord Lieutenant of Stirling and Falkirk.* David Erskine, 9th Earl of Buchan 1713 – 1715...
between 1843 and 1874. He was made a Knight of the Thistle
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
in 1845.
Family
Montrose married the Hon. Caroline Agnes, daughter of John Horsley-Beresford, 2nd Baron Decies, in 1836. They had several children.He died in December 1874, aged 75, and was succeeded in the dukedom by his son, Douglas, Marquess of Graham
Douglas Graham, 5th Duke of Montrose
Douglas Beresford Malise Ronald Graham, 5th Duke of Montrose KT was a Scottish nobleman.The 3rd son of 4th Duke and Caroline Agnes, youngest daughter of the 2nd Lord Decies, he was educated at Eton College and succeeded his father in 1874.He joined the Coldstream Guards in 1872, transferred to...
. The Duchess of Montrose later remarried and died in November 1894.