John Annan Bryce
Encyclopedia
John Annan Bryce was a Scottish
businessman and Liberal
politician.
and his wife Margaret Young, daughter of James Young. His elder brother was the 1st Viscount Bryce
. Bryce was educated at Balliol College, Oxford
and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
, winning the Brackenbury Scholarship. He studied first at the University of Edinburgh
, then made his Master of Arts
at the University of Glasgow
. On 2 August 1888, he married Violet L'Estrange, daughter of Captain Champagne L'Estrange. They had two sons and two daughters.
and was chairman of the Rangoon Chamber of Commerce. He served in the Legislative Council of Burma and made several expeditions into unknown regions of Siam. After his return to England, Bryce became a director of the London and County Bank. He was the director of Naval Construction & Armament Co in 1907 and became then the director of Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway
until 1914. During the same time he was also director of British Westinghouse
and of Burma Railways. He was twice a council member of the Royal Geographical Society
.
In 1906, Bryce entered the British House of Commons
, sitting as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for Inverness Burghs
until 1918. Following his first election, he was appointed to the Royal Commission on Congestion in Ireland, in which he stayed for two years.
, close to Glengarriff
in County Cork. Assisted by landscape architect and horticulturist Harold Peto
, he created, 1911 to 1914, the sub-tropical gardens which to this day (now maintained by the Irish government) remain a notable attraction.
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...
businessman and 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...
politician.
Background and family
He was the son of the politician James BryceJames Bryce
James Bryce may refer to:*James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce , British jurist, historian and politician*James W. Bryce , American inventor and pioneer in magnetic data recording...
and his wife Margaret Young, daughter of James Young. His elder brother was the 1st Viscount Bryce
James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce
James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce OM, GCVO, PC, FRS, FBA was a British academic, jurist, historian and Liberal politician.-Background and education:...
. Bryce was educated at Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, winning the Brackenbury Scholarship. He studied first at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, then made his Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
. On 2 August 1888, he married Violet L'Estrange, daughter of Captain Champagne L'Estrange. They had two sons and two daughters.
Career
Bryce worked as merchant in IndiaIndia
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 was chairman of the Rangoon Chamber of Commerce. He served in the Legislative Council of Burma and made several expeditions into unknown regions of Siam. After his return to England, Bryce became a director of the London and County Bank. He was the director of Naval Construction & Armament Co in 1907 and became then the director of Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway
Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway
The Bombay, Baroda, and Central India Railway was a company incorporated in 1855 to undertake the task of constructing a railway line between Bombay and Vadodara in India. BB&CI completed the work in 1864...
until 1914. During the same time he was also director of British Westinghouse
British Westinghouse
British Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Company was a subsidiary of the American Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company. British Westinghouse would become a subsidiary of Metropolitan-Vickers in 1919; and after Metropolitan Vickers merged with British Thomson-Houston in 1929, it...
and of Burma Railways. He was twice a council member of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
.
In 1906, Bryce entered the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, sitting as a 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) for Inverness Burghs
Inverness Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Inverness Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918...
until 1918. Following his first election, he was appointed to the Royal Commission on Congestion in Ireland, in which he stayed for two years.
Ilnacullin
In 1910, Bryce bought from the British War Office Garnish (Garinish) Island, also known as IlnacullinIlnacullin
Ilnacullin, or sometimes Illaunacullin known locally as Garnish Island , is a very tranquil yet popular tourist attraction in Ireland, located in the small harbour of Glengarriff, County Cork which forms part of Bantry Bay...
, close to Glengarriff
Glengarriff
Glengarriff is a village of approximately 800 people on the N71 national secondary road in the south-west region of County Cork, Ireland. Known internationally as a tourism venue, it boasts many natural attractions...
in County Cork. Assisted by landscape architect and horticulturist Harold Peto
Harold Peto
Harold Ainsworth Peto was a British landscape architect and garden designer, who worked in Britain and in Provence, France.-Biography:...
, he created, 1911 to 1914, the sub-tropical gardens which to this day (now maintained by the Irish government) remain a notable attraction.