John Pakington, 1st Baron Hampton
Encyclopedia
John Somerset Pakington, 1st Baron Hampton GCB
, PC FRS (20 February 1799 – 9 April 1880), known as Sir John Pakington, Bt from 1846 to 1874, was a British Conservative
politician.
family. Elizabeth was the sister and heiress of Sir John Pakington, the 8th and last Baronet Pakington of Ailesbury. John Somerset was educated at Eton
and Oriel College, Oxford and assumed in 1830 by Royal License the surname of Pakington in lieu of his patronymic on inheriting the estates of his maternal uncle. These included Westwood House in Worcestershire and Pakington moved in there with his first wife in 1832.
for Droitwich
in 1837, a seat he held until 1874. He was given office by Sir Robert Peel
in 1841 and created in 1846 first Baronet Pakington of the second creation, of Westwood in the County of Worcester. He next served under Lord Derby
as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
in 1852 and was sworn of the Privy Council the same year. The government lasted only a year and in opposition he developed an interest in education reform, introducing in 1855 an unsuccessful Education Bill which foreshadowed the 1870 Act.
With the Tories back in power he again held office under Lord Derby as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1858 to 1859 and from 1866 to 1867. As First Lord he commissioned the first ironclad warship, HMS Warrior, launched in 1860. Under Derby and his successor Benjamin Disraeli he was Secretary of State for War
from 1867 to 1868. He was appointed a GCB
in 1859.
He lost his seat as an MP in the 1874 election and was raised to the peerage as Baron Hampton, of Hampton Lovett and of Westwood in the County of Worcester.
from 1861 to 1863 and Chief Civil Service Commissioner
from 1875 until his death.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, PC FRS (20 February 1799 – 9 April 1880), known as Sir John Pakington, Bt from 1846 to 1874, 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
Born John Somerset Russell, Hampton was the son of William Russell and Elizabeth Pakington, the member of a prominent WorcestershireWorcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
family. Elizabeth was the sister and heiress of Sir John Pakington, the 8th and last Baronet Pakington of Ailesbury. John Somerset 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 and assumed in 1830 by Royal License the surname of Pakington in lieu of his patronymic on inheriting the estates of his maternal uncle. These included Westwood House in Worcestershire and Pakington moved in there with his first wife in 1832.
Political career
Hampton was elected at the fourth attempt as the Tory Member of ParliamentMember 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,...
for Droitwich
Droitwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Droitwich was the name of a constituency of the House of Commons of England in 1295, and again from 1554, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918...
in 1837, a seat he held until 1874. He was given office by Sir Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
in 1841 and created in 1846 first Baronet Pakington of the second creation, of Westwood in the County of Worcester. He next served under Lord 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...
as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a British cabinet level position responsible for the army and the British colonies . The Department was created in 1801...
in 1852 and was sworn of the Privy Council the same year. The government lasted only a year and in opposition he developed an interest in education reform, introducing in 1855 an unsuccessful Education Bill which foreshadowed the 1870 Act.
With the Tories back in power he again held office under Lord Derby as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1858 to 1859 and from 1866 to 1867. As First Lord he commissioned the first ironclad warship, HMS Warrior, launched in 1860. Under Derby and his successor Benjamin Disraeli he was Secretary of State for War
Secretary of State for War
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
from 1867 to 1868. He was appointed a GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1859.
He lost his seat as an MP in the 1874 election and was raised to the peerage as Baron Hampton, of Hampton Lovett and of Westwood in the County of Worcester.
Other public appointments
He served for many years as chairman of the Worcestershire Quarter Sessions. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in Jun, 1858. He was also President of the Royal Statistical SocietyRoyal Statistical Society
The Royal Statistical Society is a learned society for statistics and a professional body for statisticians in the UK.-History:It was founded in 1834 as the Statistical Society of London , though a perhaps unrelated London Statistical Society was in existence at least as early as 1824...
from 1861 to 1863 and Chief Civil Service Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
from 1875 until his death.