John Savile, 4th Earl of Mexborough
Encyclopedia
John Charles George Savile, 4th Earl of Mexborough (4 June 1810 – 17 August 1899), styled Viscount Pollington between 1830 and 1860, was a British peer and Tory politician. He impressed his friends enough to be twice fictionalised, and at his death he was the last surviving person to have been a member of the House of Commons
before the passing of the Reform Act
.
, and Lady Anne, daughter of Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke
. At Eton
between 1821 and 1826, he was renowned for his abilities in the classics, and also enjoyed boxing
; Savile was said to have entertained contemporaries at one boxing match by "strutting around the ring, spouting Homer
" between rounds. From there he went to Trinity College
, Cambridge
in 1827-8.
of Gatton
in 1831, a borough under the control of his cousin Lord Monson. At the time of his election he was under-age but Parliament did not meet until after his 21st birthday. Pollington voted consistently against the Reform Bill
and also voted to end the grant
to the Roman Catholic Maynooth College. Gatton was among the boroughs disfranchised by the Reform Act, and Pollington did not attempt to find an alternative constituency at the 1832 general election
.
After leaving Parliament, Pollington went on an extensive foreign tour of Russia, Persia and India, taking notes in a journal which was published as "Notes on a Journey from Erz-Rûm .. to Aleppo" in the London Geographical Journal in 1841. In 1834 he joined his Eton contemporary Alexander William Kinglake
on an expedition through the Ottoman Empire. Kinglake's novel "Eothen" includes a character called Methley who is based on Pollington: Methley is a knowledgeable classical scholar with "the practical sagacity of a Yorkshireman". Pollington returned to Britain in 1835, in time for his election as Member of Parliament for Pontefract
as a supporter of Sir Robert Peel
at the general election
.
After sitting out the Parliament of 1837-1841, Pollington again represented Pontefract between 1841 and 1847. He was nominated as a candidate in a byelection in the borough in 1851, in his absence and without his knowledge. Pollington became a close friend of Benjamin Disraeli, and shortly after he married the "very wild and gay" Lady Rachel Katherine, daughter of Horatio Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford
in 1842, Disraeli featured the couple as 'Lord and Lady Gaverstock' in Coningsby
. Tragically Pollington's first wife died in June 1854.
it did not entitle him to a seat in the House of Lords
. In July 1861 at St Mary's, Bryanston Square
he married Agnes Louisa Elizabeth, daughter of John Raphael. In 1894 Mexborough converted to the Roman Catholic faith of his wife, who died in December 1898. Lord Mexborough survived her by only a few months and died in Brighton in August 1899, aged 89. At the time of his death he was the last survivor from the unreformed House of Commons
. He was succeeded in the earldom by his son from his first marriage, John.
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...
before the passing of the Reform Act
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
.
Background
Savile was the son of John Savile, 3rd Earl of MexboroughJohn Savile, 3rd Earl of Mexborough
John Savile, 3rd Earl of Mexborough , styled Viscount Pollington until 1830, was a British peer and Tory politician.-Background:...
, and Lady Anne, daughter of Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke
Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke
Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke KG, PC, FRS , known as Philip Yorke until 1790, was a British politician.-Background and education:...
. 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"....
between 1821 and 1826, he was renowned for his abilities in the classics, and also enjoyed boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
; Savile was said to have entertained contemporaries at one boxing match by "strutting around the ring, spouting Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
" between rounds. From there he went to Trinity College
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...
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1827-8.
Political career
Pollington was returned to Parliament for the rotten boroughRotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
of Gatton
Gatton (UK Parliament constituency)
Gatton was a parliamentary borough in Surrey, one of the most notorious of all the rotten boroughs. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1450 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act...
in 1831, a borough under the control of his cousin Lord Monson. At the time of his election he was under-age but Parliament did not meet until after his 21st birthday. Pollington voted consistently against the Reform Bill
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
and also voted to end the grant
Maynooth Grant
The Maynooth Grant was a major British political controversy of the 1840s which arose partly due to the general anti-Irish and anti-Catholic feelings of the British population....
to the Roman Catholic Maynooth College. Gatton was among the boroughs disfranchised by the Reform Act, and Pollington did not attempt to find an alternative constituency at the 1832 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1832
-Seats summary:-Parties and leaders at the general election:The Earl Grey had been Prime Minister since 22 November 1830. His was the first predominantly Whig administration since the Ministry of all the Talents in 1806-1807....
.
After leaving Parliament, Pollington went on an extensive foreign tour of Russia, Persia and India, taking notes in a journal which was published as "Notes on a Journey from Erz-Rûm .. to Aleppo" in the London Geographical Journal in 1841. In 1834 he joined his Eton contemporary Alexander William Kinglake
Alexander William Kinglake
Alexander William Kinglake was an English travel writer and historian.He was born near Taunton, Somerset and educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge...
on an expedition through the Ottoman Empire. Kinglake's novel "Eothen" includes a character called Methley who is based on Pollington: Methley is a knowledgeable classical scholar with "the practical sagacity of a Yorkshireman". Pollington returned to Britain in 1835, in time for his election as Member of Parliament for Pontefract
Pontefract (UK Parliament constituency)
Pontefract was an English parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Pontefract in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons briefly in the 13th century and again from 1621 until 1885, and one member from 1885 to 1974.-In the unreformed...
as a supporter of 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...
at the general election
United Kingdom general election, 1835
The 1835 United Kingdom general election was called when Parliament was dissolved on 29 December 1834. Polling took place between 6 January and 6 February 1835, and the results saw Robert Peel's Conservatives make large gains from their low of the 1832 election, but the Whigs maintained a large...
.
After sitting out the Parliament of 1837-1841, Pollington again represented Pontefract between 1841 and 1847. He was nominated as a candidate in a byelection in the borough in 1851, in his absence and without his knowledge. Pollington became a close friend of Benjamin Disraeli, and shortly after he married the "very wild and gay" Lady Rachel Katherine, daughter of Horatio Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford
Horatio Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford
Horatio Walpole, 3rd Earl of Orford , styled Lord Walpole between 1809 and 1822, was a British peer and politician.-Background:...
in 1842, Disraeli featured the couple as 'Lord and Lady Gaverstock' in Coningsby
Coningsby (novel)
Coningsby, or The New Generation, is an English political novel by Benjamin Disraeli published in 1844.-Background:The book is set against a background of the real political events of the 1830s in England that followed the enactment of the Reform Bill of 1832...
. Tragically Pollington's first wife died in June 1854.
Peerage
In 1860 he succeeded his father in the earldom. However, as this was an Irish peeragePeerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
it did not entitle him to a seat 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....
. In July 1861 at St Mary's, Bryanston Square
St Mary's, Bryanston Square
St Mary's, Bryanston Square, is a Church of England church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Bryanston Square, London, just a five minute walk from any of Marylebone, Baker Street or Edgware Road tube stations...
he married Agnes Louisa Elizabeth, daughter of John Raphael. In 1894 Mexborough converted to the Roman Catholic faith of his wife, who died in December 1898. Lord Mexborough survived her by only a few months and died in Brighton in August 1899, aged 89. At the time of his death he was the last survivor from the unreformed 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...
. He was succeeded in the earldom by his son from his first marriage, John.