Thomas Buchanan (Liberal politician)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Ryburn Buchanan PC
(1846 – 7 April 1911) was a Scottish
Liberal
politician and bibliophile.
and educated at Sherborne School
and Balliol College, Oxford
. He later became a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford
, and was called to the Bar
.
but was successfully returned to Parliament for Edinburgh
in a 1881 by-election. This constituency was abolished in 1885 and he was elected for the newly created constituency of Edinburgh West
as a Liberal Unionist. However, in 1888 Buchanan announced that he supported William Ewart Gladstone
's Home Rule
policy. He resigned his seat and was elected by a narrow majority as a Gladstonian and Home Ruler the same year.
Buchanan lost the Edinburgh West seat in 1892 but returned to the House of Commons
in December the same year when he was elected to represent Aberdeenshire East in a by-election. He lost this seat in the 1900 general election
and remained out of the House of Commons for the next three years. However, in February 1903 he was returned as the member for Perthshire East, a seat he held until 1910. When the Liberals
came to power in December 1905 he was appointed Financial Secretary to the War Office
by Prime Minister Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
, a post he retained until April 1908. The latter month he was sworn of the Privy Council and made Under-Secretary of State for India
by the new Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith
. He remained in this post until June 1909.
and the Bodleian Library
, Oxford, after his death. He died in April 1911.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(1846 – 7 April 1911) was a Scottish
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...
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 and bibliophile.
Background and education
Buchanan was born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and educated at Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
and 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....
. He later became a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
, and was called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
.
Political career
In 1880 Buchanan unsuccessfully contested Haddington in the 1880 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1880
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* British Electoral Facts 1832-1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher *...
but was successfully returned to Parliament for Edinburgh
Edinburgh (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh was a burgh 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 until 1885. Originally a single member constituency, representation was increased to two members in 1832...
in a 1881 by-election. This constituency was abolished in 1885 and he was elected for the newly created constituency of Edinburgh West
Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1885 general election...
as a Liberal Unionist. However, in 1888 Buchanan announced that he supported 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...
's Home Rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
policy. He resigned his seat and was elected by a narrow majority as a Gladstonian and Home Ruler the same year.
Buchanan lost the Edinburgh West seat in 1892 but returned to the 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...
in December the same year when he was elected to represent Aberdeenshire East in a by-election. He lost this seat in the 1900 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
and remained out of the House of Commons for the next three years. However, in February 1903 he was returned as the member for Perthshire East, a seat he held until 1910. When the Liberals
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...
came to power in December 1905 he was appointed Financial Secretary to the War Office
Financial Secretary to the War Office
Financial Secretary to the War Office was an office of the British government, the financial secretary of the War Office department.The post was combined with that of Under-Secretary of State for War from 17 April 1947....
by Prime Minister Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
, a post he retained until April 1908. The latter month he was sworn of the Privy Council and made Under-Secretary of State for India
Under-Secretary of State for India
This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the period of British rule between 1866 and 1948, and for Burma from 1858-1948....
by the new Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
. He remained in this post until June 1909.
Personal life
Buchanan was also a noted collector of books and manuscripts. Some of his collections were donated by his widow to the University of EdinburghUniversity 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...
and the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
, Oxford, after his death. He died in April 1911.