William Brampton Gurdon
Encyclopedia
Sir William Brampton Gurdon KCMG, CB
, JP
(5 September 1840 – 31 May 1911) was a British civil servant who became a Liberal Party
politician.
) of Letton, Norfolk and his wife Henrietta Susanna, daughter of the 1st Baron Colborne
. He was educated at Eton
and at Trinity College, Cambridge
, where he graduated in 1863 with a BA
degree.
as a clerk in 1863, and became private secretary to William Ewart Gladstone
when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer
from 1865 to 1866 and when Prime Minister
from 1868 to 1874.
Gurdon stood unsuccessfully in South West Norfolk. He was unsuccessful again at Rotherhithe
in 1886
and in Colchester
at a by-election in 1888.
He finally entered Parliament on his fourth attempt, when he was elected at a by-election in March 1899 as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for North Norfolk
. He held the seat for 11 years, until he stood down at the January 1910 general election.
He was also a Justice of the Peace
(JP) for Suffolk, and a member of East Suffolk County Council. He was sworn as a Privy Counsellor
in July 1907, and became Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
in October 1907.
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...
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(5 September 1840 – 31 May 1911) was a British civil servant who became a Liberal Party
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.
Early life
Gurdon was the youngest son of Brampton Gurdon (MP for West NorfolkWest Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)
West Norfolk or Norfolk Western was a county constituency in the county of Norfolk, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.The constituency was created by the Reform Act 1832 for the 1832 general...
) of Letton, Norfolk and his wife Henrietta Susanna, daughter of the 1st Baron Colborne
Nicholas Ridley-Colborne, 1st Baron Colborne
Nicholas William Ridley-Colborne, 1st Baron Colborne was a British politician.-Background:Born Nicholas Ridley, he was the younger son of Sir Matthew White Ridley, 2nd Baronet, and Mary , daughter of Benjamin Colborne...
. 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 at 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...
, where he graduated in 1863 with a BA
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...
degree.
Career
Gurdon entered the TreasuryHM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
as a clerk in 1863, and became private secretary to 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...
when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
from 1865 to 1866 and when Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
from 1868 to 1874.
Parliament
At the 1885 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
Gurdon stood unsuccessfully in South West Norfolk. He was unsuccessful again at Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe (UK Parliament constituency)
Rotherhithe was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Rotherhithe district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
in 1886
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
and in Colchester
Colchester (UK Parliament constituency)
Colchester 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 system of election.-History:...
at a by-election in 1888.
He finally entered Parliament on his fourth attempt, when he was elected at a by-election in March 1899 as the 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 North Norfolk
North Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)
North Norfolk 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 system of election....
. He held the seat for 11 years, until he stood down at the January 1910 general election.
He was also a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(JP) for Suffolk, and a member of East Suffolk County Council. He was sworn as a Privy Counsellor
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...
in July 1907, and became Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk. Since 1642, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Suffolk.-Lord Lieutenants of Suffolk:*Sir Anthony Wingfield 1551–1552 jointly with*? 1551–?...
in October 1907.