The Viscount Bledisloe | |
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| 4th Governor-General of New Zealand | |
| In office 19 March 1930 – 15 March 1935 | |
| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Joseph Ward George Forbes |
| Preceded by | Sir Charles Fergusson |
| Succeeded by | The Viscount Galway |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries | |
| In office 11 November 1924 – 5 February 1928 | |
| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Stanley Baldwin |
| Preceded by | Walter Smith |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Stradbroke |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food Control | |
| In office 12 December 1916 – 2 July 1917 | |
| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | David Lloyd George |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | John Robert Clynes |
| Member of theHouse of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| In office 15 October 1918 – 3 July 1958 Hereditary Peerage | |
| Preceded by | Peerage created |
| Succeeded by | The 2nd Viscount Bledisloe |
| Member of Parliament forWilton | |
| In office 15 January 1910 – 15 October 1918 | |
| Preceded by | Levi Lapper Morse |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Morrison |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1867-09-21)21 September 1867 London, England |
| Died | 3 July 1958(1958-07-03) (aged 90) Lydney, Gloucestershire, England |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Bertha Susan Lopes, Alina Kate Elaine Cooper-Smith |
| Children | 3 |
Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe,GCMG, KBE, KStJ, PC (21 September 1867 – 3 July 1958) was a BritishConservative politician and colonial governor. He wasGovernor-General of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935.
Bathurst was born in London, the second son of Charles Bathurst, ofLydney Park, Gloucestershire, and Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel Thomas Hay by Georgette Arnaud. He was educated at Sherborne School,[1]Eton College and thenUniversity College, Oxford, where he graduated with a law degree in 1890. He then studied law and was admitted to theInner Temple in 1892, when he gained aMaster of Arts from Oxford. He was alsocalled to the bar.[2] He inherited Lydney Park on the death of his elder brother.
Bathurst worked as abarrister and conveyancer. In1910 he enteredparliament representing theConservative Party as MP for theSouth or Wilton division ofWiltshire. He served asParliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food.
During theFirst World War of 1914–1918, Bathurst joined the Royal Engineers Special Reserves, and then served in Southern Command as Assistant Military Secretary at the War Office.[citation needed] He carried out the task of ensuring the country had a supply of sugar when asked to chair the Royal Commission on Sugar Supply until 1919. Bathurst was appointed aKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1917, and raised to the peerage asBaron Bledisloe ofLydney in theCounty of Gloucester on 15 October 1918. He remained in parliament until 1928, serving asParliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1924 onwards. The following yearBristol University granted him an honorary Doctorate of Science. He served as a member of thePrivy Council from 1926. Stanley Baldwin appointed Lord Bledisloe to chair the Royal Commission on Land Drainage, probably owing to his own experiences on the banks of theSevern in Gloucestershire. This was his last such honour before being posted overseas.
After leaving parliament, Lord Bledisloe was created aKnight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George and invested a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem on appointment as thefourthGovernor-General of New Zealand, an office he held from 1930 until 1935, proving to be well liked and respected.
His social conscience was much appreciated during theDepression era, as was his insistence that his salary should be cut as were the salaries of public servants at the time. Bledisloe also contributed to improvedPākehā–Māori relations, purchasing the site where theTreaty of Waitangi was signed and presenting it to the nation as a memorial. In 1934, the site was dedicated as a national reserve. The dedication ceremony attracted thousands of people, both Māori and Pākehā. Bledisloe continued to take an interest in the site even after his term expired and he returned to England. He also contributed to the recognition of theMāori King Movement by developing a friendship withKing Koroki andTe Puea Herangi, and his willingness to use the title "king" without reticence.[2]
Bledisloe also promoted various causes and events by the presentation of trophies, notably theBledisloe Cup, the trophy for an ongoingrugby union competition between New Zealand and Australia, first awarded in 1932, and currently contested annually.[2] He also initiated the New Zealand Chess Federation inter-club championship trophy, also called theBledisloe Cup.
Bledisloe was afreemason. During his term as governor-general, he was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand.[3]
In 1935, Bledisloe was awarded theKing George V Silver Jubilee Medal,[4] honorary doctorate of civil laws (DCL) from Oxford, and honorary doctorate of Law (LLD) from Edinburgh. Upon returning to England he was elevated on 24 June 1935 toViscount Bledisloe, ofLydney in the County of Gloucester.[2] He continued to serve on a number of committees and councils, and was made a fellow ofUniversity College, Oxford and Pro-Vice Chancellor ofBristol. He received the King's Coronation Medal from George VI in 1937 and was admitted at the same time as Fellow of theSociety of Antiquaries.
Bledisloe was a director ofLloyds Bank and theAustralian Mutual Provident Society; and latterly also of theP & O Steamship Company.
Lord Bledisloe chaired theBledisloe Commission, also known as the Rhodesia-Nyasaland Royal Commission, appointed in 1937–39 to examine the possible closer union of the three British territories in Central Africa:Southern Rhodesia,Northern Rhodesia andNyasaland. These territories were to some degree economically inter-dependent, and it was suggested that an association would promote their rapid development. (The three territories would ultimately unite as theFederation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1953.)
In 1943, he created theEmpire Knowledge Trophies, a school competition to promote theBritish Empire to grammar and secondary technical schools.[5] The competition was organized by the Gloucestershire Education Committee. Lord Blesdisloe himself often attended to present the prizes to the pupils.
On his 90th birthday he endowed theBledisloe Gold Medal for Landowners of theRoyal Agricultural Society of England, to be awarded annually for the application of science or technology to some branch of British husbandry.[6]
Bledisloe died, aged 90, at Lydney on 3 July 1958, and was succeeded as Viscount Bledisloe by his eldest son,Benjamin Ludlow Bathurst.
Charles Bathurst married Hon Bertha Susan, daughter ofHenry Lopes, 1st Baron Ludlow by Cordelia Clark. They had two boys and a girl.
Bertha died in 1926 and Bathurst remarried in 1928 to Alina Kate Elaine Cooper-Smith (née Jenkins), the daughter ofLord Glantawe.[7][8][9] Alina died in 1956.[9]
Upon its formation in 1888, Bathurst was invited to become President ofLydney Rugby Football Club. He held this position for 70 years until his death and was succeeded as by his eldest son,Benjamin. The Australia – New ZealandBledisloe Cup, andBledisloe Park sports ground in New Zealand, are named for Bledisloe.
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| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forWilton 1910–1918 | Succeeded by |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor-General of New Zealand 1930–1935 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| New office | President ofLydney Rugby Football Club 1888–1958 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Viscount Bledisloe 1935–1958 | Succeeded by |
| Baron Bledisloe 1918–1958 | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
