The Marquess of Willingdon | |
|---|---|
 Freeman-Thomasc. 1915 | |
| Viceroy and Governor-General of India | |
| In office 18 April 1931 – 18 April 1936 | |
| Monarchs | George V Edward VIII |
| Prime Minister | Ramsay MacDonald Stanley Baldwin |
| Preceded by | The Lord Irwin |
| Succeeded by | The Marquess of Linlithgow |
| 13th Governor General of Canada | |
| In office 5 August 1926 – 4 April 1931 | |
| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Canadian •W. L. M. King •R. B. Bennett British •Stanley Baldwin •Ramsay MacDonald |
| Preceded by | The Viscount Byng of Vimy |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Bessborough |
| More... | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1866-09-12)12 September 1866 Eastbourne,East Sussex, England |
| Died | 12 August 1941(1941-08-12) (aged 74) Ebury Street,Westminster,London, England |
| Spouse | |
| Education | Eton College |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Profession | Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1886–1901 |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant Major |
| Unit | Royal Sussex Militia Artillery |
Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon (12 September 1866 – 12 August 1941), styled as theEarl of Willingdon between 1931 and 1936, was a BritishLiberal politician and administrator who served asGovernor General of Canada and asViceroy and Governor-General of India.
Freeman-Thomas was born in England and educated atEton College and then theUniversity of Cambridge before serving for 15 years in the Sussex Artillery. He then entered the diplomatic and political fields, acting asaide-de-camp to his father-in-law when the latter wasGovernor of Victoria and, in 1900, was elected to theBritish House of Commons. He thereafter occupied a variety of government posts, including secretary to theBritish prime minister and, after being raised to the peerage as Lord Willingdon, asLord-in-waiting to KingGeorge V. From 1913, Willingdon held gubernatorial and viceregal offices throughout theBritish Empire, starting with thegovernorship of Bombay and then thegovernorship of Madras, before he was in 1926 appointed as the Governor-General of Canada to replace theViscount Byng of Vimy, occupying the post until succeeded by theEarl of Bessborough in 1931. Willingdon was immediately thereafter appointed asViceroy and Governor-General of India to replaceLord Irwin (later created Earl of Halifax), and he served in the post until succeeded by theMarquess of Linlithgow in 1936.
After the end of his viceregal tenure, Willingdon was installed as theLord Warden of the Cinque Ports and was elevated in the peerage as the Marquess of Willingdon. After representing Britain at a number of organisations and celebrations, Willingdon died in 1941 at his home inLondon, and his ashes were interred inWestminster Abbey.
Freeman Thomas was born the only son ofFreeman Frederick Thomas, an officer in the rifle brigade of Ratton and Yapton, and his wife, Mabel, daughter ofHenry Brand,Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (laterSpeaker of the House of Commons, who retired as 1stViscount Hampden). Before he was two, Thomas' father had died and he was raised thereafter by his mother, who sent him toEton College.[1] There, he acted as President of theEton Society and was for three years a member of the school'scricket team, serving as captain of the playing eleven during his final year. He carried this enthusiasm for sport on to theUniversity of Cambridge, where he was accepted toTrinity College after leaving Eton,[1] and was drafted into the Cambridge playing eleven, playing forSussex andI Zingari. His father had also played for Sussex. Upon his general admission from university, Freeman-Thomas then volunteered for fifteen years for the Sussex Artillery, achieving the rank ofmajor.[2]
In 1892, Freeman-Thomas assumed the additional surname ofFreeman bydeed poll[3] and married the Hon.Marie Brassey, the daughter ofThomas Brassey, then recently createdBaron Brassey. Freeman-Thomas often cited her as a source of support, stating once: "My wife has been a constant inspiration and encouragement."[4] The couple had two sons: Gerard, born 3 May 1893, andInigo, born 25 July 1899.[citation needed] Gerard was killed inWorld War I on 14 September 1914, and Inigo eventually succeeded his father as Marquess of Willingdon.
In 1897 Freeman-Thomas was appointedaide-de-camp to his father-in-law, who was then theGovernor of Victoria, Australia.[4] Upon his return to the United Kingdom, Freeman-Thomas joined theLiberal Party andin 1900 was elected to theBritish House of Commons to represent the borough ofHastings.[5] He then served as a juniorlord of the Treasury in theLiberal Cabinet that sat from December 1905 to January 1906.[6] Though he lost in theJanuary 1906 elections, Freeman-Thomas returned to the House of Commons by winning theby-election for Bodmin,[7] and, for some time, served as a secretary to theprime minister,H. H. Asquith. For his services in government, Freeman-Thomas was in 1910 elevated to thepeerage asBaron Willingdon ofRatton in theCounty of Sussex,[8] and the following year was appointed asLord-in-waiting to KingGeorge V, becoming a favourite tennis partner of the monarch.[4] His father-in-law was created Earl Brassey at the coronation in that year.
Willingdon was on 17 February 1913 appointed as theCrown Governor of Bombay, replacingthe Lord Sydenham of Combe,[9] and to mark this event, Willingdon was on 12 March 1913 honoured with induction into theOrder of the Indian Empire as a Knight Grand Commander (additional).[10] Within a year, however, the First World War had erupted, and India, as a part of theBritish Empire, was immediately drawn into the conflict. Lord Willingdon strove to serve the Allied cause, taking responsibility for treating the wounded from theMesopotamian campaign. In the midst of those dark times,Mahatma Gandhi returned to Bombay from South Africa and Willingdon was one of the first persons to welcome him and invite him toGovernment House for a formal meeting. This was the first meeting Willingdon had with Gandhi and he later described the Indian spiritual leader as "honest, but aBolshevik and for that reason very dangerous."
In 1917, the year before Willingdon's resignation of the governorship, a severe famine broke out in theKheda region of theBombay Presidency, which had far-reaching effects on the economy and left farmers in no position to pay their taxes. Still, the government insisted that tax not only be paid but also implemented a 23% increase to the levies to take effect that year. Kheda thus became the setting for Gandhi's firstsatyagraha in India, and, with support fromSardar Vallabhbhai Patel,Narhari Parikh,Mohanlal Pandya, andRavishankar Vyas, organised aGujarat sabha. The people under Gandhi's influence then rallied together and sent a petition to Willingdon, asking that he cancel the taxes for that year. However,the Cabinet refused and advised the Governor to begin confiscating property by force, leading Gandhi to thereafter employ non-violent resistance to the government, which eventually succeeded and made Gandhi famous throughout India after Willingdon's departure from the colony. For his actions there, in relation to governance and the war effort, Willingdon was on 3 June 1918 appointed by the King as a Knight Grand Commander of theOrder of the Star of India.[11]
Willingdon returned to the United Kingdom from Bombay only briefly before he was appointed on 10 April 1919 as thegovernor of Madras. This posting came shortly after theMontagu–Chelmsford Reforms of 1918 were formalised by theGovernment of India Act, which distributed power in India between the executive and legislative bodies.[12] Thus, in November 1920, Willingdon dropped thewrits of election for the first election for theMadras Legislative Council; however, due to their adherence to Gandhi'snon-cooperation movement, theIndian National Congress party refused to run any candidates and theJustice Party was subsequently swept into power. Willingdon appointedA. Subbarayalu Reddiar as his premier andPrince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (a former Governor General of Canada), opened the first meeting of the Legislative Assembly.
The following year, the Governor found himself dealing with a series of communal riots that in August 1921 broke out in theMalabar District.[13] Following a number of cases of arson, looting, and assaults,[14] Willingdon declared martial law just before thegovernment of India sent in a large force to quell the riots.[13][15] At around the same time, over 10,000 workers in the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills ofMadras city organised for six months a general strike contemporaneous with the non-cooperation movement, which also sparked riots between pro- and anti-strike workers that were again only put down with police intervention.[16][17]
When he returned once more to the United Kingdom at the end of his tenure as the Governor of Madras, Willingdon was made a viscount, becoming on 24 June 1924 theViscount Willingdon, of Ratton in the County of Sussex.[18]
It was announced on 5 August 1926 that George V had, by commission under theroyal sign-manual andsignet, approved the recommendation of hisBritish prime minister,Stanley Baldwin, to appoint Willingdon as his representative in Canada. The sittingConservativeBritish Cabinet had initially not considered Willingdon as a candidate for the governor generalcy, as he was seen to have less of the necessary knowledge of affairs and public appeal that other individuals held. However, the King himself put forward Willingdon's name for inclusion in the list sent to Canada, and it was that name that the thenCanadian prime minister,William Lyon Mackenzie King, chose as his preference for the nomination to the King.[19] George V readily accepted, and Willingdon was notified of his appointment while on a diplomatic mission inChina.
This would be the last Canadian viceregal appointment made by the monarch in his or her capacity assovereign of the United Kingdom, as it was decided at theImperial Conference in October 1926 that theDominions of theBritish Empire would thereafter be equal with one another, and the monarch would operate for a specific country only under the guidance of that country's ministers. Though this was not formalised until the enactment of theStatute of Westminster on 11 December 1931, the concept was brought into practice at the start of Willingdon's tenure as Governor General of Canada.[4]
TheBalfour Declaration of 1926, issued during the Imperial Conference, also declared that governors-general would cease to act as representatives of the British government in diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and individual dominions. Accordingly, in 1928, the United Kingdom appointed its firstHigh Commissioner to Canada thus effectively ending the governor general's, and Willingdon's, diplomatic role as the British government's envoy to Ottawa.[20]
Willingdon arrived atQuebec City in late 1926, and on 2 October was sworn in as governor-general in a ceremony in thesalon rouge of theparliament buildings of Quebec. His following journey toOttawa to take up residence in the country's official royal and viceroyal home,Rideau Hall, was just the first of many trips Willingdon took around Canada, meeting with a variety of Canadians and bringing with him what was described as "a sense of humour and an air of informality to his duties."[19] He also became the first governor general totravel by air, flying from Ottawa toMontreal and back, as well as the first to make official visits abroad; not only did he tour theCaribbean in 1929, but he further paid a visit to theUnited States, going there in 1927 to meet with and receive state honours fromPresidentCalvin Coolidge.[21] On that visit, the Governor General was welcomed inWashington bythe King's emissary to the US,Vincent Massey, who would later himself be appointed as Governor General of Canada.[4]
In Canada, Willingdon hosted members ofthe Royal Family, including the King's two sons,Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, andPrince George, who, along with Baldwin, came to Canada to participate in the celebrations of theDiamond Jubilee ofConfederation. The Princes resided at Rideau Hall and the Prince of Wales, accompanied by Willingdon, dedicated at thePeace Tower both thealtar of theMemorial Chamber and theDominion Carillon,[22] the first playing of which on that day was heard by listeners across the country on the first ever coast-to-coast radio broadcast in Canada.[23] This dedication marked the completion of theCentre Block ofParliament Hill, and the following year, Willingdon moved the annual governor general'sNew Year'slevée to that building from theEast Block, where the party had been held since 1870.[24] A few months before the end of his viceregal tenure in Canada, Willingdon was once more elevated in the peerage, becoming on 23 February 1931 theEarl of Willingdon andViscount Ratendone.[25]
In their time the viceroyal couple, the Earl and Countess of Willingdon fostered their appreciation of the arts, building on previous governor generalthe Earl Grey's Lord Grey Competition for Music and Drama by introducing the Willingdon Arts Competition, which dispensed awards for painting and sculpture. They also left at Rideau Hall a collection of carpets andobjets d'art that they had collected during their travels around India andChina, and many of which were restored in 1993 to theLong Gallery of Rideau Hall.[26] However, Willingdon's tastes also included sports, particularly fishing, tennis, skating, skiing, curling, cricket, and golf.[4] For the latter, he in 1927 donated to theRoyal Canadian Golf Association theWillingdon Cup for Canadian interprovincial amateur golf competition, which has been contested annually since that year.
During his residence in Ottawa, Willingdon was a regular attendee at home matches of theOttawa Senators, continuing a tradition of patronage by sitting Governors-General of the local professional club. In 1930, he donated a trophy to be awarded to the Senators player "of the greatest assistance to his team", which the organisation cheekily interpreted as an award for the player to lead the team in assists[27] and dubbed the Willington Trophy.
He had not been Governor General of Canada for five years before Willingdon received word that he was to be sent back to India as that country'sviceroy and governor general. After being appointed to theBritish Privy Council on 20 March 1931,[28] he was sworn in as such on 18 April 1931, merely two weeks after he was replaced in Canada bythe Earl of Bessborough. When Willingdon arrived again in India, the country was gripped by theGreat Depression and was soon leading Britain's departure from thegold standard, seeing thousands of tonnes of gold shipped to the United Kingdom through the port of Bombay. Of this, Willingdon said: "For the first time in history, owing to the economic situation, Indians are disgorging gold. We have sent to London in the past two or three months, £25,000,000 sterling and I hope that the process will continue."
Simultaneously, Willingdon found himself dealing with the consequences of the nationalistic movements thatGandhi had earlier started when Willingdon was Governor of Bombay and then Madras. TheIndia Office told Willingdon that he should conciliate only those elements of Indian opinion that were willing to work with the Raj. That did not includeNehru and theIndian National Congress, which launched its Civil Disobedience Movement on 4 January 1932. Therefore, Willingdon took decisive action.[29] He imprisoned Gandhi. He outlawed the Congress, he rounded up all members of the Working Committee and the Provincial Committees and imprisoned them, and banned Congress youth organisations. In total, he imprisoned 80,000 Indian activists. Without most of their leaders, protests were uneven and disorganized, boycotts were ineffective, illegal youth organisations proliferated but were ineffective, more women became involved, and there was terrorism, especially in theNorth-West Frontier Province. Gandhi remained in prison until 1933.[30][31] Willingdon relied on his military secretary,Hastings Ismay, for his personal safety.[32]
It was also by Willingdon's hand, as Governor-in-Council, that theLloyd Barrage was commissioned, seeing £20 million put into the construction of thebarrage across the mouth of theIndus River, which not only provided labour but also brought millions of hectares of land in theThar Desert underirrigation.[33] Further, Willingdon established theWillingdon Airfield (now known as Safdarjung Airport) inDelhi and, after he was denied entry to theRoyal Bombay Yacht Club because he was accompanied by Indian friends, despite his being the viceroy, Willingdon was motivated to establish theWillingdon Sports Club in Bombay, with membership open to both Indians and British and which still operates today.[34]As he had been in Canada, Willingdon acted for India asChief Scout of theBharat Scouts and Guides and took this role as more than anex-officio title. Convinced thatScouting would contribute greatly to the welfare of India, he promoted the organisation, especially in rural villages, and requested thatJ. S. Wilson pay special attention to cooperation between Scouting and village development.[35]
TheConstruction of New Delhi also took place under his rule.[36]
Once back in the United Kingdom, Willingdon associated withRoland Gwynne. Willingdon was one of the notable guests of parties at Gwynne'sEast Sussex estate,Folkington Manor.[37] He was also honoured by George V, not only by being appointed as theLord Warden of the Cinque Ports—one of the higher honours bestowed by the sovereign and normally reserved for members of the Royal Family and former prime ministers—but he was also elevated once more in the peerage, being createdMarquess of Willingdon by Edward VIII on 26 May 1936,[38] making him the most recent person to be promoted to such a rank.
Willingdon did not cease diplomatic life altogether: he undertook a goodwill mission toSouth America, representing the Ibero-American Institute, and chaired the British committee on the commissioning of army officers. In 1940, he also represented the United Kingdom at the celebrations for the centennial of the formation ofNew Zealand. The next year, however, on 12 August, the Marquess of Willingdon died at 5 Lygon Place, nearEbury Street, in London, and his ashes were interred inWestminster Abbey.
| Viceregal styles of the Viscount Willingdon (1926–1931) then the Earl of Willingdon (1931–1936) | |
|---|---|
 _(crowned).svg) | |
| Reference style | His Excellency The Right Honourable (in Canada, also)Son Excellence le très honorable |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency (in Canada, also)Votre Excellence |
_Ribbon.svg)
_ribbon.png)
18 July 1911 – 31 January 1913:Lord-in-Waiting to His Majesty the King[39][40]
3 June 1918 – 21 July 1941:Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India (GCSI)20 July 1926 – 21 July 1941:Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG)[41]12 March 1913 – 21 July 1941:Knight Grand Commander of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)4 December 1917 – 21 July 1941:Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (GBE)
5 August 1926 – 4 April 1931:Chief Scout for Canada5 August 1926 – 4 April 1931:Honorary Member of the Royal Military College of Canada Club20 March 1931 – 21 July 1941:Member of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council (PC)[42]1902:King Edward VII Coronation Medal1911:King George V Coronation Medal1935:King George V Silver Jubilee Medal1937:King George VI Coronation Medal5 August 1926 – 4 April 1931: Colonel ofthe Governor General's Horse Guards5 August 1926 – 4 April 1931: Colonel of theGovernor General's Foot Guards5 August 1926 – 4 April 1931: Colonel ofthe Canadian Grenadier Guards1936 – 21 July 1941: Colonel of the 5th battalion of theRoyal Sussex Regiment
Alberta:Mount Willingdon[43]Alberta:Willingdon
British Columbia:Willingdon Avenue,BurnabyBritish Columbia:Willingdon Heights,Burnaby
India:Willingdon Dam,JunagadhIndia:Willingdon Airport,New Delhi (later renamed Safdarjung Airport)India:IAF Willingdon,New DelhiIndia:Willingdon IslandBritish Columbia:Willingdon Secondary School,BurnabyIndia:Willingdon College,Sangli
Quebec:Willingdon Elementary School,Montreal  |
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| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Governor of Bombay 17 February 1913 – 16 December 1918 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Madras 10 April 1919 – 12 April 1924 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor General of Canada 1926–1931 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Viceroy of India 1931–1936 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forHastings 1900–1906 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forBodmin July 1906 –January 1910 | Succeeded by |
| Court offices | ||
| Preceded by | Lord-in-waiting 1911–1913 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 1936–1941 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Marquess of Willingdon 1936–1941 | Succeeded by |
| Earl of Willingdon 1931–1941 | ||
| Viscount Willingdon 1924–1941 | ||
| Baron Willingdon 1910–1941 | ||
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