Lord George Bentinck | |
|---|---|
 Portrait bySamuel Lane, 1836 | |
| Member of Parliament forKing's Lynn | |
| In office 1828–1848 | |
| Preceded by | William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck John Walpole |
| Succeeded by | Edward Stanley Viscount Jocelyn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1802-02-27)27 February 1802 Welbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire |
| Died | 21 September 1848(1848-09-21) (aged 46) The Dukeries, Nottinghamshire |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Whig |
| Other political affiliations | Conservative |
| Parents |
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Lord William George Frederick Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck (27 February 1802 – 21 September 1848), better known asLord George Bentinck, was an EnglishConservative politician andracehorse owner noted for his role (withBenjamin Disraeli) in unseatingSir Robert Peel over theCorn Laws.
Bentinck was born into the prominentBentinck family, the fifth child and third son ofWilliam Bentinck, 4th Duke of Portland andHenrietta (née Scott).[1] His mother was the daughter, and along with her two sisters, the heiress, of the richGeneral John Scott ofFife.
Bentinck was known by the name George, as all the men in his family were given the first name William. He was educated privately and grew up on his father'sWelbeck Abbey estate in Nottinghamshire and atFullarton House, near Troon, Ayrshire, where his father developed the docks.[2]
In 1818, Bentinck and his older brotherJohn joined the army, but personal conflicts derailed his military career. As an officer in the9th Lancers, he called his superior officer, Captain John Ker, a "poltroon", in February 1821. Ker levelled charges against Bentinck of "inattention to duty and contemptuous, insubordinate and disrespectful behaviour." Bentinck requested an inquiry into the charges and was ultimately cleared. However, the incident would not die and in May 1821 in Paris, Bentinck and Ker were prepared to duel. Bentinck's uncleGeorge Canning interceded and stopped the event.[2]
Bentinck returned to England and exchanged regiments with the plan of going to India. In May 1822, he was assigned asaide-de-camp to Canning, who had accepted the position ofGovernor-General of India. Instead, Canning became foreign secretary afterthe Marquess of Londonderry committed suicide. Canning requested both George and John be his non-stipendiary private secretaries "to wean them from their too great zeal in the chase and too great idleness in every other respect." John declined, joining theLife Guard Regiment, but George accepted the position.[2]
In 1824, the death of their eldest brother,Henry, the Marquess of Titchfield, caused another change of plans. John became the Marquess of Titchfield and George took his place in the Life Guards, "it being the duke of Portland's wish that he should now take to the army as his profession."[2]
Once again conflicts arose; in July 1825, Bentinck engaged a junior officer in a bloodless duel over an incident related to the mess accounts. Bentinck then left the regiment and took half-pay with the rank ofmajor.[2]
In 1828, he ran unopposed as theWhig representative forKing's Lynn before moving over to join theConservative Party (via theDerby Dilly parliamentary faction) by about 1835–6. Bentinck held King's Lynn until his death.
Before his interest in active politics in the 1840s, Bentinck was far better known for his interest in "the Turf." He was a notorious gambler, often losing substantial amounts. Bentinck owned several successful racehorses and his stable, which he established atGoodwood, was renowned for its quality. During the 1845 season, it was estimated that he had won more than £100,000.[3]
Bentinck made strenuous efforts to eliminate fraud in the sport (although his own behaviour infixing odds was not always scrupulous). In 1844, having exposed the winner ofthe Derby as a fraud,[4] he proposed a set of rules to cover horse racing. By a series of legal actions he also limited the corruption involved in making and settlement of bets, deriving from outdated legislation.[3] He is also credited with inventing the flag start at a race meeting atGoodwood. Prior to that races had been started by the starter shouting.[5] Although something of a "self-appointed vigilante", he is now seen as a great innovator and reformer of the sport.[6]
Though he was an "aristocratic dandy" who wore a new silk scarf every day, Bentinck's volatile temper again got him in trouble. He nearly lost his life in a duel over an unpaid debt. He fired his pistol in the air as his opponent,Squire Osbaldeston, an expert marksman, was flustered and missed, shooting Bentinck cleanly through the hat.[7]
Despite his success in horse racing, his father reportedly strongly disapproved of this activity, and the duke was delighted when his son returned to "the more elevated occupations of political society."[1] To commit himself to his political career, in 1846, Bentinck sold his entire stables and racing team for the bargain price of £10,000.[8]
Bentinck first became prominent in politics in 1846 when he, with Disraeli, led theprotectionist opposition to the repeal of theCorn Laws. Until he rose to speak against their repeal, he had not spoken a word in 18 years in Parliament.[2] Historians see Bentinck's participation as vital, for the majority of those who opposed repeal were country gentlemen, who were far more likely to follow the son of a Duke than Disraeli, an AnglicizedSephardic-Jewish literary figure, then of dubious repute. The Bentinck-Disraeli relationship culminated in Bentinck offering to provide a £25,000 loan for Disraeli's purchase ofHughenden Manor in 1848.[9]
Although Bentinck and Disraeli did not prevent the repeal of the Corn Laws, they did succeed in forcing Peel's resignation some weeks later over the Irish Coercion Bill.[10] The Conservative Party broke in half; some hundred free-tradePeelites followed Peel, while 230 protectionists formed the new Conservative Party, withStanley (later the Earl of Derby) as overall leader. Bentinck became leader of the party in theHouse of Commons.[11] He unsuccessfully led calls upon the government ofLord John Russell to alleviate suffering in Ireland arising from theGreat Famine of Ireland by investing in a substantial railway construction programme.[12]
Bentinck resigned the leadership in 1848, his support of Jewish emancipation being unpopular with the bulk of the party, and was succeeded by theMarquess of Granby.[13]
Lord George Bentinck alongsideThomas Macaulay downgradedJohn Stuart Mill's proposal that Indian Philosophy and Language should be a part of the education for India at that time, preferring the exaltation of English Literature, thought and science.[14]
On 21 September 1848, Bentinck left his father's home atWelbeck Abbey at 3 pm, intending to walk 6 miles (9.7 km) through "The Dukeries" toThoresby Hall to dine withCharles Pierrepont, 2nd Earl Manvers. A search party was sent to look for him when he did not arrive at Thoresby, and his body was ultimately found at 9 p.m. He was aged 46.
Initial reports stated it appeared he died of "apoplexy,"[1] but it is believed he died of a heart attack. Although there were rumours of suicide (or even murder),[7] hisautopsy clearly showedemphysema and congestion of the lungs.[15] Bentinck, who was unmarried (there were rumours that he and his brother Lord Henry were, in the phraseology of the time, "woman haters"),[16] was buried in the Duke of Portland vault atMarylebone Old Church in London.
He is commemorated with a statue in London'sCavendish Square Gardens, a memorial close to the spot where he died nearWorksop, and a large gothic memorial byThomas Chambers Hine erected inMansfield.[17]
Charles Greville (who had once been a partner of Bentinck in a horse-racing syndicate) wrote of him after his death: "He brought into politics the same ardour, activity, industry and cleverness which he had displayed on the turf . . . having once espoused a cause and espoused a party, from whatever motive, he worked with all the force of his intellect and a superhuman power of application in what he perceived to be the interest of that party and that cause . . . [However] I have not the least doubt that, for his own reputation and celebrity, he died at the most opportune period; his fame had probably reached its zenith, and credit was given him for greater abilities than he possessed."
TheDepartment of Manuscripts and Special Collections at the University of Nottingham holds the correspondence and personal papers of Lord George Bentinck, as part of the Portland (Welbeck) Collection.
| Diplomatic posts | ||
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| Preceded by | Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 1822–1824 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forKing's Lynn 1828–1848 With:John Walpole to 1831 Lord William Lennox 1831–1835 Sir Stratford Canning 1835–1842 Viscount Jocelyn 1842–1854 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Conservative Leader of the Commons 1846–1847 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
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