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Ripon (GEORGE FREDERICK SAMUEL)

GEORGE FREDERICK SAMUEL ROBINSON, FIRST MAR- QUIS OF, a British statesman and administrator, born in 1827. He was the son of the first Earl of Ripon. He served in several diplomatic missions, but later became actively interested in the Christian Socialist movement. From 1853 to 1867 he was a Liberal member of the House of Commons for Huddersfield, and from 1857 to 1859, from West Yorkshire. In the latter year he entered the House of Lords, becoming Undersecretary for War. He was also successively Secretary for India, Secretary for War and Privy Councilor, and Secretary of State for India. He served as chairman of the joint high commission on the Alabama Claims in 1871. In 1873 he resigned his position in the cabinet and in the following year joined the Roman Catholic Church. For the six years following he was engaged chiefly in religious work. In 1880 he was appointed by Gladstone Governor-General of India.

Gladstone Governor-General of India.

In his administration he introduced many reforms, chiefly relating to added political freedom of the governed peoples. He was First Lord of the Admiralty in 1886, Colonial Secretary in 1892, and Lord Privy Seal from 1905 to 1908. He died in 1909. He was made a Marquis in 1871.