Rosebery

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

ARCHIBALD PHILIP PRIMROSE, FIFTH EARL OF, OF, an English statesman; born May 7, 1847; was educated at Eton and Oxford, and succeeded his grandfather in 1868. He was an advanced Liberal in politics, and a ready and effective speaker. er. He was under-secretary at the home office, 1881- 188 1883; lord privy seal and first commissioner of works, 1885; next year held the secretaryship of foreign affairs till the fall of Gladstone. Had he been able to enter the House of Commons, his rise would have been more rapid. In 1878 crossing is the favorite and most success- he was elected lord-rector of Aberdeen ful; it consists in transferring the pollen University; in 1880 of Edinburgh University; in 1899 of Glasgow University, Chancellor of the same in 1908. In 1889 he became a member of the London County Council, and was appointed chair body. The University of Cambridge conferred the degree of LL.D. on him in 1888. He advocated the reform of the House of Lords, and was much interested in the questions of imperial federation and the social conditions of the masses. In 1878 he married Hannah, daughter of Baron Mayer de Rothschild; she died in 1890. When Mr. Gladstone succeeded to power Lord Rosebery became Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and in October of the same year (1892) he was made a Knight of the Garter. On the resignation of Mr. Gladstone in March, 1894, the queen offered the post of prime minister to Lord Rosebery, and he carried on the government with no little success till July, 1895. He then urged on his supporters that the general election should be fought on the question of the predominance of the House of Lords. During 1896 his attitude on the Armenian question differed from that of Mr. Gladstone, and finally he decided on resigning the leadership of the party in order to leave himself an absolutely free hand on this question. He took no further active part in political life, but devoted his time chiefly to historical writing. Lord Rosebery kept an excellent racing stud and in 1894 and 1895 he won the Derby. Among his publications are: "Napoleon" (1900); "Lord Randolph Churchill" (1906); "Chatham" (1910).