John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford KG, PC,
FRSThe Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, or even the Royal, is a learned society for science that was founded in 1660 and is considered by most to be the oldest such society still in existence...
(30 September 1710 – 5 January 1771) was an 18th century
BritishThe Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801...
statesmanA statesman or stateswoman or statesperson is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
. He was the fourth son of
Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of BedfordWriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford KG was the son of William Russell, Lord Russell and his wife Lady Rachel Wriothesley...
, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Howland of Streatham, Surrey. Known as
Lord John Russell, he married in October 1731 Lady Diana Spencer, daughter of
Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of SunderlandCharles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland KG PC , known as Lord Spencer from 1688 to 1702, was an English statesman...
; became
Duke of Bedford on his brother’s death a year later; and having lost his first wife in 1735 married in April 1737 Lady Gertrude Leveson-Gower (died 1794), daughter of
John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl GowerJohn Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower PC was a British Tory politician, one of the first Tories to enter government in the 18th century.-Background:...
.
In the
House of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". Parliament comprises the Sovereign, the House of Commons , and the Lords...
he joined the Patriot Whig opposition hostile to the Prime Minister
Sir Robert WalpoleRobert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC and known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
, took a fairly prominent part in public business, and earned the dislike of
George IIGeorge II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death....
.
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford KG, PC,
FRSThe Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, or even the Royal, is a learned society for science that was founded in 1660 and is considered by most to be the oldest such society still in existence...
(30 September 1710 – 5 January 1771) was an 18th century
BritishThe Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801...
statesmanA statesman or stateswoman or statesperson is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
. He was the fourth son of
Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of BedfordWriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford KG was the son of William Russell, Lord Russell and his wife Lady Rachel Wriothesley...
, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Howland of Streatham, Surrey. Known as
Lord John Russell, he married in October 1731 Lady Diana Spencer, daughter of
Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of SunderlandCharles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland KG PC , known as Lord Spencer from 1688 to 1702, was an English statesman...
; became
Duke of Bedford on his brother’s death a year later; and having lost his first wife in 1735 married in April 1737 Lady Gertrude Leveson-Gower (died 1794), daughter of
John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl GowerJohn Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower PC was a British Tory politician, one of the first Tories to enter government in the 18th century.-Background:...
.
Early political career
In the
House of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". Parliament comprises the Sovereign, the House of Commons , and the Lords...
he joined the Patriot Whig opposition hostile to the Prime Minister
Sir Robert WalpoleRobert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC and known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
, took a fairly prominent part in public business, and earned the dislike of
George IIGeorge II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death....
. When Carteret, now Earl Granville, resigned office in November 1744, Bedford became First Lord of the Admiralty in the administration of
Henry PelhamHenry Pelham was a British Whig statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 27 August 1743 until his death in 1754...
, and was made a privy councillor. He was very successful at the admiralty, but was not equally fortunate after he became
Secretary of State for the Southern DepartmentThe Secretary of State for the Southern Department was a position in the cabinet of the government of Kingdom of Great Britain up to 1782.Before 1782, the responsibilities of the two British Secretaries of State were divided not based on the principles of modern ministerial divisions, but...
in February 1748. Pelham accused him of idleness; he was constantly at variance with his colleague the Duke of Newcastle, and resigned office in June 1751. During his time in the post he was accused of spending far too much time at his country estate playing
cricketCricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of the 18th century, cricket had developed to the point where it had become the national sport of England. The expansion of the British Empire led to cricket being...
and shooting pheasants.
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Instigated by his friends he was active in opposition to the government, becoming the leader of a faction named for him, the
Bedford WhigsThe Bedfordites were an 18th century British political faction, led by John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford. Other than Bedford himself, notable members included John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich; Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Gower; Richard Rigby, who served as principal Commons manager for the...
. After Newcastle’s resignation in November 1756, Bedford became
Lord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Lord Lieutenant of Ireland , also known as the Judiciar in the early mediaeval period and as the Lord Deputy as late as the 17th century, was the King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great...
in the ministry of
William PittWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who achieved his greatest fame leading Britain during the Seven Years' War...
and the
Duke of DevonshireWilliam Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, KG, PC , styled Lord Cavendish before 1729 and Marquess of Hartington between 1729 and 1755, was a British Whig statesman who was briefly titular Prime Minister of Great Britain.-Early career:He was elected MP for Derbyshire in 1741 and 1747, but left the...
, retaining this office after Newcastle, in alliance with Pitt, returned to power in June 1757. In Ireland he favoured a relaxation of the penal laws against Roman Catholics, but did not keep his promises to observe neutrality between the rival parties, and to abstain from securing pensions for his friends. His own courtly manners and generosity, and his wife’s good qualities, however, seem to have gained for him some popularity, although Horace Walpole says he disgusted everybody. In March 1761 he resigned this office.
Peace negotiator
Having allied himself with the
Earl of ButeJohn Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
and the party anxious to bring the
Seven Years' WarThe Seven Years' War lasted between 1754 and 1763 and involved all of the major European powers of the period. The war pitted Prussia and Britain and a coalition of smaller German states against an alliance consisting of Austria, France, Russia, Sweden, and Saxony...
to a close, Bedford was noticed as the strongest opponent of Pitt, and became
Lord Privy SealThe Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
under Bute after Pitt resigned in October 1761. The
cabinet of Bute-The Ministry:...
was divided over the policy to he pursued with regard to the war, but pacific counsels prevailed, and in September 1762 Bedford went to France to treat for peace. He was considerably annoyed because some of the peace negotiations were conducted through other channels, but he signed the
Peace of ParisThe Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on February 10, 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the Seven Years' War. The treaty marked the beginning of an extensive period of British dominance...
in February 1763. Resigning his office as Lord Privy Seal soon afterwards, various causes of estrangement arose between Bute and Bedford, and the subsequent relations of the two men were somewhat virulent. The duke refused to take office under
George GrenvilleGeorge Grenville , was a British Whig statesman who served in government for the relatively short period of seven years, reaching the position of Prime Minister of Great Britain...
on Bute’s resignation in April 1763, and sought to induce Pitt to return to power. A report, however, that Pitt would only take office on condition that Bedford was excluded, incensed him and, smarting under this rebuff, he joined the cabinet of Grenville as
Lord President of the CouncilThe Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President has the responsibility of presiding over meetings of the Privy Council...
in September 1763. His haughty manner, his somewhat insulting language, and his attitude with regard to the regency bill in 1765 offended
George IIIGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, who sought in vain to supplant him, and after this failure was obliged to make humiliating concessions to the ministry. In July 1765, however, he was able to dispense with the services of Bedford and his colleagues, and the duke became the leader of a political party, distinguished for rapacity, and known as the
Bedford party, or the
Bloomsbury gang.
During his term of office he had opposed a bill to place high import duties on Italian silks. He was consequently assaulted and his London residence attacked by a mob. He took some part in subsequent political intrigues, and although he did not return to office, his friends, with his consent, joined the ministry of the Duke of Grafton in December 1767. This proceeding led "
JuniusJunius was the pseudonym of a writer who contributed a series of letters to the Public Advertiser, from 21 January 1769 to 21 January 1772. The signature had been already used, apparently by him, in a letter of 21 November 1768...
" to write his "Letter to the Duke of Bedford," one of especial violence. Bedford was hostile to
John WilkesJohn Wilkes was an English radical, journalist and politician.In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters—rather than the House of Commons—to determine their representatives. In 1771 he was instrumental in obliging the government to concede the right of printers to publish...
, and narrowly escaped from a mob favourable to the agitator at Honiton in July 1769.
Death
His health had been declining for some years, and in 1770 he became partially paralysed. He died at
WoburnWoburn is a small town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is situated about five miles south east of the centre of Milton Keynes, and about three miles south of junction 13 of the M1 motorway....
on 5 January 1771, and was buried in the family burying-place at
CheniesChenies is a village in the very eastern part of south Buckinghamshire, England, near the border with Hertfordshire. It is situated to the east of Chesham and the Chalfonts. Chenies is also a civil parish within Chiltern district....
. His three sons all predeceased him, and he was succeeded in the title by his grandson,
FrancisFrancis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford , eldest son of Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock , by his wife, Elizabeth , daughter of William Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, was baptized on 23 July 1765....
.
The duke held many public offices: lord-lieutenant of Bedfordshire and
DevonThis is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Devon. Since 1711, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Devon.*John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford 1552–1555*John Bourchier, 2nd Earl of Bath 1556–1561...
, and chancellor of Dublin University among others, and was a
knight of the garterThe Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in medieval England, and presently bestowed on recipients in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms; it is the pinnacle of the honours system in the United Kingdom...
. Bedford was a proud and conceited man, but possessed both ability and common-sense. The important part which he took in public life, however, was due rather to his wealth and position than to his personal taste or ambition. He was neither above nor below the standard of political morality of the time, and was influenced by his duchess, who was very ambitious, and by followers who were singularly unscrupulous.
He served as the twelfth Chancellor of
Trinity College, DublinThe University of Dublin, corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin , located in Dublin, Ireland, was effectively founded when in 1599, Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter for Trinity College, Dublin as "the mother of a university" – this date making it...
from 1765 to 1770.