Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth
Encyclopedia
Robert George Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth GBE
, CB
, PC (27 August 1857 – 6 March 1923), known as The Lord Windsor between 1869 and 1905, was a British nobleman and Conservative
politician.
, son of the Hon. Robert Clive
and Harriett, 13th Baroness Windsor, daughter of Other Windsor, 5th Earl of Plymouth. His mother was Lady Mary Selina Louisa, daughter of George Bridgeman, 2nd Earl of Bradford
. In 1869 he succeeded his grandmother in the barony of Windsor.
as Paymaster General between 1890 and 1892 and under Arthur Balfour
as First Commissioner of Works
between 1902 and 1905 and was sworn of the Privy Council in 1891. In 1905 the earldom of Plymouth
held by his great-grandfather (which had become extinct in 1843) was revived when he was created Viscount Windsor, of St Fagans in the County of Glamorgan, and Earl of Plymouth, in the County of Devon. Apart from his career in national politics he was Mayor of Cardiff
from 1895 to 1896. He was also appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath
in 1905 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
in 1918 and was at one time Chairman of the Union of Conservative Associations.
in 1919, an Honorary Colonel of the 2nd Glamorganshire Volunteer Artillery, the 2nd Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment and the 3rd Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, Sub-Prior Order of St John of Jerusalem and the first President of The Concrete Institute (now the Institution of Structural Engineers
) between 1908 and 1910. In 1913 he was responsible for purchasing The Crystal Palace
for the nation.
In 1913 Lord Plymouth hosted the Duke
and Duchess of Argyll
(sister of the late King Edward VII
) at his Worcestershire
seat, Hewell Grange. On 23 April 1913, he accompanied the Duke and Duchess to Birmingham
. There, he opened the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Ladywood
and then unveiled the statue to King Edward VII in Victoria Square
, Birmingham. In 1918 he became the first President of the newly formed Birmingham Civic Society
.
. The Countess of Plymouth died in August 1944, aged 81.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, PC (27 August 1857 – 6 March 1923), known as The Lord Windsor between 1869 and 1905, was a British nobleman and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician.
Background
Plymouth was the son of the Hon. Robert Windsor-CliveRobert Windsor-Clive (MP)
The Hon. Robert Windsor-Clive was a British Conservative Party politician.-Background:Windsor-Clive was the eldest son of the Hon. Robert Clive, younger son of Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis, son of Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive . His mother was Lady Harriett, daughter of Otho Windsor, 5th Earl...
, son of the Hon. Robert Clive
Robert Clive (1789–1854)
The Hon. Robert Henry Clive was a British Conservative Party politician.-Background:Clive was a younger son of Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis, son of Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive . His mother was Lady Henrietta Antonia, daughter of Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Powis...
and Harriett, 13th Baroness Windsor, daughter of Other Windsor, 5th Earl of Plymouth. His mother was Lady Mary Selina Louisa, daughter of George Bridgeman, 2nd Earl of Bradford
George Bridgeman, 2nd Earl of Bradford
George Augustus Frederick Henry Bridgeman, 2nd Earl of Bradford was a British peer.The oldest son of the 1st Earl of Bradford and Lucy Elizabeth Byng, was educated at Harrow School, London, and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a Master of Arts in 1810...
. In 1869 he succeeded his grandmother in the barony of Windsor.
Political career
Plymouth served under Lord SalisburyRobert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
as Paymaster General between 1890 and 1892 and under Arthur Balfour
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
as First Commissioner of Works
First Commissioner of Works
The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
between 1902 and 1905 and was sworn of the Privy Council in 1891. In 1905 the earldom of Plymouth
Earl of Plymouth
Earl of Plymouth is a title that has been created three times, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation was in 1675 for Charles FitzCharles, illegitimate son of King Charles II by his mistress Catherine Pegge...
held by his great-grandfather (which had become extinct in 1843) was revived when he was created Viscount Windsor, of St Fagans in the County of Glamorgan, and Earl of Plymouth, in the County of Devon. Apart from his career in national politics he was Mayor of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
from 1895 to 1896. He was also appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1905 and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1918 and was at one time Chairman of the Union of Conservative Associations.
Other public appointments
Lord Plymouth was also Lord Lieutenant of Glamorganshire between 1890 and 1923, High Steward of Cambridge UniversityUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1919, an Honorary Colonel of the 2nd Glamorganshire Volunteer Artillery, the 2nd Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment and the 3rd Battalion of the Welsh Regiment, Sub-Prior Order of St John of Jerusalem and the first President of The Concrete Institute (now the Institution of Structural Engineers
Institution of Structural Engineers
The Institution of Structural Engineers is a professional body for structural engineering based in the United Kingdom. It has 27,000 members in 105 countries. The Institution provides professional accreditation for structural engineers...
) between 1908 and 1910. In 1913 he was responsible for purchasing The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
for the nation.
In 1913 Lord Plymouth hosted the Duke
John Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll
John George Edward Henry Douglas Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll KG, KT, GCMG, GCVO, VD, PC , usually better known by the courtesy title Marquess of Lorne, by which he was known between 1847 and 1900, was a British nobleman and was the fourth Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883...
and Duchess of Argyll
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
The Princess Louise was a member of the British Royal Family, the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and her husband, Albert, Prince Consort.Louise's early life was spent moving between the various royal residences in the...
(sister of the late King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
) at his Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
seat, Hewell Grange. On 23 April 1913, he accompanied the Duke and Duchess to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. There, he opened the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Ladywood
Ladywood
Ladywood is an inner-city area in Birmingham, England. It is a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Ladywood ward and the wards of Aston, Nechells and Soho. In June 2004, Birmingham City Council conducted a city-wide "Ward Boundary...
and then unveiled the statue to King Edward VII in Victoria Square
Victoria Square
Victoria Square may refer to:Squares and Plazas* Victoria Square, Adelaide, South Australia* Victoria Square, Athens, in the centre of Athens - refer List of places named after Queen Victoria#Athens...
, Birmingham. In 1918 he became the first President of the newly formed Birmingham Civic Society
The Birmingham Civic Society
The Birmingham Civic Society was founded at an inaugural meeting on 10 June 1918 in The Council House, Birmingham, England and is registered with The Civic Trust. The first President of the Society, the Earl of Plymouth, addressed the assembled Aldermen, Councillors, Architects and other city...
.
Family
Lord Plymouth married Alberta Victoria Sarah Caroline, daughter of Sir Augustus Paget, in 1883. They had three sons and one daughter. His eldest son Other Robert Windsor-Clive, Viscount Windsor (1884-1908), predeceased him. Lord Plymouth died in March 1923, aged 65, and was succeeded in the earldom by his second son, IvorIvor Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of Plymouth
Ivor Miles Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of Plymouth PC was an English nobleman and Conservative politician....
. The Countess of Plymouth died in August 1944, aged 81.