Tankerville Chamberlayne
Encyclopedia
Tankerville Chamberlayne (9 August 1843 – 17 May 1924) was a landowner in Hampshire
and a Member of Parliament
, serving the Southampton
constituency three times, as an Independent and Conservative
. Following the 1895 General Election
false allegations were made concerning his conduct and this resulted in his being unseated on a technicality. He subsequently raised the question of false electioneering statements in Parliament.
He was a member of the Carlton Club
and the Royal Thames Yacht Club
and a Justice of the Peace
for Hampshire
, as well as being Lord of the Manor
s of Hound
, North Baddesley
, Woolston
and Barton Peveril (near Eastleigh
) in Hampshire and East Norton
in Leicestershire
.
, Berkshire
, the second son of Thomas Chamberlayne
(1805–1876) and Amelia (née Onslow). He was educated at Eton
and Magdalen College, Oxford
where he took his B.A.
in 1865.
with William the Conqueror
. The de Tankerville family home was the castle at Tancarville
near Le Havre
.
Count John's family were the hereditary chamberlains
to the Dukes of Normandy and he became chamberlain to King Henry I
; his son Richard held the same office under King Stephen
and assumed the surname "Chamberlayne".
His great uncle William Chamberlayne (1760–1829) was Member of Parliament
for Southampton
from 1818 until his death. Whilst serving the town, William Chamberlayne was also chairman of the company supplying gas lighting to the town of Southampton
and donated the iron columns for the new gas street-lights. In 1822, the townspeople erected a memorial consisting of an iron Doric
column; this still stands in the middle of a roundabout
near the city centre.
Tankerville's father, Thomas
(1805–1876) was a keen yacht
sman who sailed his yacht, Arrow, in the inaugural America's Cup
race in 1851. He also played cricket
for Hampshire
and was a great hunting
and coursing
enthusiast, who built both new stables and a cricket pitch at the family home at Cranbury Park
near Winchester
.
Tankerville's mother, Amelia, was the daughter of Denzil Onslow (1770–1838), a General in the Grenadier Guards
and an amateur cricketer.
Their first son, Denzil, became a captain in the 13th Light Dragoons
, serving with distinction in the Crimean War
, where he took part in the charge
at Balaclava
in 1854. Denzil died in 1873, leaving no heir, so on the death of Thomas in 1876, Tankerville succeeded his father.
At this time, the Chamberlayne family estates included the estate at Cranbury Park in the Parish of Hursley
and the Weston Grove
estate in Southampton
which included the abbey
at Netley
. Chamberlayne resided at Weston Grove until after he retired from politics in 1906.
for Southampton
at the 1892 General Election
, when he headed the poll with 5449 votes. He replaced the previous Conservative
representative, Alfred Giles
who was retiring from politics; his fellow M.P. for the town was Francis Evans
, of the Liberal Party
.
At the 1895 General Election
he stood for re-election on a joint ticket with Sir John Barrington Simeon
of the Liberal Unionist Party
. Although he regained his seat, the election was subsequently declared invalid because his agent had loaned a constituent money for a railway fare.
However, in a debate in Parliament on 5 May 2004, Alan Whitehead
, the M.P. for Southampton Test, who was discussing electoral fraud
, repeated unsubstantiated allegations made in 1895:
The case was somewhat less spectacular:
A by-election
was held on 22 February 1896, some six months after the General Election. At the by-election, Chamberlayne lost his seat back to Francis Evans
, but he was returned in the 1900 general election
. He was defeated at the 1906 general election
by William Dudley Ward
and Sir Ivor Philipps
of the Liberal Party
.
Although he stood for re-election in the 1910 general election, he was unsuccessful and his political career was over.
, rugby
, football, fox hunting
and yachting
. He had a reputation for being very generous to the many sporting organisations who had claims on his patronage, although he did not actively involve himself with day-to-day details.
had helped to finance). In this match, Chamberlayne played for the Gentlemen of Hampshire against a United England Eleven. The Hampshire gentlemen fielded 22 players, including Thomas Chamberlayne, with Tankerville contributing just six runs in two innings. Despite their numerical inferiority (only fielding eleven players), the United England Eleven won the match by 64 runs.
He helped to finance a cricket ground at Yatton
in Somerset
and appeared there in the opening match in July 1879, when he played for the Gentlemen of Somerset against the Gentlemen of Hampshire. The match was curtailed because of inclement weather, but this did not prevent those present from enjoying the supper and fireworks that Chamberlayne laid on following the match.
The only other major cricket match played at Yatton was in August 1887, when the Gentlemen of Gloucestershire entertained a touring team from Canada. The Gloucestershire gentlemen included W. G. Grace
in their eleven with the match ending in a draw at the end of the second day.
in Eastleigh
, having been Vice-President for some years previously; he remained president of the Trojans until his death in 1924.
He was also President of the Freemantle Football Club and helped them financially by paying the rent (£24 per annum) on their ground in Freemantle
. Following the failure of proposals to merge Freemantle with its neighbour, Southampton F.C.
in 1897, Chamberlayne was invited to become a shareholder and director of the Southampton club. Although he accepted the offer, there is no record of him attending a meeting of either the board or of the shareholders.
race in 1851. In 1885, he had his own steam yacht, the Amazon
, built at the "Arrow Yard" in Southampton; this yacht is still sailing (in private hands) and is listed on the National Historic Ships Register. In 1904, the Arrow Yard was sold to the neighbouring yard of Fay & Company, which was later absorbed by Camper and Nicholsons
in 1912.
's Diamond Jubilee he donated the recreation ground at Netley
, near Southampton
to the village. He and his wife also gave a party for the schoolchildren of Woolston
at Weston Grove House.
As Lord of the Manor
, he funded the restoration of the chapel at the Leicestershire
village of East Norton
.
In 1904, he donated land at Hursley Road, Chandler's Ford
for the building of St. Boniface Church, laying the foundation stone on 1 April 1904.
In 1922, he transferred the ruins of Netley Abbey
into the care of the Ministry of Works.
near, Hursley
, Winchester
late in life.
In 1909, an Act of Parliament required that Chamberlayne sell 189 acres (76.5 ha) of land in Weston to the London and South Western Railway
for the purpose of building an enormous dry dock some 1600 ft (487.7 m). Although the land was acquired, the project was never undertaken; the site was subsequently sold to the Ministry of Munitions and the Rolling Mills were built instead. Situated directly below Weston Grove House, the Rolling Mills building obstructed the view of Southampton Water from the house, which was demolished in 1940.
He was married to Edith; their son, Thomas Edmund Onslow Chamberlayne, was killed on 18 August 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. He is remembered on the war memorial at North Baddesley
in Hampshire.
Chamberlayne died in 1924 and was succeeded by his daughter, Penelope Mary Alexandra Chamberlayne, who married Major Nigel Donald Peter Macdonald (son of Sir Godfrey Middleton Bosville Macdonald of the Isles (15th Baronet)), changing their surname to "Chamberlayne-Macdonald". The family are still resident at Cranbury Park.
and Chamberlayne Road in Eastleigh. There was also the former Tankerville School in Eastleigh and the present-day Chamberlayne College for the Arts in the Weston
area. There are Cranbury Roads in both Sholing
and Eastleigh, as well as Cranbury Place and Cranbury Avenue in the Bevois Valley
area of Southampton. The main road through Bevois Valley is Onslow Road whilst Netley has a Denzil Avenue.
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, serving the Southampton
Southampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Southampton was a parliamentary constituency which was represented in the British House of Commons. Centred on the town of Southampton, it returned two Members of Parliament from 1295 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election....
constituency three times, as an Independent 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...
. Following the 1895 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
false allegations were made concerning his conduct and this resulted in his being unseated on a technicality. He subsequently raised the question of false electioneering statements in Parliament.
He was a member of the Carlton Club
Carlton Club
The Carlton Club is a gentlemen's club in London which describes itself as the "oldest, most elite, and most important of all Conservative clubs." Membership of the club is by nomination and election only.-History:...
and the Royal Thames Yacht Club
Royal Thames Yacht Club
The Royal Thames Yacht Club is the oldest sailing club in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are located at 60 Knightsbridge, London, England, overlooking Hyde Park....
and a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, as well as being Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
s of Hound
Hound, Hampshire
Hound is a village and civil parish in the borough of Eastleigh in southern Hampshire, England. The parish encompasses the village of Netley and includes such landmarks as Netley Castle and Netley Abbey...
, North Baddesley
North Baddesley
North Baddesley is a large village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated 3 miles east of the town of Romsey and 6 miles north of Southampton. It occupies an area of approximately 9.15 square kilometres, and is home to a population of just over 10,000 people. It is located in the...
, Woolston
Woolston, Southampton
Woolston is a suburb of Southampton, Hampshire, located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It is bounded by the River Itchen, Hampshire, Sholing, Peartree Green, Itchen and Weston.The area is rich in maritime and aviation history...
and Barton Peveril (near Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
) in Hampshire and East Norton
East Norton
East Norton is a small village and parish located in the east of Leicestershire, adjoining the A47 Leicester to Uppingham road. According to the 2001 Census, it had a population of 94 in 37 households. East Norton is situated in the Tilton Ward in the Rural East area of the Harborough District ,...
in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
Early life and education
Chamberlayne was born at PangbournePangbourne
Pangbourne is a large village and civil parish on the River Thames in the English county of Berkshire. Pangbourne is the home of the independent school, Pangbourne College.-Location:...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, the second son of Thomas Chamberlayne
Thomas Chamberlayne (cricketer)
Thomas Chamberlayne was an English cricketer and yachtsman.-Early life:...
(1805–1876) and Amelia (née Onslow). He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
where he took his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1865.
Ancestry
Chamberlayne was descended from Count John de Tankerville who came over to England from NormandyNormandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
with William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. The de Tankerville family home was the castle at Tancarville
Tancarville
Tancarville is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Upper Normandy region of northern France.-Geography:Tancarville is a farming village surrounded by woodland, by the banks of the river Seine in the Pays de Caux, some east of Le Havre and near the junction of the D39, D982 and D910...
near Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
.
Count John's family were the hereditary chamberlains
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
to the Dukes of Normandy and he became chamberlain to King Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
; his son Richard held the same office under King Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
and assumed the surname "Chamberlayne".
His great uncle William Chamberlayne (1760–1829) was Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Southampton
Southampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Southampton was a parliamentary constituency which was represented in the British House of Commons. Centred on the town of Southampton, it returned two Members of Parliament from 1295 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election....
from 1818 until his death. Whilst serving the town, William Chamberlayne was also chairman of the company supplying gas lighting to the town of Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and donated the iron columns for the new gas street-lights. In 1822, the townspeople erected a memorial consisting of an iron Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
column; this still stands in the middle of a roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
near the city centre.
Tankerville's father, Thomas
Thomas Chamberlayne (cricketer)
Thomas Chamberlayne was an English cricketer and yachtsman.-Early life:...
(1805–1876) was a keen yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
sman who sailed his yacht, Arrow, in the inaugural America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
race in 1851. He also played cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
and was a great hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
and coursing
Coursing
Coursing is the pursuit of game or other animals by dogs—chiefly greyhounds and other sighthounds—catching their prey by speed, running by sight and not by scent. Coursing was a common hunting technique, practised by the nobility, the landed and wealthy, and commoners with sighthounds and lurchers...
enthusiast, who built both new stables and a cricket pitch at the family home at Cranbury Park
Cranbury Park
Cranbury Park is a stately home and country estate situated in the parish of Hursley, near Winchester, England. It was formerly the home to Sir Isaac Newton and later to the Chamberlayne family, whose descendants now own and occupy the house and surrounding park and farmland...
near Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
.
Tankerville's mother, Amelia, was the daughter of Denzil Onslow (1770–1838), a General in the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
and an amateur cricketer.
Their first son, Denzil, became a captain in the 13th Light Dragoons
13th Light Dragoons
The 13th Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army whose battle honours include Waterloo and The Charge of the Light Brigade. 1n 1922, the regiment was amalgamated with the 18th Royal Hussars, to form the 13th/18th Hussars.-Regimental history:British light dragoons were first raised in...
, serving with distinction in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, where he took part in the charge
Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. The charge was the result of a miscommunication in such a way that the brigade attempted a much more difficult objective...
at Balaclava
Battle of Balaclava
The Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 during the Crimean War, was part of the Anglo-French-Turkish campaign to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russia's principal naval base on the Black Sea...
in 1854. Denzil died in 1873, leaving no heir, so on the death of Thomas in 1876, Tankerville succeeded his father.
At this time, the Chamberlayne family estates included the estate at Cranbury Park in the Parish of Hursley
Hursley
Hursley is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England with a population of around 800 in 2005. It is located roughly mid-way between Romsey and Winchester on the A3090...
and the Weston Grove
Weston, Southampton
Weston is a small suburb on the south-eastern side of Southampton, UK, predominantly built on the Weston Grove Estate formerly owned by the Chamberlayne family. It also includes the area that was previously the Barnfield Estate. Weston includes part of Mayfield Park, which was previously the...
estate in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
which included the abbey
Netley Abbey
Netley Abbey is a ruined late medieval monastery in the village of Netley near Southampton in Hampshire, England. The abbey was founded in 1239 as a house for Roman Catholic monks of the austere Cistercian order. Despite being a royal abbey, Netley was never rich, produced no influential scholars...
at Netley
Netley
Netley, sometimes called Netley Abbey, is a village on the south coast of Hampshire, England, situated on the east side of the city of Southampton...
. Chamberlayne resided at Weston Grove until after he retired from politics in 1906.
Political career
Chamberlayne was first elected as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Southampton
Southampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Southampton was a parliamentary constituency which was represented in the British House of Commons. Centred on the town of Southampton, it returned two Members of Parliament from 1295 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election....
at the 1892 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1892
The 1892 United Kingdom general election was held from 4 July to 26 July 1892. It saw the Conservatives, led by Lord Salisbury, win the greatest number of seats, but not enough for an overall majority as William Ewart Gladstone's Liberals won many more seats than in the 1886 general election...
, when he headed the poll with 5449 votes. He replaced the previous 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...
representative, Alfred Giles
Alfred Giles
Alfred Giles was a British civil engineer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1878 and 1892....
who was retiring from politics; his fellow M.P. for the town was Francis Evans
Sir Francis Evans, 1st Baronet
Sir Francis Henry Evans, 1st Baronet, KCMG was a British civil engineer, businessman and Liberal Party politician.-Family and education:...
, of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
.
At the 1895 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
he stood for re-election on a joint ticket with Sir John Barrington Simeon
Sir John Simeon, 4th Baronet
Sir John Stephen Barrington Simeon, 4th Baronet was one of the two Members of Parliament for Southampton at the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century. He was born at Swainston Manor in West Wight on 31 August 1850 and succeeded his father, the 3rd baronet, in 1870. He served in...
of the Liberal Unionist Party
Liberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
. Although he regained his seat, the election was subsequently declared invalid because his agent had loaned a constituent money for a railway fare.
However, in a debate in Parliament on 5 May 2004, Alan Whitehead
Alan Whitehead
Alan Patrick Vincent Whitehead is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Southampton Test since 1997.-Early life:...
, the M.P. for Southampton Test, who was discussing electoral fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
, repeated unsubstantiated allegations made in 1895:
"There is scant evidence of widespread fraud and personation in England, Scotland and Wales in recent years. That has not always been the case: in Victorian times, there was widespread evidence of personation and electoral corruption, with people receiving funds to vote. The Conservative candidate in the 1895 election in Southampton, Sir (sic) Tankerville Chamberlayne, gave his address as the first floor of the Dolphin hotel in central Southampton. Six strong men carried him shoulder-high from the first floor and placed him in a cart that they had previously unhorsed. They then pulled him to the Cowherds inn at Above Bar, and he waved to the crowds and threw sovereigns at them as he went. Incidentally, his election was ruled invalid, and a further election was held.
These days, however, we have relatively clean and uncorrupt elections in the UK, and there is certainly little evidence of personation, fraud, undue influence, bribery and treatingTreatingTreating, in law, is the act of serving food, drink, and other refreshments as a method of influencing people for political gain. In various countries, treating is considered a form of corruption, and is illegal as such....
in our electoral system."
The case was somewhat less spectacular:
'All kinds of charges of general “treating” of electors were laid at his door, but they were completely exploded at a special hearing – all except one case of a Southampton elector who was at WinchesterWinchesterWinchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
at the time and to whom he lent two shillingShillingThe shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s for his fare to get him to Southampton to vote. So on that one issue Mr Tankerville Chamberlayne was unseated – but he returned triumphant a few years later to represent Southampton Borough for another period of years'.
A by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was held on 22 February 1896, some six months after the General Election. At the by-election, Chamberlayne lost his seat back to Francis Evans
Sir Francis Evans, 1st Baronet
Sir Francis Henry Evans, 1st Baronet, KCMG was a British civil engineer, businessman and Liberal Party politician.-Family and education:...
, but he was returned in the 1900 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. He was defeated at the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
by William Dudley Ward
William Dudley Ward
William Dudley Ward PC , was a British sportsman and Liberal politician.-Early life:Dudley Ward was born in London, the son of William Humble Dudley Ward and the great-grandson of William Humble Ward, 10th Baron Ward His mother was the Honourable Eugenie Violet Adele Brett,...
and Sir Ivor Philipps
Ivor Philipps
Major-General Sir Ivor Philipps KCB, DSO was an English officer in the British Indian Army and a Liberal Party politician. He held a seat in the House of Commons from 1906 to 1922.- Early life :...
of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
.
Although he stood for re-election in the 1910 general election, he was unsuccessful and his political career was over.
Sporting interests
Chamberlayne was a keen sportsman and took an active interest in many sports, including cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, football, fox hunting
Fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in its current...
and yachting
Yachting
Yachting refers to recreational sailing or boating, the specific act of sailing or using other water vessels for sporting purposes.-Competitive sailing:...
. He had a reputation for being very generous to the many sporting organisations who had claims on his patronage, although he did not actively involve himself with day-to-day details.
Cricket
He is recorded as having played in two major cricket matches. The first was in July 1862 at Day's (Antelope) Ground, Southampton (which his father ThomasThomas Chamberlayne (cricketer)
Thomas Chamberlayne was an English cricketer and yachtsman.-Early life:...
had helped to finance). In this match, Chamberlayne played for the Gentlemen of Hampshire against a United England Eleven. The Hampshire gentlemen fielded 22 players, including Thomas Chamberlayne, with Tankerville contributing just six runs in two innings. Despite their numerical inferiority (only fielding eleven players), the United England Eleven won the match by 64 runs.
He helped to finance a cricket ground at Yatton
Yatton
Yatton is a village and civil parish within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located south-west of Bristol. Its population in 2001 was 9,176...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and appeared there in the opening match in July 1879, when he played for the Gentlemen of Somerset against the Gentlemen of Hampshire. The match was curtailed because of inclement weather, but this did not prevent those present from enjoying the supper and fireworks that Chamberlayne laid on following the match.
The only other major cricket match played at Yatton was in August 1887, when the Gentlemen of Gloucestershire entertained a touring team from Canada. The Gloucestershire gentlemen included W. G. Grace
W. G. Grace
William Gilbert Grace, MRCS, LRCP was an English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, having a special significance in terms of his importance to the development of the sport...
in their eleven with the match ending in a draw at the end of the second day.
Football
Although he never played football, he became very interested in the game as it increased in popularity. In 1884, he became President of the Trojans clubTrojans Rugby Club
The Trojans Club based at Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh, Hampshire was formed in 1874, initially as a rugby club.There are now four very active sections, Rugby, Cricket, Hockey and Squash, covering all ages from Under 8 to Seniors and both men and women, boys and girls...
in Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
, having been Vice-President for some years previously; he remained president of the Trojans until his death in 1924.
He was also President of the Freemantle Football Club and helped them financially by paying the rent (£24 per annum) on their ground in Freemantle
Freemantle
Freemantle is a suburb and electoral ward in Southampton, UK.Origins of the name are uncertain, but there are similarly named places in Hampshire, notably a suburb of Hannington and Freemantle Common in Bitterne...
. Following the failure of proposals to merge Freemantle with its neighbour, Southampton F.C.
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in 1897, Chamberlayne was invited to become a shareholder and director of the Southampton club. Although he accepted the offer, there is no record of him attending a meeting of either the board or of the shareholders.
Yachting
Chamberlayne regularly sailed his father's yacht, the Arrow, which had taken part in the inaugural America's CupAmerica's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
race in 1851. In 1885, he had his own steam yacht, the Amazon
Amazon (yacht)
Amazon is a long screw schooner ex-steam yacht built in 1885 at the private Arrow Yard of Tankerville Chamberlayne in Southampton....
, built at the "Arrow Yard" in Southampton; this yacht is still sailing (in private hands) and is listed on the National Historic Ships Register. In 1904, the Arrow Yard was sold to the neighbouring yard of Fay & Company, which was later absorbed by Camper and Nicholsons
Camper and Nicholsons
Camper and Nicholsons are the oldest leisure marine company in the world, producing and managing yachts for the world's richest people.As Camper and Nicholsons was founded at Gosport, Hampshire before organised seawater yachting had even started, John Nicholson of the founding family once overheard...
in 1912.
Public benefactor
Chamberlayne was a generous supporter of various activities and causes. In 1897, to mark Queen VictoriaVictoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
's Diamond Jubilee he donated the recreation ground at Netley
Netley
Netley, sometimes called Netley Abbey, is a village on the south coast of Hampshire, England, situated on the east side of the city of Southampton...
, near Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
to the village. He and his wife also gave a party for the schoolchildren of Woolston
Woolston, Southampton
Woolston is a suburb of Southampton, Hampshire, located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It is bounded by the River Itchen, Hampshire, Sholing, Peartree Green, Itchen and Weston.The area is rich in maritime and aviation history...
at Weston Grove House.
As Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
, he funded the restoration of the chapel at the Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
village of East Norton
East Norton
East Norton is a small village and parish located in the east of Leicestershire, adjoining the A47 Leicester to Uppingham road. According to the 2001 Census, it had a population of 94 in 37 households. East Norton is situated in the Tilton Ward in the Rural East area of the Harborough District ,...
.
In 1904, he donated land at Hursley Road, Chandler's Ford
Chandler's Ford
Chandler's Ford is a largely residential area and civil parish in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England, with a population of 20,071 in the 2001 UK Census....
for the building of St. Boniface Church, laying the foundation stone on 1 April 1904.
In 1922, he transferred the ruins of Netley Abbey
Netley Abbey
Netley Abbey is a ruined late medieval monastery in the village of Netley near Southampton in Hampshire, England. The abbey was founded in 1239 as a house for Roman Catholic monks of the austere Cistercian order. Despite being a royal abbey, Netley was never rich, produced no influential scholars...
into the care of the Ministry of Works.
Later life
Chamberlayne continued to live at Weston Grove after his political career had ended although he moved to the family home at Cranbury ParkCranbury Park
Cranbury Park is a stately home and country estate situated in the parish of Hursley, near Winchester, England. It was formerly the home to Sir Isaac Newton and later to the Chamberlayne family, whose descendants now own and occupy the house and surrounding park and farmland...
near, Hursley
Hursley
Hursley is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England with a population of around 800 in 2005. It is located roughly mid-way between Romsey and Winchester on the A3090...
, Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
late in life.
In 1909, an Act of Parliament required that Chamberlayne sell 189 acres (76.5 ha) of land in Weston to the London and South Western Railway
London and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
for the purpose of building an enormous dry dock some 1600 ft (487.7 m). Although the land was acquired, the project was never undertaken; the site was subsequently sold to the Ministry of Munitions and the Rolling Mills were built instead. Situated directly below Weston Grove House, the Rolling Mills building obstructed the view of Southampton Water from the house, which was demolished in 1940.
He was married to Edith; their son, Thomas Edmund Onslow Chamberlayne, was killed on 18 August 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. He is remembered on the war memorial at North Baddesley
North Baddesley
North Baddesley is a large village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated 3 miles east of the town of Romsey and 6 miles north of Southampton. It occupies an area of approximately 9.15 square kilometres, and is home to a population of just over 10,000 people. It is located in the...
in Hampshire.
Chamberlayne died in 1924 and was succeeded by his daughter, Penelope Mary Alexandra Chamberlayne, who married Major Nigel Donald Peter Macdonald (son of Sir Godfrey Middleton Bosville Macdonald of the Isles (15th Baronet)), changing their surname to "Chamberlayne-Macdonald". The family are still resident at Cranbury Park.
Legacy
Several streets in Southampton and Eastleigh are named after Chamberlayne and his family. These include Tankerville Road in WoolstonWoolston, Southampton
Woolston is a suburb of Southampton, Hampshire, located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen. It is bounded by the River Itchen, Hampshire, Sholing, Peartree Green, Itchen and Weston.The area is rich in maritime and aviation history...
and Chamberlayne Road in Eastleigh. There was also the former Tankerville School in Eastleigh and the present-day Chamberlayne College for the Arts in the Weston
Weston, Southampton
Weston is a small suburb on the south-eastern side of Southampton, UK, predominantly built on the Weston Grove Estate formerly owned by the Chamberlayne family. It also includes the area that was previously the Barnfield Estate. Weston includes part of Mayfield Park, which was previously the...
area. There are Cranbury Roads in both Sholing
Sholing
Sholing, previously Scholing, is a district on the eastern side of the city of Southampton in southern England. It is located between the districts of Bitterne, Thornhill and Woolston....
and Eastleigh, as well as Cranbury Place and Cranbury Avenue in the Bevois Valley
Bevois Valley
Bevois Valley is an inner city area of Southampton, England within Bevois Electoral Ward, and includes areas called Bevois Town & Bevois Mount. The area lies south of and adjoins Portswood and is within easy walking distance of the city centre...
area of Southampton. The main road through Bevois Valley is Onslow Road whilst Netley has a Denzil Avenue.