Wyndham, George

Wyndham, George

▪ British politician
born Aug. 29, 1863, London, Eng.
died June 8, 1913, Paris, France

      British Conservative politician and man of letters who, as chief secretary for Ireland, was responsible for the Irish Land Purchase Act of 1903, also known as the Wyndham Land Purchase Act, which alleviated the problem of Irish farm ownership with justice to landlords as well as to peasants.

      Wyndham was an enthusiast of the British Empire, High Church Anglicanism, and government by a traditional aristocracy. From 1887, when he became the private secretary of Arthur James Balfour, he was a disciple of that future prime minister. Elected to the House of Commons in 1889, he spent much of the next nine years in writing for W.E. Henley's weekly newspapers and in editing (1895–96) Sir Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Lives and a volume (1898) of William Shakespeare's poems.

      After serving as undersecretary at the War Office (1898–1900), Wyndham, through Balfour's influence, became chief secretary for Ireland (Nov. 7, 1900). His 1903 statute, by applying British government funds to Irish land transfers, made the sale of smallholdings and even whole estates profitable to landlords while guaranteeing purchase terms that peasant tenants could meet. Two years later (March 6, 1905) Wyndham resigned, either because of ill health or because the Conservatives thought that he approved a plan of Sir Antony (afterward Baron) MacDonnell, permanent undersecretary for Ireland, which called for a kind of Home Rule compromise called devolution—a limited central administration by Irishmen but without an Irish Parliament independent of Westminster.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Wyndham — can refer to:The Wyndham familyThe Wyndham family are descended from Sir John Wyndham (1443 1503) and his wife Margaret (1443 1524) daughter of John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, a direct descendant of Edward I. Succeeding generations have played an… …   Wikipedia

  • George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont — George O Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (18 December 1751 ndash;11 November 1837) was a British peer.A direct descendant of Sir John Wyndham, he succeeded to his father s titles in 1763 at the age of 12, inheriting estates at Petworth,… …   Wikipedia

  • George Wyndham — (29 August 1863 ndash; 8 June 1913) was an English political figure. He was also a man of letters, noted for his elegance, and one of The Souls.His father was Percy Wyndham, younger son of George Wyndham, 1st Baron Leconfield, and he was a direct …   Wikipedia

  • Wyndham Championship — Tournament information Location Greensboro, North Carolina Established 1938 Course(s) Sedgefield Country Club Par …   Wikipedia

  • George Wyndham, 1st Baron Leconfield — (5 June 1787 ndash; 18 March 1869), was a British soldier and peer.A direct descendant of Sir John Wyndham, he was the eldest natural son of George O Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, and Elizabeth Ilive. He entered the British Army and… …   Wikipedia

  • George Wyndham (disambiguation) — George Wyndham may refer to: *George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (1751 1837), British peer *George Wyndham, 1st Baron Leconfield (1787 1869), British peer *George Wyndham (1863 1913), British political figure and writer …   Wikipedia

  • George Grenville — Mandats 8e Premier ministre de Grande Bretagne 16 a …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Wyndham Lewis — Wyndham Lewis …   Wikipedia Español

  • George III Du Royaume-Uni — Pour les articles homonymes, voir George III. George III …   Wikipédia en Français

  • George III de Grande-Bretagne — George III du Royaume Uni Pour les articles homonymes, voir George III. George III …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”