The Project Gutenberg eBook, Lady John Russell, Edited by Desmond MacCarthy and Agatha Russell

LADY JOHN RUSSELL

A MEMOIR

WITH SELECTIONS FROM HER DIARIES AND CORRESPONDENCE

EDITED BY

DESMOND MACCARTHY

AND

AGATHA RUSSELL

WITH TEN ILLUSTRATIONS, OF WHICH SIX ARE IN COLOUR

SECOND EDITION

First Published ... November 3rd 1910
Second Edition ... December 1910

LADY JOHN RUSSELL AND HER ELDEST SON
From a miniature by Thorburn, 1844.

PREFACE

The manuscripts which have supplied the material for a memoir of my mother deal much more fully with the life of my father than with her own life. Mr. Desmond MacCarthy has therefore linked into the narrative several important incidents in my father's career.

The greater part of the memoir is written by Mr. Desmond MacCarthy; the political and historical commentary is almost entirely his work. The impartial and independent opinion of one outside the family, both in writing the memoir and in selecting passages from the manuscripts for publication, has been of great value.

My grateful thanks are due to His Majesty the King for giving permission to publish letters from Queen Victoria.

I am also grateful to friends and relations who have placed letters at my disposal; especially to my brother, whose helpful encouragement throughout the work has been most valuable.

Mr. Justin McCarthy, who many years ago recorded his impressions of my mother in his Reminiscences, has now most kindly contributed to this book a chapter of Recollections.

My cordial thanks are also due to Mr. George Trevelyan for reading the proof sheets, and to Mr. Frederic Harrison for giving permission to publish his Memorial Address at the end of this volume.

AGATHA RUSSELL

ROZELDENE, HINDHEAD, SURREY

October, 1910

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I. 1815-34

Early years--Paris--Lord Minto appointed Minister at Berlin-- Germany--Return to Minto

CHAPTER II. 1835-41

Lord Minto First Lord of the Admiralty--Life in London--Bowood--Mrs. Drummond's recollections--Friendship with Lord John Russell--Putney House--Minto--Admiralty--Her engagement

CHAPTER III. 1841

Marriage--Sketch of Lord John's career before marriage--His conversation with Napoleon--Moore's "Remonstrance"

CHAPTER IV. 1841-45

Wilton Crescent--Endsleigh--Chesham Place--Birth of her eldest son--Anti-Corn Law agitation--Her illness--Lord John's letter from Edinburgh--He is summoned to Osborne--Attempts to form a Ministry

CHAPTER V. 1846

Illness in Edinburgh--Letters between Lord and Lady John--Repeal of the Corn Laws--Ireland and coercion--Lord John Prime Minister

CHAPTER VI. 1847-52

Pembroke Lodge--Difficulties of the Ministry--Revolution in France --Chartism--Petersham School founded by Lord and Lady John--The Papal Bull--Durham Letter--The Queen and Lord Palmerston--The Coup d'État--Breach with Palmerston--Defeat of the Russell Government--Literary friends

CHAPTER VII. 1852-55

Lord Aberdeen Prime Minister--Lord John joins Coalition Ministry--Lady John's misgivings--Gladstone's Budget--Death of Lady Minto--Samuel Rogers--The Reform Bill--The Crimean War--Withdrawal of Reform--Roebuck's motion--Lord John's resignation

CHAPTER VIII. 1855

Defeat of Aberdeen Ministry--Lord John's Mission to Vienna--He accepts Colonial Office in Palmerston Government--Vienna Conference--His resignation--Lady John's diary and letters

CHAPTER IX. 1855-60

Retirement and foreign travel--Palmerston and China--City election --Reception at Sheffield--Orsini's attempt upon Napoleon III--Italy and Austria--Lord John's share in the liberation of Italy--Lady John's enthusiasm--Garibaldi at Pembroke Lodge

CHAPTER X. 1859-66

Death of Lord Minto--Lord John accepts peerage--American Civil War--Death of Lord Palmerston--Lord Russell Prime Minister--Reform Bill of 1866--Mr. Lowe and the "Adullamites"--Defeat and resignation of the Russell Government

CHAPTER XI. 1866-70

Travel in Italy--Entry of Victor Emmanuel into Venice--Disraeli's Reform Bill--Irish Church question--Gladstone Prime Minister--Winter at San Remo--Paris--Dinner at the Tuileries--Return to England

CHAPTER XII. 1870-78

Franco-German War--Renens-sur-Roche--Education question--Cannes--Herbert Spencer--Letters from Queen Victoria--Herzegovina--Death of Lord Amberley--Nonconformist deputation at Pembroke Lodge--Death of Lord Russell

CHAPTER XIII. 1878-98

Lady Russell--Her love of children--Literary tastes--Friendships-- Correspondence--Haslemere--Death of Tennyson--England and Ireland--Last meeting of Petersham Scholars--Illness and death

CHAPTER XIV

Letters from friends--Funeral at Chenies--Poem on Death

RECOLLECTIONS OF LADY RUSSELL. By JUSTIN MCCARTHY