George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen

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The British statesman George Hamilton Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (1784-1860), was noted for his work in the area of foreign affairs. He was prime minister of Great Britain at the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853.

George Hamilton Gordon was born on Jan. 28, 1784, in Edinburg, Scotland. His father died when George was 7 and his mother when he was 11; he was brought up by his guardians, William Pitt and Henry Dundas (Lord Melville). George was educated at Harrow and St. John's College, Cambridge. On the death of his grandfather in 1801, he became the 4th Earl of Aberdeen.

Travels on the Continent during 1802-1804, especially in Greece, quickened Aberdeen's interest in classical studies and archeology. In 1805 he married Lady Catherine Elizabeth Hamilton. She died in 1812, and in 1815 he married her sister-in-law, Harriet, the widow of Lord Hamilton.

Aberdeen's diplomatic career began in the Napoleonic era. He was sent by the foreign secretary, Lord Castlereagh, as special ambassador to Austria in 1813 to effect a final coalition against Napoleon. Aberdeen signed the Treaty of Töplitz with Austria and was present at the Battle of Leipzig in October 1813. Somewhat at odds with the more conservative Castlereagh, Aberdeen retired after the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1814; he was created a peer of the United Kingdom.

For the next decade Aberdeen remained in relative seclusion, improving his estates in Scotland. The Greek war of independence returned him to an active role; he joined the Duke of Wellington's Cabinet in 1828, first as chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster and then as foreign secretary. In the short-lived Wellington government (1828-1830), Aberdeen helped design a settlement guaranteeing the territorial integrity of an independent Greece. He was again out of public office until he joined Prime Minister Robert Peel's first Cabinet as secretary for war and the colonies in 1834. This brief ministry ended in 1835, and Aberdeen was out of office until 1841.

The most important part of Aberdeen's public career began in 1841, when he became foreign secretary in Peel's second ministry. Both men were advocates of free trade, and an entente with France was basic to this policy. Aberdeen, who had convinced Wellington in 1830 to recognize the Louis Philippe regime, now worked closely with F. P. G. Guizot, the French foreign minister, and avoided the danger of war in several disputes. Aberdeen also settled two boundary questions with the United States by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 and the Oregon Treaty of 1846. The most notable action of this ministry was the repeal of the British Corn Laws in 1846; Aberdeen supported Peel in this and continued to identify with him after his government fell later that year. Aberdeen was especially opposed to the belligerent foreign policy of Lord Palmerston.

On Peel's death in 1850, Aberdeen was recognized as the leader of the Peelites (Tory liberals), and in December 1852 he became prime minister of a coalition government. His Cabinet contained six Whigs, six Peelites, and a Radical. It was a Cabinet of talent but also of strong personalities (William Gladstone, Lord Palmerston, and Lord Russell), and Aberdeen was unable to maintain control. The major differences were in foreign policy. The fear of Russian power by Palmerston and Russell was not shared by Aberdeen and Gladstone, but public opinion through the press forced a reluctant Aberdeen into the Crimean War in March 1854. The war at the outset was popular, but the Aberdeen Cabinet was soon accused of mismanaging it. Stories of inadequate shelters, archaic medical care, and mounting British casualties flooded the press. Aberdeen could not withstand the parliamentary attack and resigned in January 1855 to be replaced by his rival, Palmerston.

The Crimean War marked the end of Aberdeen's public career. The war sickened him, and he never ceased to blame himself for Britain's involvement. He died in London on Dec. 14, 1860.

Aberdeen, as a politician and diplomat, was a compromiser. This characteristic was both his strength and his weakness. It helped to make his career as a foreign secretary, but he was too timid to lead the country in a time of crisis.

Further Reading

Two standard biographies of Aberdeen are Arthur Hamilton Gordon Stanmore, The Earl of Aberdeen (2 vols., 1893), and Lady Frances Balfour, The Life of George, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (1923); both are sympathetic but not very penetrating. An excellent discussion of the domestic impact of the Crimean War is in Olive Anderson, A Liberal State at War: English Politics and Economics during the Crimean War (1967). For Anglo-American relations during this period see Wilbur Devereux Jones, Lord Aberdeen and the Americas (1958).

Additional Sources

Chamberlain, Muriel Evelyn, Lord Aberdeen, a political biography, London; New York: Longman, 1983.

Iremonger, Lucille, Lord Aberdeen: a biography of the fourth Earl of Aberdeen, K.G., K.T., Prime Minister 1852-1855, London: Collins, 1978.

Aberdeen, George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th earl of (1784-1860). As prime minister during the Crimean War Aberdeen paid a high price for underestimating public anxiety about the conduct of the war. Yet he had a long career of public service behind him. Educated at Harrow and Cambridge he first made his mark as a diplomat. In 1828 he became foreign secretary in Wellington's administration and in 1841 was again foreign secretary under Peel. He achieved some improvement in Anglo-French relations, and settled the long-standing border dispute between Canada and the USA. He ended the war with China by the treaty of Nanking in 1842, which leased Hong Kong to Britain. Aberdeen loyally supported Peel, resigning with him after the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846.

When Russell's government fell in 1852 Aberdeen headed a ministry which held out every prospect of stability. But Aberdeen was unlucky in that he was drawn into war with Russia. British suspicions of Russia were well founded, but although the political nation was convinced of the wisdom of containing Russian designs, public opinion was soon appalled by the incompetence exposed by the war and demanded scapegoats. He had little choice but to resign when Roebuck's motion calling for an inquiry into the condition of the army was carried in the Commons by 305 votes to 148 on 29 January 1855. Aberdeen was a politician of integrity and intelligence, but was tested beyond endurance.

The Right Honourable  The Earl of Aberdeen  KG KT FRS PC
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office 19 December 1852 – 30 January 1855
Monarch	Victoria
Preceded by	The Earl of Derby
Succeeded by	The Viscount Palmerston
Born	28 January 1784(1784-01-28) Edinburgh
Died	14 December 1860 (aged 76) London
Political party	Peelite
Alma mater	St John's College, Cambridge

George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen KG KT FRS PC (28 January 1784 – 14 December 1860), styled Lord Haddo from 1791 to 1801, was a Scottish politician, successively a Tory, Conservative and Peelite, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1852 until 1855.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Period 1801–1812 3 Official and political career 4 Death 5 Successors 6 Other personal matters 7 See also 8 External links 9 References

Early life

Born in Edinburgh on 28 January 1784, he was the eldest son of George Gordon, Lord Haddo, son of George Gordon, 3rd Earl of Aberdeen.^[1] His mother was Charlotte, youngest daughter of William Baird.^[1] He lost his father in 1791 and his mother in 1795 and was brought up by Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. He was educated at Harrow School, and St John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a Master of Arts in 1804.^[2]

Period 1801–1812

Before this, however, he had become Earl of Aberdeen on his grandfather's death in 1801, and had travelled all over Europe. On his return to England, he founded the Athenian Society. In 1805, he married Lady Catherine Elizabeth, daughter of Lord Abercorn. In December he took his seat as a Tory Scottish representative peer in the House of Lords. In 1808, he was created a Knight of the Thistle.

Official and political career

Following the death of his wife in 1812 he joined the Foreign Service. He was appointed ambassador extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary at Vienna, where he signed the Treaty of Töplitz between Britain and Austria in October 1813. He was one of the British representatives at the Congress of Chatillon in February 1814, and at the negotiations which led to the Treaty of Paris in May of that year.^[3] Returning home he was created a peer of the United Kingdom as Viscount Gordon, of Aberdeen in the County of Aberdeen (1814), and made a member of the Privy Council. In July 1815 he married Harriet, daughter of John Douglas, and widow of James, Viscount Hamilton.^[1] During the ensuing thirteen years Aberdeen took a less prominent part in public affairs.

Lord Aberdeen, by John Partridge

He served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster between January and June 1828 ^[1] and subsequently as Foreign Secretary until 1830 under the Duke of Wellington.^[1] He resigned with Wellington over the Reform Bill of 1832. He was Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (1834-35) and again Foreign Secretary (1841-46) under Robert Peel.^[1] It was during his second stint as Foreign Secretary that he settled two disagreements with the US - the Northeast Boundary dispute by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842), and the Oregon dispute by the Oregon Treaty of 1846. He also worked successfully to improve relationships with France, where Guizot had become a personal friend. He again followed his leader and resigned with Peel over the issue of the Corn Laws. After Peel's death in 1850 he became the recognized leader of the Peelites. His dislike of the Ecclesiastical Titles Assumption Bill, the rejection of which he failed to secure in 1851, prevented him from joining the government of Lord John Russell.

In December 1852, however, he became Prime Minister and headed a coalition ministry of Whigs and Peelites. Although united on free trade and on questions of domestic reform, his cabinet which contained Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell, was certain to differ on questions of foreign policy. He entered the country into the Crimean War on the side of the Ottoman Empire following pressure from some of his cabinet. Palmerston, supported by Russell, favoured a more aggressive policy, and Aberdeen, unable to control Palmerston, acquiesced. However the war proved his downfall. As reports returned detailing the mismanagement of the conflict Russell resigned; and on 29 January 1855 a motion for the appointment of a select committee to enquire into the conduct of the war, was carried by a large majority. Treating this as a vote of no confidence, Aberdeen resigned.

Death

The Earl of Aberdeen in 1828.

Lord Aberdeen died at Argyll House, St. James's, London on 14 December 1860, and was buried in the family vault at Stanmore.^[4]

Successors

By his first wife Aberdeen had one son and three daughters, all of whom predeceased their father. By his second wife, who died in August 1833, he left four sons and one daughter. His eldest son, George, succeeded as fifth Earl; his second son John was created Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair in 1916. Aberdeen's second son was General Sir Alexander Hamilton-Gordon, K.C.B.; his third son was the Reverend Douglas Hamilton-Gordon; and his youngest son Arthur Gordon was created Baron Stanmore in 1893.

Other personal matters

Apart from his political career Aberdeen was also a distinguished scholar. He was appointed Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen in 1827 and was President of the Society of Antiquaries of London.^[1] His private life is believed to be exemplary by the standards of the day. His manner was lofty and reserved, and as a speaker he was ponderous rather than eloquent. It is said that he lacked strength and his foreign policy was essentially one of peace and non-intervention.

In 1994 novelist, columnist and politician Ferdinand Mount used George Gordon's life as the basis for a historical novel - Umbrella.

See also

• Aberdeen Ministry

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Aberdeen, George Hamilton Gordon, 4th Earl of.

External links

• More about The Earl of Aberdeen on the Downing Street website.
• George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen at Find a Grave

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Dod, Robert P. (1860). The Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Whitaker and Co.. pp. 81. 
2. ^ Gordon, George Hamilton (Lord Haddo) in Venn, J. & J. A., Alumni Cantabrigienses, Cambridge University Press, 10 vols, 1922–1958.
3. ^ Chambers Biographical Dictionary, ISBN 0-550-18022-2, page 4
4. ^ "The Churches of Great Stanmore". St John Church, Stanmore. http://www.stjohnsstanmore.org.uk/content.php?folder_id=9. 

• www.thepeerage.com
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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Peerage of Scotland
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