Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough

Ellenborough was the eldest son of Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough, and Anne Towry, daughter of George Towry.^{[citation needed]} He was educated at Eton College and St John's College, Cambridge.^[1][2] In 1812, he became Chief Clerk of the Court of King's Bench (his father's court), a sinecure which was worth nearly £8,000 a year. Owing to the political embarrassment it caused, it was commuted for a life pension in 1838.

Political career, 1813–1842

Ellenborough represented the subsequently disfranchised

Ellenborough subsequently returned to the Board of Control in Robert Peel's first and second administrations. He had only held office for a month on the third occasion when he was appointed by the court of directors to succeed Lord Auckland as Governor-General of India.^[1]

Governor-General of India, 1842–1844

His Indian administration of two and a half years, or half the usual term of service, was from first to last a subject of hostile criticism. His own letters sent monthly to the Queen, and his correspondence with the Duke of Wellington, published in 1874, afford material for an intelligent and impartial judgment of his meteoric career. The events chiefly in dispute are his policy towards Afghanistan and the army and captives there, his conquest of Sind, and his campaign in Gwalior.^[1]

Ellenborough went to India to "restore peace to Asia" but the whole term of his office was occupied by war. On his arrival there the news that greeted him was that of the

Sind had hardly been disposed of when troubles arose on both sides of the governor-general, who was then at Agra. On the north, the disordered kingdom of the Sikhs was threatening the frontier. In Gwalior to the south, the feudatory Mahratta state, there were a large rebellious army, a Ranee only twelve years of age, an adopted chief of eight, and factions in the council of ministers. These conditions brought Gwalior to the verge of civil war. Ellenborough reviewed the danger in the minute of 1 November 1845, and told Sir Hugh Gough to advance. Further treachery and military licence rendered the battles of Maharajpur and Punniar (fought on the same day), inevitable though they were, a surprise to the combatants. The treaty that followed was as merciful as it was wise. The pacification of Gwalior also had its effect beyond the Sutlej, where anarchy was restrained for yet another year, and the work of civilisation was left to Ellenborough's two successors. But by this time the patience of the directors was exhausted. They had no control over Ellenborough's policy; his despatches to them were haughty and disrespectful; and in June 1844 they exercised their power of recalling him.^[4]

Political career, 1844–1858

On his return to England, Ellenborough was created Earl of Ellenborough, in the county of Cumberland,^[5] Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath^[6] and received the thanks of Parliament; but his administration soon became the theme of hostile debates, though it was successfully vindicated by Peel and Wellington. When Peel's cabinet was reconstituted in 1846 Ellenborough became First Lord of the Admiralty. In 1858 he took office under Lord Derby as president of the board of control, for the fourth time. It was then his congenial task to draft the new scheme for the government of India which the Indian Rebellion of 1857 had rendered necessary. But his old fault of impetuosity again proved his stumbling block. He wrote a caustic despatch censuring Lord Canning for the Oudh proclamation, and allowed it to be published in The Times without consulting his colleagues, who disavowed his action in this respect. General disapprobation was excited; votes of censure were announced in both Houses; and, to save the cabinet, Ellenborough resigned.^[4]

But for this act of rashness, he might have enjoyed the task of carrying into effect the home constitution for the government of India which he sketched in his evidence before the select committee of the House of Commons on Indian territories on 8 June 1852. Paying off his old score against the

See History of the Indian Administration (Bentley, 1874), edited by Lord Colchester; Minutes of Evidence taken before the Select Committee on Indian Territories (June 1852); volume i. of the Calcutta Review; the Friend of India, during the years 1842–1845; and John Hope, The House of Scindea: A Sketch (Longmans, 1863). The numerous books by and against Sir Charles Napier, on the conquest of Sind, should be consulted.[4]

Family

Lord Ellenborough was married twice. He married firstly Lady Octavia Catherine, daughter of Robert Stewart, 1st Marquess of Londonderry, in 1813. They had no children. She died of tuberculosis in March 1819.

He married secondly

He did not remarry, although he had illegitimate children with his mistress.[7] The stage actor St. Clair Bayfield (born John St. Clair Roberts) was his grandson through his illegitimate daughter, Ida Roberts.

Death

Ellenborough died at his seat,

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ellenborough, Edward Law, Earl of". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 289–290.

External links

• Works by Edward Law at Project Gutenberg
• Works by or about Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough at Internet Archive
• Hamilton, John Andrew (1892). "Law, Edward, Earl of Ellenborough" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 32. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
• Steele, David (October 2008). "Law, Edward, first earl of Ellenborough (1790–1871)".
  doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/16143. Retrieved 12 March 2010. (Subscription or UK public library membership
  required.)
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Edward Law