⁸⁹⁷ Following a meeting with the Irish nationalist Sir Charles Gavan Duffy (1836–1903) at Highclere in October 1884, Carnarvon urged Duffy to put down his ideas for a Conservative Party settlement for Ireland. Duffy drew up a memorandum and wrote an article for the National Review. Entitled ‘An appeal to the Conservative Party’ and signed ‘An Irish Conservative’, it was published in February 1885. Carnarvon enthusiastically supported Duffy's ideas and told Salisbury, ‘For my own part [. . .] our best and almost only hope is to come to some fair and reasonable arrangement for Home Rule’ (Carnarvon to Salisbury, 5 February 1885 (copy): CP, BL 60760, fos 18–21). Salisbury, replying to Carnarvon's ‘most interesting letter’, was not encouraging. ‘It is possible’, he wrote, ‘that such a scheme as you hope for may be devised which would give all requisite guarantees for the interests which we are bound in honour not to abandon, and yet would satisfy the separatist feeling. I am not hopeful, for I have been unable to think of any provisions which would answer the above requirements’ (Salisbury to Carnarvon, 18 February 1885: CP, BL 60760, fos 22–23).

⁸⁹⁸ Gordon, Governor-General of the Sudan, was murdered by the Mahdi's forces on 26 January, after a siege lasting 317 days and two days before relief forces arrived. See Marlowe, J., Mission to Khartum: the apotheosis of General Gordon (London, 1969), pp. 289–291Google Scholar.

⁸⁹⁹ Deploring the failure of the Sudan expedition and the abandonment of the Sudan after military operations, Carnarvon had a conversation with Salisbury in the House three days earlier and wrote afterwards, ‘A vote of censure in our House is decided on, he says, rather against his opinion. I think it is a mistake’ (Diary, 20 February 1885).

⁹⁰⁰ The Australian Colonies: Hansard, CCXCIV, 23 February 1885, cols 1013–1014.

⁹⁰¹ Debate on the failure of the Sudan expedition, second day.

⁹⁰² Hansard, CCXCIV, 27 February 1885, cols 1526–1539.

⁹⁰³ Ibid., cols 1590–1594. The House divided: Contents 189, Not-Contents 68.

⁹⁰⁴ Ayes 288, Noes 302.

⁹⁰⁵ The Russians had been gradually encroaching on Afghanistan, bringing near the prospect of war with Great Britain. On 30 March, Russian forces attacked Penjdeh, entirely unexpectedly and without provocation, heavily defeating the Afghans (see Sir G.F. Macmunn, Afghanistan from Darius to Amanullah (London, 1929), pp. 213–214). For the events leading up to the Penjdeh crisis, see K. Bourne, The Foreign Policy of Victorian England, 1830–1902 (Oxford, 1970), pp. 41–44.

⁹⁰⁶ Cairns had died on the 2 April.

⁹⁰⁷ Friendly Societies Act (1875) Amendment Bill, second reading: Hansard, CCXCVII, 7 May 1885, Carnarvon, col. 1818.

⁹⁰⁸ On the Customs and Inland Revenue Bill, second reading, the Government was defeated by 264 to 252, a majority of twelve: Hansard, CCXCVIII, 8 June 1885, cols 1514–1517.

⁹⁰⁹ Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667), Bishop of Down and Connor (1660–1667), Vice-Chancellor, Trinity College, Dublin (1661–1667), ecclesiastical writer and literary genius.

⁹¹⁰ The previous evening, Northcote had been summoned by Salisbury to a meeting at which Hicks Beach was also present. Salisbury's scheme was that he would be Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, with Northcote as First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the Commons. Northcote noted in his diary, ‘The more I think of the heads of Salisbury's scheme, the less I like it’ (Lang, Life, Letters and Diaries of Sir Stafford Northcote, II, p. 211).

⁹¹¹ Northcote to Carnarvon, 11 June 1885: CP, BL 60760, fo. 40. The Queen recorded after the interview, ‘Lord Salisbury arrived at 20 m. to 5 pm. (New govt.). Lord Carnarvon for Lord Lieutenant of Ireland who he thought very clever and conciliatory and popular wherever he went’ (Queen Victoria, Memorandum, 12 June 1885: Royal Archives, C36/420).

⁹¹² As understood by Northcote, the changes included a peerage for himself and the exclusion from the Cabinet of Richmond, Cross, Carnarvon, and Manners (see Cooke and Vincent, The Governing Passion, p. 264). Churchill was later appointed to the India Office.

⁹¹³ Lady Knightley, the wife of a veteran Conservative MP, commented on the situation two days later, ‘Sir Stafford is shunted and goes to the Upper House [as First Lord of the Treasury]. Perhaps it is as well but I am very sorry for him’ (P. Gordon (ed.), Politics and Society: the journals of Lady Knightley of Fawsley, 1885 to 1913 (Northamptonshire Record Society, 1999), p. 59).

⁹¹⁴ For details of the discussion, see Harrowby's ‘Note for Ex-Cabinet meeting at Salisbury's June 15th/85’: Harrowby Papers, 2nd series, lv, fos 195–197.

⁹¹⁵ Edgar Algernon Robert Gascoyne-Cecil (1864–1958), Viscount Cecil of Chelwood (1923), third son of Salisbury.

⁹¹⁶ At Arlington Street.

⁹¹⁷ James McCraw, Carnarvon's financial adviser and agent.

⁹¹⁸ After his meeting with Salisbury, Carnarvon wrote, ‘I must ask you to understand that I cannot retain permanent office in Ireland, if the result of the General Election should be favourable towards us; and amongst many reasons for this is that the climate is particularly adverse to me as a matter of health. As a provisional and temporary appointment, however, I will take and keep the Office till after the General Election or the meeting of the new Parliament’ (Carnarvon to Salisbury, 16 June 1885 (copy): CP, BL 60760, fos 48–49). As Lady Carnarvon stated, ‘He finally decided he could not refuse’ (Lady Carnarvon, Diary, 16 June 1885: Herbert Papers, Somerset Archives and Record Service, DD/DRU/317).

⁹¹⁹ Gibson had been appointed as Lord Chancellor of Ireland. Salisbury had more problems with the Chief Secretaryship. He informed Carnarvon, ‘There is considerable doubt about the Ch. Sec. Stanhope, Ridley, Chaplin, Dyke, have all been mentioned’ (Salisbury to Carnarvon, 19 June 1885: CP, BL 60760, fo. 57). Hart Dyke was eventually appointed on 28 June.

⁹²⁰ Col. Robert Bruce (1825–1899), Inspector-General, Royal Irish Constabulary until 1885.

⁹²¹ On 19 June in the Lords, Salisbury refused to proceed with the final stage of the Redistribution Bill. Both Houses adjourned until 23 June. A further communication was received by Gladstone on 20 June from Salisbury, through the Queen, demanding Liberal support in allowing the Budget to press for an 8d. income tax (Bahlman, II, p. 890).

⁹²² Manners, who became Postmaster-General in the new Government, attended a meeting at Salisbury's together with Hicks Beach, Richmond, and Cranbrook, ‘to read and discuss a letter from the Queen in answer to Salisbury's communication of Saturday. In it H.M. begged us not to desert her, pointed out that Gladstone's language was susceptible of a favourable interpretation, and offered to express in a letter to be made public that she attached that meaning to his letter.’ Ponsonby, acting as a messenger between the two leaders, brought the crisis to an end. Manners wrote, ‘The Rubicon is therefore passed, and we are virtually in office’ (C. Whibley (ed.), Lord John Manners and his Friends, 2 vols (London, 1915), II, pp. 212–213).

⁹²³ John Poyntz Spencer (1835–1910), Viscount Althorp (1845), 5th Earl Spencer (1857). Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1868–1874, 1882–1885, 1886), Lord President of the Council (1880–1882), First Lord of the Admiralty (1892–1895).

⁹²⁴ Cardinal Henry Edward Manning (1808–1892), joined Roman Catholic Church (1851), Archbishop of Westminster (1865–1892), Cardinal (1875), Member, Royal Commission on Housing of the Poor (1885). Manning told Carnarvon that the Irish bishops were in favour of union with England, and of local government in the provinces, but not of a central parliament (see Hardinge, III, pp. 161–162).

⁹²⁵ Sir Edward George Jenkinson (1835–1919), Irish civil servant, Lord Spencer's private secretary (1882–1885), Assistant Under-Secretary for Police and Crime in Ireland (1882–1886).

⁹²⁶ Lieut.-Col. John A. Caulfeild, formerly Spencer's Comptroller of the Household.

⁹²⁷ H. Cooke Trench, Irish land agent, son-in-law of Sir William Heathcote.

⁹²⁸ On supporting the Afghan claim to the head of the Zulfiqar Pass, the most southerly point reached by the Russians.

⁹²⁹ Lieut.-Gen. Sir Peter Lumsden (1829–1918), member of Council of India (1883–1893), British Boundary Commissioner, Afghanistan. Gladstone looked for a compromise with Russia and opened negotiations in London on the general line of the frontier. Lumsden was put in an invidious position and asked to withdraw from the Commission, expressing himself with some force. See W.K. Fraser-Tytler, rev. Gillett, M.C., Afghanistan: a study of political developments in central and southern Asia, 3rd edition (London, 1967), pp. 165–166Google Scholar.

⁹³⁰ In reply to Smith, now Secretary of State for War, Wolseley ordered the rearguard not to leave Dongola (Wolseley to Smith (Wolseley No. 324), 26 June 1885: TNA, PRO WO 33/4 Pt II, p. 413).

⁹³¹ Sir Charles Edward Howard Vincent (1848–1908), first Director, Criminal Investigations Department, Metropolitan Police (1878–1884), Con. MP for Central Sheffield (1885–1908).

⁹³² Edward Stafford Howard (1851–1916), Lib. MP for Cumberland East (1876–1885) and for Thornbury (1885–1886), Under-Secretary of State for India (1886, in Gladstone's government). Howard was Elsie's brother, and had married Lady Rachel Campbell in 1877.

⁹³³ For an account of their arrival, see Freeman's Journal, 30 June 1885, p. 5.

⁹³⁴ The two short ceremonies are described by Lady Carnarvon in her Diary, 30 June 1885: Herbert Papers, Somerset Archives and Record Service, DD/DRU/3/7.

⁹³⁵ Sir Henry Sidney (1641–1704), Secretary of State (1690–1691), Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1692), 1st Earl of Romney (1694).

⁹³⁶ Sir Robert George Crookshank Hamilton (1836–1895), Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty (1882–1883), Permanent Under-Secretary for Ireland (1883–1886), Governor of Tasmania (1886–1893).

⁹³⁷ Carnarvon left Ireland early the previous night, arriving in London ‘between 6 and 7, very tired’ (Diary, 3 July 1885).

⁹³⁸ Manning had impressed upon Carnarvon ‘the danger of interference’ in the appointment of a new Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, since William Walsh, President of Maynooth College since 1881, was given the post by Pope Leo XIII. See V.A. McClelland, Cardinal Manning: his public life and influence, 1865–1892 (London, 1962), p. 185.

⁹³⁹ Howard Vincent.

⁹⁴⁰ Justin McCarthy (1830–1912), writer, Irish MP for Longford (1879–1886), Leader of the Irish National Party (1890–1896).

⁹⁴¹ According to Vincent, at a dinner at Portman Square with Carnarvon and his wife at the end of June, he had been asked for his opinion on the state of Irish affairs. Vincent replied that ‘I had always felt that although any rapprochement with the Irish leader [Parnell] was difficult and dangerous [. . .] it was a mistake to keep them entirely at a distance and not to endeavour to see if any arrangement could be made with them [. . .]. The Viceroy was taken with the idea, and in subsequent interviews asked me to see if a meeting could be arranged between him and Parnell.’ Vincent wrote to McCarthy to set up a meeting. See S.H. Jeyes and F.D. How, The Life of Sir Howard Vincent (London, 1912), p. 177.

⁹⁴² See ‘Conversation with J.M’, CP, BL 60829, fo. 74.

⁹⁴³ Carnarvon: Government position on Irish affairs: Hansard, CCXCVIII, 6 July 1885, cols 1658–1662.

⁹⁴⁴ ‘If you can hear at the Carlton or elsewhere what is thought, especially by Orangemen, of my statement, will you send me one word’ (Carnarvon to Harrowby, 6 July 1885: Harrowby Papers, 2nd series, iv, fo. 16).

⁹⁴⁵ Dr William Joseph Walsh (1841–1921), Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland (1885–1921).

⁹⁴⁶ Father Gerard Molloy (1834–1906), Rector, University of Dublin (1883–1906), Commissioner, Inquiry into Educational Endowments, Ireland (1885–1894).

⁹⁴⁷ See below, p. 393, n. 960.

⁹⁴⁸ Michael Davitt (1846–1906), Irish Nationalist imprisoned for treason in 1870 and released seven years later on ‘ticket of leave’, MP for Meath North (1892), for Cork North-east (1893), and for Mayo South (1895–1899).

⁹⁴⁹ Carnarvon told Ashbourne, ‘My deputations passed off well enough, like this generally uproarious day is, I hope, passing’ (Carnarvon to Ashbourne, 13 July 1885: Ashbourne Papers, B25/6). Ashbourne, for his part, reported that ‘the University men were greatly pleased at your reception of the Deputations’ (Ashbourne to Carnarvon, 13 July 1885: CP, TNA, PRO 30/6/58, fo. 123).

⁹⁵⁰ Revd Dr William Delaney (1835–1924), President, Catholic University College, Dublin since 1883.

⁹⁵¹ ‘It would be a pleasure to meet [Parnell] at the end of this month or quite at the beginning of next’ (Carnarvon to McCarthy, 13 July 1885: CP, BL 60829, fo. 79). McCarthy's account of subsequent events are described in his Reminiscences, 2 vols (London, 1899), II, pp. 110–114.

⁹⁵² Ashbourne wrote to Carnarvon afterwards, ‘He [Salisbury] is in favour of the minimum of writing and thinks it best for some friend to say, rather than write, a reply to the effect that you would be glad to have a chat with your correspondent when next in London’ (reproduced in Hardinge, III, p. 174; the original letter cannot be traced).

⁹⁵³ This refers to the undermining of the already weak Hibernian and National Banks. A director of the Bank had embezzled £70,000 and then disappeared.

⁹⁵⁴ John Edward Vernon (1816–1887), Director of the Bank of Ireland (1867–1885).

⁹⁵⁵ Carnarvon had put £3,000 of his own money in the Bank (Carnarvon to Salisbury, 17 July 1885 (copy): St. Aldwyn Papers, D2455 PCC/78).

⁹⁵⁶ After the Cabinet meeting of 18 July, Cranbrook wrote, ‘Then Carnarvon & his guarantee of deposits. Consternation, but refusal to support means dethronement & no one wanted that so our hand is forced into unknown liabilities without knowledge of assets because the Irish are “emotional” & cannot take care of themselves! Oh dear’ (Johnson, p. 569).

⁹⁵⁷ William Shaw (1823–1895), Lib. MP for Co. Cork (1874–1885) and chairman of the Munster Bank; declared bankrupt (January 1886).

⁹⁵⁸ Hamilton, Memorandum, 18 July 1885: CP, TNA PRO 30/6/63, fo. 18.

⁹⁵⁹ Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–1891), Nationalist MP for Co. Neath (1875–1880) and for Cork City (1880–1891), imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol (1881–1883), Leader of the Nationalist Party (1880–1890).

⁹⁶⁰ Parnell's motion condemned the actions of Lord Spencer in 1882 for sentencing to death two alleged murderers at Maamtrasna. Despite the fact that the Conservatives (in opposition at the time) had supported Spencer's action, Randolph Churchill, now a Minister, attacked the former Lord Lieutenant. For Parnell's motion, see Hansard, CCXCIX, 17 July 1885, cols 1064–1085. For a first hand account of the events see W.S.J.F. Brodrick, Earl of Midleton, Records and Reactions, 1856–1939 (London, 1939), pp. 61–65.

⁹⁶¹ Hicks Beach and Sir John Gorst had supported Churchill and Parnell in the debate. Four days earlier, Hicks Beach had requested Carnarvon to re-examine the evidence of the Maamtrasna case, but had counselled caution. See Hicks Beach to Carnarvon, 13 July 1885: CP, TNA, PRO 30/6/57, fos 148–151; Carnarvon to Hicks Beach, 15 July 1885: St Aldwyn Papers, D2455 PCC/78.

⁹⁶² ‘They look with serious apprehension on the precedent which proposed action for the future’ (Salisbury to Carnarvon, 18 July 1885 (copy): Hatfield House Papers, 3M/E).

⁹⁶³ Carnarvon told Harrowby, ‘The crisis is politically far more serious than is understood in England and the question must not be too closely measured by prudent and official rule’ (Carnarvon to Harrowby, 19 July 1885: Harrowby Papers, 2nd series, lii, fo. 123).

⁹⁶⁴ Sir George Welsh Kellner (1825–1886), Assistant Paymaster-General in Chancery (1884–1886). Kellner had been selected by the Cabinet on 18 July to help Carnarvon (Hicks Beach to Carnarvon, 18 July 1885: CP, TNA, PRO 30/6/63, fo. 13).

⁹⁶⁵ Carnarvon remained pessimistic: ‘What I have done and said has so far arrested the ruin’, he informed Ashbourne, ‘but the run on the Hibernian is considerable, and I do not feel sure that we shall succeed in keeping it up’ (Carnarvon to Ashbourne, 19 July 1885: Ashbourne Papers, B 25/9).

⁹⁶⁶ John George Gibson (1846–1923), Solicitor-General for Ireland (1885–1886, 1886–1887), Attorney-General for Ireland (1887–1888).

⁹⁶⁷ Carnarvon to Hicks Beach, 19 July 1885: St Aldwyn Papers, D 2455 PCC/70.

⁹⁶⁸ Carnarvon, ‘Memorandum of conversation with Sir C. G. Duffy, 22 July 1885’: CP, BL 60825, fo. 38.

⁹⁶⁹ ‘The price of peace in Ireland’, Freeman's Journal, 22 July, 1885, pp. 5–6.

⁹⁷⁰ The Queen's Colleges were established by Robert Peel in 1845 to provide higher education in Ireland. They consisted of three institutions – Belfast for Presbyterians, and Cork and Galway for Roman Catholics. Sir Robert Hamilton had suggested a careful reconstruction of these colleges (Hamilton to Carnarvon, 9 July 1885: CP, TNA, PRO 30/6/58, fos 122–128).

⁹⁷¹ Ashbourne had travelled to Boulogne on 25 July and arrived back in Dublin on 28 July (Ashbourne to Carnarvon, 25 July 1885: CP, TNA, PRO 30/6/56, fos 184–186).

⁹⁷² Lady Chesterfield, Carnarvon's mother-in-law by his first marriage, had died on 27 July.

⁹⁷³ Carnarvon told Vincent that, because of business connected with Lady Chesterfield's death, he would be able to meet Parnell earlier than expected (Carnarvon to Vincent (copy), 29 July 1885: CP, BL 60829, fo. 48).

⁹⁷⁴ The meeting with Parnell lasted one and a quarter hours. See Carnarvon to Ashbourne, 1 August 1885: Ashbourne Papers, B25/12 (reproduced in Hardinge, III, pp. 178–181).

⁹⁷⁵ Before leaving for Hatfield the previous evening, Carnarvon wrote to his wife, ‘Randolph [Churchill] has done as much as anyone to upset my Irish policy by making people think that he was ready to intrigue with the Irishmen and make any concession to them’ (Carnarvon to Lady Carnarvon, 1 August 1885: CP, BL 61054, fos 42–43).

⁹⁷⁶ See Jenkinson's lengthy letter to Carnarvon, 5 August 1885: CP, TNA, PRO 30/6/62, fos 1–12).

⁹⁷⁷ Carnarvon set out his proposed rearrangement of the police and divisional magistrates to Cross, the Home Secretary (Carnarvon to Cross, 4 August 1885: CP, TNA, PRO 30/6/64, fos 24–25).

⁹⁷⁸ Lady Margaret Charteris, daughter of 2nd Earl of Glengall.

⁹⁷⁹ Later the same day, Carnarvon described the original plan for the Cabinet: ‘He [Salisbury] had spoken to me of what I was about to say and had in certain measure arranged it with me’ (Carnarvon to Harrowby, 3 August 1885: Harrowby Papers, 2nd series, lii, fo. 137).

⁹⁸⁰ Accompanied by his wife and daughter, Carnarvon made a tour of south and west Ireland from 17 to 22 August. He was the first Lord Lieutenant to visit this district. The itinerary included the Arran Islands, Kilronan, Clifden, Belmullet, and Sligo. See ‘Vice-regal tour in the West: Lord Lieutenant in Galway’, Freeman's Journal, 18 August 1885, p. 5.

⁹⁸¹ Lord John Thomas Browne (1824–1903), brother of George John Browne, 3rd Marquess of Sligo (1820–1896).

⁹⁸² Col. Edward Henry Cooper (1827–1902), MP for Co. Sligo (1865–1868), Lord Lieutenant of Co. Sligo (1877–1902).

⁹⁸³ Laurence Gillooly (1819–1895), Bishop of Elphin (1858–1895).

⁹⁸⁴ Col. Edward Robert King-Harman (1838–1888), Con. MP for Co. Sligo (1877–1880), for Co. Dublin (1883–1885), and for the Isle of Thanet (1885–1888), Lord Lieutenant for Co. Roscommon (1878–1888).

⁹⁸⁵ ‘Irish matters are the first and last and middle thought of every day [. . .]. I can think of nothing else’ (Carnarvon to Cranbrook, 2 September 1885: Cranbrook Papers, HA3 T501/262).

⁹⁸⁶ Sir Charles Du Cane (1825–1889), Chairman, Board of Customs (1878–1889).

⁹⁸⁷ Michael Morris (1827–1901), 1st Baron Morris (1889), 1st Baron Killanin (1900). Lib. MP for Galway (1865–1867), Solicitor-General for Ireland (1866), Attorney-General for Ireland (1866–1867), Judge of Common Pleas for Ireland (1867–1887), Lord Chief Justice of Ireland (1887–1889).

⁹⁸⁸ Charles Fowler Bourke (1831–1899), Chairman, General Prisons Board, Ireland (1878–1895).

⁹⁸⁹ Churchill had arrived in Dublin the previous day and was staying with Hugh Holmes, the Irish Attorney-General.

⁹⁹⁰ Shaftesbury had died on 1 October.

⁹⁹¹ Carnarvon had crossed over from Ireland on 3 October in preparation for the first Cabinet since the summer, on 6 October.

⁹⁹² Carnarvon had previously written to Harrowby, ‘I have told Salisbury that I wish to see him on Monday [5 Oct]. Perhaps my greatest difficulty lies with one section of the landlords who think the Government is bound to keep them no matter how harsh they themselves may be’ (Carnarvon to Harrowby, 28 September 1885: Harrowby Papers, 2nd series, lii, fo. 45).

⁹⁹³ On 30 September, Salisbury – who was to make a major policy speech at Newport on 7 October – told Carnarvon that he ‘should be glad for any material for the defence of our Irish position. Can you bring with you on Monday anything to show that 1) Boycotting went on vigorously while the Crimes Act was still in existence. 2) That its present prevalence could not be materially checked if the Crimes Act were still in existence’ (Salisbury to Carnarvon, 30 September 1885: CP, BL 50760, fos 69–70).

⁹⁹⁴ For details, see Hardinge, III, pp. 192–195.

⁹⁹⁵ Cranbrook commented, ‘Carnarvon's picture of Ireland was in the gloomiest of colours [. . .]. His remedies almost none & present action, though all that the law allows, does not promise much’ (Johnson, p. 576).

⁹⁹⁶ ‘The Queen feels very anxious about Ireland and would be very glad to have seen Lord Carnarvon before he returned to Ireland’ (Queen Victoria to Salisbury, 6 October 1885: Buckle, Letters, III, p. 700). Carnarvon excused himself from going to Balmoral to talk particularly on boycotting (Carnarvon to Queen Victoria, 8 October 1885: Royal Archives, D37/94).

⁹⁹⁷ Arthur William, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1850–1942), third son of Queen Victoria. He followed an army career and, as a major-general, commanded a brigade in the Egyptian expedition of 1882 and fought at Tel-el-Kabir. See SirAston, G., His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn: a life and intimate study (London, 1929), pp. 124–130Google Scholar. The wish to be Commander-in-Chief in Bombay was never granted.

⁹⁹⁸ Sir Esmé William Howard (1863–1939), Carnarvon's brother-in-law by his second marriage, diplomat (1885–1892), Consul-General to Crete (1903–1906), 1st Baron Howard of Penrith (1930).

⁹⁹⁹ District magistrates.

¹⁰⁰⁰ Sir David Harrel (1841–1939), Chief Commissioner, Dublin Metropolitan Police (1883–1893).

¹⁰⁰¹ Salisbury met Carnarvon at Arlington Street at midday to discuss the consequences for the Government if the latter should retire after the next general election. Carnarvon offered to waive his retirement if Salisbury was willing either to set up a Joint Committee of both Houses to consider the future government of Ireland or to establish an Educational Council for Ireland and a fuller measure of self-government. See Carnarvon, Memorandum, ‘Conversation with Lord Salisbury’, 20 November 1885: CP, BL 60760, fos 73–77.

¹⁰⁰² Edward Frederick Leveson-Gower (1819–1907), Lib. MP for Derby (1846–1847), for Stoke-upon-Trent (1852–1857), and for Bodmin (1859–1885).

¹⁰⁰³ J.D. Cramer Roberts, Carnarvon's London agent and financial adviser.

¹⁰⁰⁴ Sir Matthew White Ridley (1842–1904), 5th Baronet Ridley (1877), Viscount Ridley (1900). Con. MP for Northumberland North (1868–1885) and for Blackpool (1886–1900), Under-Secretary to the Home Office (1878–1880), Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1885–1886), Home Secretary (1895–1900).

¹⁰⁰⁵ Jenkinson, of whom Carnarvon thought highly, had had an interview with him on 31 August about his future position. It emerged that Cross had no opening for him in a permanent position at the Home Office (Cross to Carnarvon, 3 September 1885: CP, TNA PRO 30/6/62, fo. 20). After Jenkinson saw Hicks Beach at the end of the year, Carnarvon warned Hicks Beach, ‘It is simply impossible for the Government to give up the machinery of which Jenkinson is the head [. . .]. We shall probably have very serious trouble before long and it would be nothing short of madness to weaken in any way the one agency that exists for the detection and prosecution of gross political crime’ (Carnarvon to Hicks Beach, 30 December 1885: CP, TNA, PRO 30/6/62, fo. 45). Hicks Beach replied, ‘I do not think it is my business to settle Jenkinson's case’ (Hicks Beach to Carnarvon, 3 January 1886: Hatfield House Papers, 3M/E). In the end, the Home Office dispensed with Jenkinson's services. See C. Townshend, Political Violence in Ireland: government and resistance since 1848 (Oxford, 1983), pp. 196–197; S. Ball (ed.), Dublin Castle and the First Home Rule Crisis: the political journal of Sir George Fottrell, 1884–1887, Camden 5th series 33 (Cambridge, 2008).

¹⁰⁰⁶ CP, BL 60780, fos 78–80.

¹⁰⁰⁷ Sir Richard Rivington Holmes (1835–1911), Queen's (and King's) Librarian, Windsor Castle (1870–1906).

¹⁰⁰⁸ Carnarvon found the Queen ‘very much alive to the whole subject’ of self-government for Ireland. At the meeting, she showed him Gladstone's memorandum of 25 May, setting out the options relating to Irish policy. See H. Gladstone, After Thirty Years (London, 1928), p. 395; Shannon, Gladstone, II, p. 360. Carnarvon replied two days later (Carnarvon to Queen Victoria, 26 November 1885: Royal Archives, D 37/99). Salisbury wrote to Ponsonby on 29 November expressing his disapproval of Carnarvon giving the Queen his views on Ireland: ‘These opinions of Lord Carnarvon have been mentioned at the Cabinet and they were repudiated by all the Ministers who spoke.’ The Queen subsequently informed Salisbury that she had invited Carnarvon to give his views. Salisbury did not mention the incident to Carnarvon. See A. Ponsonby, Henry Ponsonby, Queen Victoria's Private Secretary: his life from his letters (London, 1942), pp. 199–200.

¹⁰⁰⁹ Hart Dyke's statement hardly tallies with a conversation he had the following day with Ashbourne, who reported, ‘A long talk with Dyke today. He thinks that it would disadvantage our friends, and particularly the great towns which supported us, if we resigned before the meeting of Parliament’ (Ashbourne to Carnarvon, 11 December 1885: CP, BL 60857, fo. 104).

¹⁰¹⁰ At the general election, the Liberals won 334 seats, the Conservatives 290, and the Irish Nationalists 86. Thus the Conservatives could continue only with Irish support. Carnarvon pointed out to Salisbury, ‘We must govern by and through the Irish, and unless we are ready to come to some understanding with them, they will play us off against the Liberals, and reduce us to the sorest difficulties’ (Hardinge, III, pp. 203–204).

¹⁰¹¹ Carnarvon had come over from Ireland the previous day to lobby for home rule in the Cabinet on 14 December. Before leaving Dublin, Carnarvon wrote to Harrowby, ‘I have found the copy of my letter to Salisbury which I wrote on the acceptance of Office, as you will remember greatly at your suggestion and with you, and I am delighted at it. It really seems as if it had been written in exact anticipation of present circumstances: and is so full and emphatic that if made public, it must, I think, carry conviction that I am retiring in accordance with a long formed conclusion without any reference to present questions’ (Carnarvon to Harrowby, 10 December 1885: Harrowby Papers, 2nd series, lii, fos 153–154).

¹⁰¹² Cranbrook wrote in his Diary, ‘I cannot help seeing that the burden of it and of dealing with the Irish question is really at the bottom of it. I told him that he wd upset the Coach for who would take his place in the existing circumstances’ (Johnson, p. 584). Carnarvon told his wife, ‘I have had neither letter or telegram from Salisbury [. . .]. I have been kept in suspense’ (Carnarvon to Lady Carnarvon, 12 December 1885: CP, BL 61054, fo. 46).

¹⁰¹³ Salisbury sent an account of the proceedings to the Queen. ‘The Irish question was then considered [. . .]. Lord Carnarvon expressed his earnest desire to retire from office, in accordance with an understanding entered into with him when he took it. The feeling of the Cabinet however was that at this moment such a retirement would be misunderstood and he was strongly pressed to remain’ (Salisbury to Queen Victoria, 14 December 1885: Royal Archives, A63/93).

¹⁰¹⁴ Carnarvon presented his highly secret Irish University Bill but no action was taken on it (Cooke and Vincent, The Governing Passion, p. 293). He commented to Harrowby, ‘I regret and shall always regret that they make no effort – if only to feel their way towards a settlement of this question [. . .] but a Cabinet is like a Council of War, it is very timid’ (Carnarvon to Harrowby, 18 December 1885 (copy): CP, TNA, PRO 30/6/55, fos 144–145).

¹⁰¹⁵ Carnarvon to Queen Victoria, 15 December 1885: Royal Archives, C37/1.

¹⁰¹⁶ Carnarvon to Salisbury, 26 December 1885 (copy): CP, BL 60702, fo. 118. Salisbury's reply has not been traced.