George Frederick Samuel Robinson 1st marquess of Ripon

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George Frederick Samuel Robinson Ripon, 1st marquess of 1827–1909, British statesman and colonial administrator; son of the first earl of Ripon. As a young man he was interested in the Christian Socialist movement and entered the House of Commons as a Liberal in 1853. He moved to the House of Lords after succeeding to his father's title in 1859. He served as secretary for war (1863–66), secretary for India (1866–68), and lord president of the council (1868–73). His successful chairmanship of the commission to negotiate settlement of the Alabama claims with the United States was rewarded (1871) with the title of marquess. Ripon resigned from public office in 1873, but in 1880 William Gladstone appointed him viceroy of India. He settled the situation in Afghanistan, introduced a system of local self-government in India, and ended restrictions on freedom of the vernacular press. However, his Ilbert Bill (1883), which would have allowed senior Indian judges to try Europeans, raised a storm of opposition among the Europeans and was drastically modified. After his return (1884) to England he served as first lord of the admiralty (1886), colonial secretary (1892–95), and lord privy seal (1905–8).

Bibliography: See biography by L. Wolf (1921); study by S. Gopal (1953).

Ripon, George Frederick Samuel Robinson, 1st Marquess of (1827–1909) British statesman. He entered Parliament as a Liberal in 1853, supporting a scheme to provide working men with opportunities for education. He served as Secretary for War (1863–6), and Secretary for India (1866–68). As President of the Council (1868–73) he was responsible for the 1870 Education Bill, which his deputy, W. E. Forster carried through the House of Commons. In 1873 he became a Roman Catholic and resigned from public office. GLADSTONE appointed him viceroy of India (1880–84) where he introduced a system of local self-government and ended restrictions on the freedom of the vernacular press. His Ilbert Bill (1883) gave qualified Indians jurisdiction over Europeans and established trial by a jury, of which half should be Europeans. On his return to Britain he again held ministerial office in Liberal governments.