George Hay, Earl of Gifford (26 April 1822 – 22 December 1862) was a British Liberal Party[1] politician.
George Hay, Earl of Gifford | |
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![]() George, Earl of Gifford (1822–1862) | |
Member of Parliament for Totnes | |
In office 1855-1862 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland | 26 April 1822
Died | 22 December 1862 Highgate, London, England | (aged 40)
Political party | Liberal Party |
Spouse | |
Parent |
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Relatives | Susan Hay (sister) Elizabeth Hay (sister) Arthur Hay (brother) William Hay (brother) John Hay (brother) Emily Hay (sister) |
Bildung | Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity Hall, Cambridge |
Military career | |
Rank | Captain |
Unit | East Lothian Yeomanry Cavalry |
Biography
editLord Gifford was born at Yester House, the eldest son of the 8th Marquess of Tweeddale. He was educated at Trinity College and Trinity Hall, Cambridge,[2] where he was president of the University Pitt Club.[3] In 1850, he was a Captain in the East Lothian Yeomanry Cavalry and became Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for War (The Duke of Newcastle) in 1854. A year later, he entered Parliament as MP for Totnes (a seat he held until his death).
In 1861, Lord Gifford was involved in an accident whilst rescuing a workman about to be crushed by a tree the latter was cutting down in the grounds of Yester Castle. Because of the accident, the Dowager Baroness Dufferin and Claneboye (a close friend of his who previously refused his proposals) agreed to marry Lord Gifford and they did so at Dufferin Lodge, Highgate on 13 October 1862.
After sixteen months of suffering as a result of the accident, Lord Gifford died on 22 December 1862 at Dufferin Lodge.[4] He was buried at St James the Great, Friern Barnet.[5] As he and his wife did not have any children, his brother, Lord Arthur Hay became the heir to their father's titles and estate.
Sources
edit- ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 310–311. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
- ^ "Gifford, Earl of (George Hay) (GFRT841)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ Fletcher, Walter Morley (2011) [1935]. The University Pitt Club: 1835-1935 (First Paperback ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-107-60006-5.
- ^ Inverness Courier 25 December 1862 p. 8.
- ^ The Monumental Inscriptions of Middlesex Vol III - Cansick 1875. Retrieved 26 March 2024.