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The Ripon Diary, 1878–80: III

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2016

John P. Rossi
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Extract

Unlike parts one and two, the third section of the Ripon diary is almost solely concerned with political matters. Ripon's initial reluctance to assert himself politically, following his conversion, began to disappear as the prospect of a general election approached. He was now determined on a political career once again and as a result accepted numerous invitations to speak at Liberal party rallies in late 1879 and early 1880: so many that he began to feel that he might appear too ambitious. Toward the end of 1879 he noted in his diary that he would turn down an invitation to speak at a Liberal meeting in Leeds precisely because he had recently put himself forward so much. It is revealing of his renewed political ambition that Ripon ultimately changed his mind and went to Leeds.

Type
Research Article
Information
British Catholic History , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , October 1973 , pp. 261 - 265
Copyright
Copyright © Catholic Record Society 1973

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References

Notes

1 Ripon Papers, British Museum, Add. Mss. 43642, Diary, 14 November 1879.

2 Ibid, Diary, 15 January 1880.

3 Maurice, Brett, The Journal and Letters of Reginald Viscount Esher (London, 1934), 1, pp. 67–68.Google Scholar

4 Ripon Papers, Add. Mss. 43643, Diary, 11 April 1880.

5 He told Brett that he spent at least eight hours a day just writing letters to fellow-Catholics keeping them in line for the Liberal party. Viscount Esher Papers, Churchill College, Cambridge, 10/2, Ripon to Brett, 1 April 1880.

6 The Tablet, 20 March 1880.

7 See for example the letter he sent to Sir Charles Düke, Sir Charles Düke Papers, British Museum, Add. MSS. 43894, Ripon to Düke, 27 March 1880.

8 Ripon Papers, Add. Mss. 43565, Hartington to Ripon, 25 March 1880.

9 Ibid. Add. Mss. 43626, Fisher to Ripon, 18 March 1880.

10 Ibid. Ripon to Rathbone, 25 March 1880.

11 Earl Granville Papers, Public Record Office, PRO 30/29/27A, Rathbone to Granville, 9 April 1880. Granville also heard good reports of Ripon's efforts on behalf of the Liberal party in Lancashire from Lady Derby, see Ibid., Lady Derby to Granville, 28 March 1880.

12 Ripon Papers, Add. Mss. 43643, Diary, 24 April 1880.

13 Ripon was not Gladstone's first choice. The post was offered to at least two other leading Liberals, Goschen and Lord Kimberley. Goschen rejected it because he was out of sympathy with much of Liberal foreign and domestic policy, while Kimberley wanted a Cabinet post that would keep him in England. Ripon with his Indian experience was the logical alternative. See Dudley, W. R. Bahlman, The Diary of Sir Edward Walter Hamilton, 1880-1885 (Oxford, 1972), entry for 24 April 1880, p. 3 Google Scholar and the Gladstone Papers, B.M. Add. Mss. 44225, Gladstone to Kimberley, 24 April 1880.

14 Arthur, Ponson by, Henry Ponsonby: His Life and Letters (London, 1942) p. 215.Google Scholar

15 Lucien, Wolff, The Life of Lord Ripon (London, 1921), 2, p. 257–8.Google Scholar

16 Philip, Magnus, King Edward the Seventh (New York, 1964), p. 442.Google Scholar

17 Wilfrid, Scawen Blunt, Diaries (London, 1921), part 2, p. 254.Google Scholar