Antony MacDonnell, 1st Baron MacDonnell facts for kids
Antony Patrick MacDonnell, 1st Baron MacDonnell (born March 7, 1844 – died June 9, 1925) was an important Irish government worker. He spent a lot of his career helping to run India. He was known as Sir Antony MacDonnell for many years. He held several high positions, including being the main administrator for Ireland from 1902 to 1908. He also helped lead different parts of India, like Bengal and the United Provinces.
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Early Life and Education
Antony MacDonnell was born in a place called Palmfield House in County Mayo, Ireland, on March 7, 1844. His parents were Mark Garvey MacDonnell and Bedelia O'Hara.
He went to school at Summerhill College and then to Queen's College, Galway when he was fifteen. He studied modern languages and graduated in 1864. He was known as a very good debater in college.
After university in 1864, MacDonnell passed a tough exam to join the Indian Civil Service. This meant he would work for the British government in India. He arrived in Calcutta in November 1865.
Working in India
When MacDonnell first arrived in India, he worked in different areas of Bihar and Bengal. He saw firsthand the terrible Bengal Famine of 1873–74. Based on what he learned, he wrote a book in 1876 about how to manage food supply during famines.
He quickly moved up in his career. In 1881, he became the Accountant-General in Calcutta. Later, he became the Revenue Secretary for the province. In 1886, Lord Dufferin, who was like the top British official in India (the Viceroy), made him Home Secretary.
MacDonnell continued to get important jobs:
- In 1889, he became the Chief Commissioner of Burma.
- In 1890, he was the Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces.
- In 1893, he became the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal. This meant he was in charge of a very large area.
He was also given special honors, like being made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI) in 1893.
In 1895, MacDonnell became the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh. Here, he faced another severe famine in 1896. His strong efforts to manage the famine saved many lives. For this, he was given an even higher honor, becoming a Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India (GCSI) in 1898.
MacDonnell was known as one of the most skilled people in the Indian Civil Service, especially in dealing with famines. His ideas on how to handle famines are believed to have prevented millions of deaths. He also cared about the rights of farmers. He helped create the Bengal Tenancy Act of 1885. This law protected farmers from unfair rents and being kicked off their land without reason.
Even though he was very good at his job, some people in the higher ranks of the service didn't like him. This was because he came from a more ordinary background, not from a rich or well-connected family like many others. However, he had a powerful friend in Lord Curzon, who was the Viceroy of India. Curzon admired MacDonnell's strong ability to solve difficult problems. MacDonnell was even nicknamed "The Bengal Tiger" because of his strength and determination.
In 1901, due to his own health and his wife's poor health, he left India and returned to London.
The MacDonnell Hostel at Aligarh Muslim University
In 1895, Antony Patrick MacDonnell was the Lieutenant Governor of the North West Province and Oudh. He held this position until 1901.
In 1900, MacDonnell received a request for money to build a hostel (a type of dormitory) at Aligarh Muslim University. He approved 20,000 rupees from the government budget for this project. The hostel was needed to help students at the M.A.O. College find places to live. Construction started in 1900 and finished in March 1904. The hostel was named the MacDonnell Hostel in his honor.
Under-Secretary for Ireland
After returning to London, MacDonnell was offered a very important job: Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Ireland. This meant he would be the main administrator for the Irish government. This was a surprising choice because MacDonnell was known to support "Home Rule" for Ireland. Home Rule meant that Ireland would have more control over its own affairs, rather than being fully ruled by the British Parliament in London.
MacDonnell agreed to take the job only if he was given a real chance to influence government policies, not just handle daily tasks. His decision was surprising because he had more power in India than he would have in Ireland. Also, the British government in London was run by the Conservative Party, but MacDonnell was a Liberal and a Catholic.
MacDonnell's early years as Under-Secretary were successful. He worked with George Wyndham, the Chief Secretary for Ireland. They helped pass the Land Purchase (Ireland) Act 1903. This law allowed farmers to buy their land from landlords using government loans.
MacDonnell then got involved in more political matters. He worked with some liberal landlords to create a plan for "devolution." This plan suggested giving some government power from the British Parliament to an elected council in Dublin. This idea made some people, especially those in Ulster who wanted Ireland to stay fully part of the UK, very angry.
It became public that MacDonnell had helped draft this plan. This caused a big political problem. Wyndham, the Chief Secretary, had to resign in 1905. MacDonnell was officially criticized by the government for overstepping his authority, but he kept his job. Many powerful friends from his time in India supported him, and he also had the strong support of King Edward VII.
Later, MacDonnell worked with new Chief Secretaries to create another plan for Irish self-governance, but it didn't get enough support.
One interesting event during his later time in office was the theft of the "Irish Crown Jewels" from Dublin Castle in 1907.
MacDonnell resigned from his position in July 1908, at the age of 64. He was frustrated by the lack of progress towards more self-governance for Ireland.
In 1903, he was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO). When he retired in 1908, he was given the title of Baron MacDonnell, which meant he became a Lord.
Retirement
Lord MacDonnell retired to London and mostly stayed out of public life. When he spoke in the House of Lords (part of the British Parliament), he usually talked about Irish and Indian issues. He was also the chairman of a Royal Commission on the Civil Service from 1912 to 1914.
He kept a strong interest in land reform in Ireland. In 1911, he returned to his old college, now called University College Galway. He gave a speech there about how to solve problems for Irish farmers. He ended his speech with patriotic words, encouraging young people to make Ireland a great nation.
Family
Lord MacDonnell married Henrietta MacDonell in 1878. They had one daughter, Anne Margaret MacDonnell.
Lord MacDonnell passed away after a short illness at his home in London on June 9, 1925, when he was 81 years old. Since he had no sons, his title of Baron ended when he died. A statue of MacDonnell was put up in Lucknow, India, in 1907.
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