Cospatrick Douglas-Home, 11th Earl of Home facts for kids
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Cospatrick Alexander Douglas-Home, 11th Earl of Home (born October 27, 1799 – died July 4, 1881) was an important Scottish diplomat and politician. Before he became an Earl, people called him Lord Dunglass. He worked for the government and represented Scotland in the House of Lords. From 1828 to 1830, he was the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. This meant he helped manage Britain's relationships with other countries.
Early Life and School
Cospatrick Home was born in a large house called Dalkeith House in Midlothian, Scotland. His grandfather, the Duke of Buccleuch, owned this house. His father was Alexander Home, 10th Earl of Home. His mother was Lady Elizabeth Scott. Cospatrick went to Christ Church, Oxford for his education. This is a famous university in England.
His Career in Politics
Cospatrick Home started his career as a diplomat. From 1822 to 1823, he worked at the British embassy in St Petersburg, Russia. After that, he worked for the Foreign Office until 1827.
In 1828, he got a big job. He became the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. He worked for the government led by the Duke of Wellington. He held this job until 1830.
In 1841, his father passed away. Cospatrick then became the 11th Earl of Home. The next year, in 1842, he was chosen as a Scottish Representative Peer. This meant he could represent Scotland in the House of Lords in London. He kept this role until 1874.
In 1875, he received another special title: Baron Douglas. This new title meant he and his family would always have a seat in the House of Lords.
His Family Life
In 1832, Lord Home married Hon. Lucy Elizabeth Montagu-Scott. Her family also had important titles and land. After their marriage, Lord Home added "Douglas" to his last name. This was because he inherited large estates from his wife's family.
Lord and Lady Home had several children. One of their sons, William Sholto Home, became a Major-General in the British Army. Lady Home passed away in 1877. Lord Home died in 1881 at the age of 81. His oldest son, Charles, became the next Earl.
A very famous person in his family was his great-grandson, Alec Douglas-Home. He later became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1964.
Labrador Retrievers
Cospatrick Home's father was very interested in dogs. In the 1830s, he and his cousins were among the first people to bring Newfoundland dogs to Britain. These dogs were later called Labrador Retrievers. They were used as gundogs, helping hunters find birds.
One of Lord Home's own dogs was named "Nell." She was born in 1856. A photograph of Nell, taken in 1867, is the first known picture of a Labrador Retriever. This shows how important his family was in developing this popular dog breed.
