Francis Russell (MP for Cheltenham) facts for kids

Francis Shirley Russell (born 1840, died 18 March 1912) was an important British soldier and politician. He had a long career serving his country, both in the army and later in the government.

A Life in the Army

Francis Shirley Russell was born into a well-known family in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He went to school at Radley College and then studied at Balliol College, Oxford. He finished his studies in 1862.

Soon after, in 1863, he joined the army. He started as a cornet in the 14th Hussars, which was a cavalry regiment. A cornet was a junior officer rank, similar to a second lieutenant today. He quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a lieutenant in 1864 and a captain in 1868.

Russell served in different places. From 1869 to 1870, he worked as an aide-de-camp in Ireland. This means he was a personal assistant to a senior military officer. Later, from 1873 to 1874, he took part in the Ashanti Campaign in West Africa.

Moving Up the Ranks

In 1875, Russell joined the staff at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. This is a famous place where army officers are trained. He worked there as an inspector, teaching about military tactics. In 1878, he moved to the army's Intelligence Branch. This branch collects and analyzes information important for military operations.

Russell also saw action in several conflicts:

• In 1879, he served in the Zulu War in Southern Africa.
• In 1880 and 1881, he was involved in the First Boer War.

He continued to rise in rank, becoming a colonel in 1885. From 1889, he worked as a military representative in Berlin, Germany. In 1891, he was honored with the title of Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG).

In 1892, he became a brigadier-general for the Aberdeen Defence Brigade. Finally, in 1897, he was promoted to the high rank of major-general. He was also appointed as the Colonel of the 1st Royal Dragoons regiment in 1890, a position he held until 1912.

Special Recognition

In late 1902, Francis Shirley Russell received a special award from Prussia, which was a powerful German kingdom. He was given the 1st class of the Prussian Order of the Crown. This honor came after Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany inspected the Royal Dragoons. The Emperor was the colonel-in-chief of that regiment.

A Career in Politics

Besides his military life, Francis Shirley Russell also tried his hand at politics. He was a member of the Conservative Party.

He ran for a seat in Parliament for East Aberdeenshire in the 1892 UK general election. However, he did not win. He tried again in a special election (called a by-election) in December of the same year, but was again unsuccessful.

His political efforts paid off in 1895. He was elected to represent Cheltenham in the 1895 UK general election. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) until he retired from politics in 1900.