Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Earl of Guilford
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| 1st Governor of British Ceylon | |
| In office 12 October 1798 – 19 July 1805 |
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| Monarch | George III |
| Preceded by | Robert Andrews (as Resident and Superintendent of British Ceylon) |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Maitland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 February 1766 |
| Died | 14 October 1827 (aged 61) |
| Parents | Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford (father) Anne Speke (mother) |
Frederick North, the 5th Earl of Guilford, was an important British politician and colonial administrator. He was born on February 7, 1766, and passed away on October 14, 1827. Before he became an Earl in 1817, people called him The Honourable Frederick North. He held several key roles during his lifetime, including being a Member of Parliament and the first British Governor of Ceylon.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Frederick North was the younger son of Lord North, who was a Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Frederick went to school at Eton College from 1775 to 1782. After that, he studied at Christ Church, Oxford, a famous college at Oxford University. In 1791, he changed his religion and became a strong follower of the Eastern Orthodox Church. In 1794, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a group of top scientists.
His Political Career
Frederick North had an active career in British politics and administration.
Serving in Parliament
From 1792 to 1794, Frederick North was a member of the British Parliament. He represented the area called Banbury.
Working in Corsica
From 1794 to 1796, North worked as the Secretary of State for Sir Gilbert Elliot. Sir Gilbert was the Viceroy (a ruler representing a king) of the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom. This was a short-lived kingdom where Britain had control over the island of Corsica. North's job was to handle difficult talks with a local leader named Pasquale Paoli. He found it very hard to govern Corsica.
Governor of Ceylon
From 1798 to 1805, Frederick North was the first British Governor of Ceylon. Ceylon is now known as Sri Lanka. He built his official home, called the Doric Bungalow, near the Mannar Sea. He designed the building himself. He also oversaw the pearl fishing industry, which brought a lot of money to the British at that time.
In 1817, his older brother passed away. Frederick then became the 5th Earl of Guilford.
Founding the Ionian Academy
In 1824, North started the Ionian Academy on the island of Corfu. At that time, Corfu was under British control as part of the United States of the Ionian Islands. This academy was the first university ever created in modern Greece. He even helped pay for Giovanni Carandino to study in France. Carandino later became the founder of modern Greek mathematics.
The Ionian Academy is no longer open today. However, there is a statue of the Earl on Corfu. A library and a street on the island are also named after him.
Later Life and Death
Lord Guilford never married. He passed away in October 1827 when he was 61 years old. After his death, his cousin, Francis North, became the 6th Earl of Guilford.
See also
In Spanish: Frederick North (político) para niños
