Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne facts for kids

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Minister without Portfolio
In office 25 May 1915 – 10 December 1916
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	H. H. Asquith
Preceded by	Michael Hicks Beach
Succeeded by	Arthur Henderson
Leader of the House of Lords
In office 13 October 1903 – 4 December 1905
Monarch	Edward VII
Prime Minister	Arthur Balfour
Preceded by	The Duke of Devonshire
Succeeded by	The Marquess of Ripon
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
In office 12 November 1900 – 4 December 1905
Monarch	Victoria Edward VII
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury Arthur Balfour
Preceded by	The Marquess of Salisbury
Succeeded by	Sir Edward Grey
Secretary of State for War
In office 4 July 1895 – 12 November 1900
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Succeeded by	St John Brodrick
Viceroy and Governor-General of India
In office 10 December 1888 – 11 October 1894
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	William Ewart Gladstone The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	The Earl of Dufferin
Succeeded by	The Earl of Elgin
5th Governor General of Canada
In office 23 October 1883 – 11 June 1888
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	Canadian: John A. Macdonald British: William Ewart Gladstone The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	The Marquess of Lorne
Succeeded by	The Lord Stanley of Preston
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for India
In office 29 April 1880 – 1 September 1880
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	William Ewart Gladstone
Preceded by	Hon. Edward Stanhope
Succeeded by	The Viscount Enfield
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for War
In office 25 April 1872 – 17 February 1874
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	William Ewart Gladstone
Preceded by	The Lord Northbrook
Succeeded by	The Earl of Pembroke
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office 16 December 1868 – 25 April 1872
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	William Ewart Gladstone
Preceded by	Lord Claud Hamilton
Succeeded by	Lord Frederick Cavendish
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
In office 5 July 1866 – 3 June 1927 Hereditary Peerage
Preceded by	The 4th Marquess of Lansdowne
Succeeded by	The 6th Marquess of Lansdowne
Personal details
Born	Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice (1845-01-14)14 January 1845 London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Died	3 June 1927(1927-06-03) (aged 82) Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland
Political party	Liberal (until 1886) Liberal Unionist (1886-1912) Conservative (1912-1927)
Spouse	Lady Maud Hamilton
Children	Evelyn Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 6th Marquess of Lansdowne Lord Charles Petty-Fitzmaurice Beatrix Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans
Parents	Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne Emily, 8th Lady Nairne
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford

Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne (born January 14, 1845 – died June 3, 1927), was an important British politician. He held many high-ranking jobs, including Governor General of Canada, Viceroy of India, and Foreign Secretary.

During World War I, he suggested a peaceful end to the conflict in a letter, but his idea was not accepted. He was a very wealthy man who worked for both the Liberal and Conservative governments.

Early Life and Family Background (1845–1882)

Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice was born in London in 1845. His family had a long history in politics. His great-grandfather was Lord Shelburne, who became the first Marquess of Lansdowne and a British Prime Minister.

Henry's mother, Emily, was connected to famous French figures. Her father, Count Charles de Flahaut, was a general for Napoleon Bonaparte. This meant Henry was also related to Emperor Napoleon III.

Henry was part of the Fitzmaurice family, which had roots in Ireland. From birth, he was known as Viscount Clanmaurice. Later, he became Earl of Kerry. When he was 21, in 1866, he inherited the title of Marquess of Lansdowne after his father passed away.

He also inherited a huge amount of land and wealth, including a large estate in Wiltshire called Bowood House. He also owned Derreen House in Ireland, where he created a beautiful garden. He spent about three months each year there.

Henry studied at Eton and Oxford. In 1866, he joined the House of Lords as a member of the Liberal Party. He worked in government roles, gaining experience in how to manage things overseas.

He was a member of the Brooks's Club in London, a famous club for important people. His great-grandfather had even started another old club called Boodle's.

Serving Canada: Governor General (1883–1888)

In 1883, Lord Lansdowne was appointed Governor General of Canada. This was a challenging time for Canada. He faced issues like the Pacific Scandal and a struggling economy.

A major event during his time was the North-West Rebellion in 1885. He traveled across Western Canada to meet with Indigenous peoples. He spoke out against how Indigenous people were treated by some officials.

Lansdowne loved the Canadian outdoors. He enjoyed fishing and winter sports. He even bought a second home on the Cascapédia River in Quebec.

He was good at solving problems between countries. He helped settle a disagreement between Canada and the United States about fishing rights. He also supported science and spoke French fluently, which made him popular in Quebec.

When he left Canada, he missed its clear skies and outdoor activities. His wife, Lady Lansdowne, was also very popular. She hosted a party for 400 Sunday school children. Many places in Canada are named after him, like Lansdowne Park in Ottawa.

Lord Lansdowne Public School in Toronto, Canada

Leading India: Viceroy (1888–1894)

After Canada, Lord Lansdowne became the Viceroy of India in 1888. This was a very important job, offered to him by Prime Minister Lord Salisbury.

As Viceroy, he worked to improve the army, police, and local government. There was a conflict called the Anglo-Manipur War in 1890. Lansdowne ensured that those responsible were held accountable.

He returned to England in 1894.

Secretary of State for War (1895–1900)

Back in England, Lord Lansdowne joined the Conservative Party. In 1895, he became the Secretary of State for War.

During the Second Boer War, the British Army faced difficulties. Some people blamed Lansdowne for the army's lack of readiness. However, he accepted responsibility without complaining.

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1900–1905)

In 1900, Lansdowne became the Foreign Secretary. This meant he was in charge of Britain's relationships with other countries.

He signed important agreements, like the 1902 Anglo-Japanese Alliance with Japan. He also helped create the 1904 Entente Cordiale with France. This agreement improved relations between Britain and France.

The "Big Revolver" Speech

In 1903, Lansdowne gave a famous speech. He argued that Britain should be able to threaten other countries with tariffs (taxes on imported goods). He said this was like having a "big revolver" to gain respect. This idea became a well-known phrase.

Leader in the House of Lords (1903–1917)

From 1903, Lord Lansdowne led the Conservative and Liberal Unionist members in the House of Lords. When the Liberal Party won the 1906 election, he became the leader of the opposition in the Lords.

He played a key role in opposing Liberal government policies. For example, he led the Lords to reject the "People's Budget" in 1909. This led to a big disagreement about the power of the House of Lords.

Eventually, a law called the Parliament Act 1911 was passed. This law reduced the power of the House of Lords. Lansdowne helped ensure the bill passed, even though he didn't like it, to prevent a bigger crisis.

During World War I, Lansdowne joined the government as a minister. In 1917, he wrote the "Lansdowne Letter". In this letter, he suggested that the war should end with a return to how things were before the war started. This idea was controversial and not accepted by the government.

The Marquess of Lansdowne in 1920

Later Life and Family

Lord Lansdowne passed away on June 3, 1927, at the age of 82. He was buried near his Bowood estate in Wiltshire.

He married Lady Maud Evelyn Hamilton in 1869. They had four children:

• Lady Evelyn Emily Mary Petty-Fitzmaurice (1870–1960)
• Henry William Edmund Petty-Fitzmaurice, 6th Marquess of Lansdowne (1872–1936)
• Lord Charles George Francis Petty-Fitzmaurice (1874–1914)
• Lady Beatrix Frances Petty-Fitzmaurice (1877–1953)

Places Named After Lord Lansdowne

Many places and buildings around the world are named in honor of Lord Lansdowne, especially in Canada and India, where he served as Governor General and Viceroy.

• Towns and Roads:
  • The town of Lansdowne in India
  • Lansdowne Avenue, Toronto, Ontario
  • (Upper) Lansdowne Avenue, Westmount, Quebec
  • Lansdowne Road, Kolkata, India

• Schools:
  • Lansdowne Public School, Sudbury, Ontario
  • Lord Lansdowne Public School, Toronto, Ontario

• Bridges:
  • Lansdowne Bridge, Lansdowne, New South Wales, Australia
  • Lansdowne Bridge, Rohri, Sindh, Pakistan

• Buildings and Markets:
  • Lansdowne Building, Mysore, Karnataka, India
  • Lansdowne Market, Kolkata, India

• Stations:
  • Lansdowne (TTC), Toronto
  • Lansdowne station (SkyTrain), Vancouver