Robert Adair, 1st Baron Waveney facts for kids
Robert Alexander Shafto Adair, 1st Baron Waveney (born August 25, 1811 – died February 15, 1886) was an important British politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party and served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Cambridge for eight years between 1847 and 1857. This means he helped make laws for the country.
Contents
A Life in Politics
Robert Adair was born in Ballymena, a town in County Antrim, Ireland. He was the older of two sons of Sir Robert Shafto Adair and his first wife, Elizabeth Maria Strode. In 1836, he married Theodosia Meade, but they did not have any children.
Becoming an MP
Robert Adair first tried to become a Member of Parliament in April 1843. He ran in a special election for the Eastern part of Suffolk, but he did not win. He tried again in July 1845 for Cambridge but was still unsuccessful.
However, in the general election of 1847, he was finally elected as one of Cambridge's two MPs. He lost his seat in the 1852 election, but this result was later changed. He returned to the House of Commons in August 1854 after another special election.
He lost his seat again in the 1857 general election. He tried to win a seat two more times, in East Suffolk in 1859 and in Canterbury in 1865, but he was not successful. In 1853, he was given the important role of High Sheriff of Antrim.
Later Life and Titles
Robert Adair was a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a group of important scientists. When his father passed away in 1869, Robert became a Baronet. This is a special title that is passed down in families.
On April 10, 1873, he was given an even higher title: Baron Waveney, of South Elmham in the County of Suffolk. This meant he became a Lord. He was also a leader in the United Grand Lodge of England Masonic group in Suffolk when he died.
From 1884 until his death in 1886, he served as Lord Lieutenant of Antrim. He passed away at the age of 74. Because he had no children, his title of Baron Waveney ended. His younger brother, Hugh, became the next Baronet. Hugh had also been an MP for Ipswich from 1847 to 1874.
Ballymena and the Adair Family
The Adair family owned a lot of land in Ballymena, a town in Ireland. They are often called the "founding fathers" of the town. King Charles I gave this land to the Adair family in 1626. A condition of this gift was that the town would always hold two fairs each year and a free market every Saturday.
Ballymena Castle
In 1865, Robert Adair started building Ballymena Castle on his family's land. It was a very large home built in a style called Scottish baronial. The castle was not finished until 1887. Sadly, it was left empty for some years and was damaged by vandals. Because of this, it was taken down in 1957. Today, the place where the castle stood is a car park, and it's still where the Saturday market is held.
The People's Park
In 1870, Robert Adair gave The People's Park to the town of Ballymena. He hired fifty workers to spend six months making the park beautiful.
