Sir Charles Rose, 1st Baronet facts for kids
Sir Charles Day Rose (born August 23, 1847 – died April 20, 1913) was a British-Canadian businessman. He was also famous for breeding racehorses and sailing yachts. Sir Charles was a politician for the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom.
He served as a Member of Parliament for the Newmarket area. He was also the President of the Royal Aero Club, which is a club for people interested in flying. Some people believe he was the inspiration for the character "Toad" in the famous children's book The Wind in the Willows.
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About Sir Charles Rose
Sir Charles was born in Montreal, Canada. He was the second son of Sir John Rose, 1st Baronet. His father moved from Scotland to Canada. There, his father held important government jobs. These included Solicitor General and Minister of Finance.
Charles went to school at the High School of Montreal and Rugby School. He joined the Montreal Garrison Artillery. He even helped stop an attack called the Fenian raid in 1870. Later, he became a businessman. He worked for an American bank in London. He also helped with the big project to build the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Horse Racing and Yachting
In the late 1880s and early 1890s, Sir Charles was a top horse breeder. His main base was in Newmarket, Suffolk, a famous place for horse racing. His best horse was named Ravensbury. However, another horse named Isinglass was even more famous. Isinglass belonged to Harry McCalmont, who was also a politician. Sir Charles also owned and bred a very important horse named Cyllene. In 1891, he became a member of the Jockey Club, which runs horse racing in the UK.
In 1893, Sir Charles started yachting. He took part in many sailing races. He was also a member of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.
His Home and "Toad"
On July 19, 1909, Sir Charles was given the special title of a "baronet." This meant he became "Sir Charles Day Rose, 1st Baronet." This happened shortly after he bought a large house called Hardwick House.
It is believed that Sir Charles was one of the people who inspired the character "Toad" in the book The Wind in the Willows. This famous children's book was written by Kenneth Grahame in 1908. The book's illustrator, E. H. Shepherd, even used parts of Hardwick House in his drawings of Toad Hall.
Political Career
In the 1900 election, Sir Charles ran for Parliament. He was a Liberal candidate for the Newmarket area. He tried to win against the current Member of Parliament, Harry McCalmont, who was a Conservative. Sir Charles did not win that election.
However, in December 1902, Mr. McCalmont sadly passed away. Sir Charles then won the special election held in January 1903. He kept his seat in Parliament after the 1906 election. But he lost his seat in January 1910. He won it back when another election was held in December of the same year.
Aviation Interest
Sir Charles was also very interested in flying. He became the president of the Royal Aero Club. In April 1913, he was returning home after a flight at Hendon Aerodrome. While in his car, he had a heart attack and passed away at age 65.
Family Life
In 1871, Sir Charles married Eliza McClean. They had four sons and one daughter. Sadly, his two oldest sons died while serving in the Second Boer War. His last surviving son, Frank Stanley Rose, inherited his father's baronet title. However, Frank also died less than two years later, in October 1914, during the First World War. Sir Charles's grandson, Charles Henry Rose (1912–1966), later became the 3rd Baronet.
