Charles Henry Rolle Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 20th Baron Clinton (2 March 1834 – 29 March 1904), styled The Honourable Charles Trefusis between 1832 and 1866, was a British

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician. He served as

Under-Secretary of State for India This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the British India, period of British rule be ...

from 1867 to 1868.

Early life and education

Clinton was born in Rome in 1834, the eldest son of the eight children of

Charles Trefusis, 19th Baron Clinton Charles Rudolph Trefusis, 19th Baron Clinton (9 November 1791 – 10 April 1866), styled The Honourable Charles Trefusis between 1794 and 1832, was a British peer and Tory politician. He succeeded to the barony following the death of his elder bro ...

, and Lady Elizabeth Georgiana Kerr, daughter of

William Kerr, 6th Marquess of Lothian William Kerr, 6th Marquess of Lothian, (4 October 1763 – 27 April 1824), was a British soldier, landowner and politician. He was the son of William Kerr, 5th Marquess of Lothian. He served as a representative peer from 1817 to 1824. Life Ke ...

.''Burke's'' : Clinton. His father was at the time suffering financial difficulties as the estates inherited from his own father were heavily mortgaged, partly to pay jointures and allowances to other family members. His younger brother was Hon.

Mark Rolle Hon. Mark George Kerr Rolle (1835–1907; Mark George Kerr Trefusis), of Stevenstone, St Giles in the Wood, Devon, was High Sheriff of Devon in 1864, a DL of Devon and High Steward of Barnstaple. Due to an inheritance from his uncle by ...

(1835–1907) (born Mark George Kerr Trefusis), of

Stevenstone Stevenstone is a former manor within the parish of St Giles in the Wood, near Great Torrington, North Devon. It was the chief seat of the Rolle family, one of the most influential and wealthy of Devon families, from c. 1524 until 1907. The ...

, St Giles in the Wood, Devon,

High Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative ...

in 1864, a DL of Devon and High Steward of

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...

, who due to an inheritance at the age of six from his uncle by marriage,

John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle John Rolle, 1st Baron Rolle (1750 – 3 April 1842) was a British peer who served as a Member of Parliament in general support of William Pitt the Younger and was later an active member of the House of Lords. His violent attacks on Edmun ...

(1750–1842), acquired a life interest in the largest private estate in Devon, amounting to about 55,000 acres and producing a high annual income. As Mark Rolle died without male progeny, his brother Lord Clinton became (in his issue) his heir, under the terms of the entail created by Lord Rolle. The bulk of his father's Devon estates and the title Baron Clinton had been inherited by marriage from the wealthy Rolle family of

Heanton Satchville, Petrockstowe Heanton Satchville was a historic manor in the parish of Petrockstowe, North Devon, England. With origins in the Domesday manor of Hantone, it was first recorded as belonging to the Yeo family in the mid-14th century and was then owned succ ...

, a junior branch of the even wealthier Rolles of Stevenstone. When the Rolle mansion of Heanton Satchville burnt down, the then Lord Clinton purchased an estate on the opposite side of the valley in the small parish of Huish, and renamed the existing mansion there Heanton Satchville. Clinton was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...

. In 1854, he graduated with first-class honours in law and modern history from

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniq ...

Political career

Clinton was elected to the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

for Devon North in 1857, a seat he held until he succeeded his father in the peerage in 1866 and entered the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

. In July 1867, he was appointed

in the Conservative administration of the

Earl of Derby Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the en ...

. He retained this office also when

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation ...

became Prime Minister in February 1868. The government fell in December of the same year. Clinton never held political office again but served as a Charity Commissioner from 1874 to 1880. Apart from his political career he was also Lord Lieutenant of Devon between 1887 and 1904. He had served as chairman of the Devon Quarter Sessions, the local government body for Devon, and served as the first Chairman of its replacement, the newly formed

Devon County Council Devon County Council is the county council administering the English county of Devon. Based in the city of Exeter, the council covers the non-metropolitan county area of Devon. Members of the council (councillors) are elected every four years to ...

from 1889 to 1901.

Landholdings and wealth

In later life, Lord Clinton owned estates in England of 18,135 acres, of which 14,431 were in Devon, worth £23,246 per annum, and in Scotland 16,655 acres worth £14,230 per annum. This contrasted with his former meagre annual allowance received from his father at the time of his first marriage of £700 per annum.

Marriage and issue

Lord Clinton married twice. He married firstly in 1858 at

Fasque Fasque, also known as Fasque House or Fasque Castle, is a mansion in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated near the village of Fettercairn, in the former county of Kincardineshire. Fasque was the property of the Ramsays of Balmain, and the pre ...

, near Fettercairn in Scotland, to his first cousin Harriet Williamina Hepburn-Forbes (d.1869), daughter and heiress of Sir John Stuart Hepburn-Forbes, 8th Baronet (d.1867), of Fettercairn and Pitsligo, Scotland. The mothers of each were daughters of William Kerr, Marquess of Lothian, and their families initially opposed the match on the grounds of consanguinity. In 1867, in accordance with his father-in-law's will, he assumed by royal licence the additional surnames and arms of Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes. By Harriet he had five children: *

Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 21st Baron Clinton Charles John Robert Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 21st Baron Clinton (18 January 1863 – 5 July 1957) was a British peer. Trefusis was the eldest son of the 20th Baron Clinton and his wife, Harriet. Educated at Oxford he played polo with ...

(18 January 1863 – 2 June 1948) * Lieutenant-Colonel Hon. Henry Walter Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis (8 December 1864 – 2 June 1948) * Hon. Ada Harriet Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis (died unmarried 14 October 1945) * Hon. Mary Elizabeth Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis (died unmarried 7 June 1954) * Hon. Margaret Adela Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, married Rt Rev Leonard Jauncey White-Thomson, Bishop of Ely (died 20 March 1939) After his first wife's death in 1869, in 1875 Lord Clinton remarried to Margaret Walrond (d.1930), daughter of

Sir John Walrond, 1st Baronet Sir John Walrond Walrond, 1st Baronet (1 March 1818 – 23 April 1889), of Bradfield House, Uffculme in Devon (known as John Walrond Dickinson until 22 April 1845), was a British Conservative Party politician. Origins He was born on 1 March 181 ...

, of

Bradfield House Bradfield House is a Grade I listed country house situated in the parish of Uffculme, Devon, England, south-west of the village of Uffculme. It is one of the largest mansions in Devon, having been substantially enlarged in about 1860 by Sir J ...

Uffculme Uffculme (, ) is a village and civil parish located in the Mid Devon district, of Devon, England. Situated in the Blackdown Hills on the B3440, close to the M5 motorway and the Bristol–Exeter railway line, near Cullompton, Uffculme is on the ...

, Devon. As Lady Clinton, Margaret organised the 'Ladies of Devonshire' wedding gift of pearl earrings to

Mary of Teck Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936 as the wife of King- ...

, the future Queen Mary. By Margaret he had seven further children: * Brigadier-General Hon.

John Frederick Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis Brigadier-General John Frederick Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, (14 January 1878 – 24 October 1915), known as 'Jack Tre','An Appreciation by a Brother-Officer in the Brigade of Guards', ''Times'' (London), 29 October 1915. was a British Ar ...

, DSO (14 January 1878 – died of wounds 24 October 1915) * Lieutenant-Colonel Hon. Walter Alexander Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis (1 July 1879 – 11 July 1926) * Hon. Schomberg Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis (22 March 1882 – 11 October 1974) * Hon. Robert Henry Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis (1 July 1888 – 1 July 1958) * Hon. Edith Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis (12 February 1876 – 13 April 1934) * Hon. Evelyn Mary Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis (3 July 1883 – 5 January 1963), married Colonel Harry Stuart Ravenhill * Hon. Harriet Margaret Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis (b 20 March 1891 – 2 February 1975), married Lieutenant-Colonel Eustace Maurice Widdrington-Bell

Death

Lord Clinton died of heart failure in

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

in March 1904, aged 70, where he had gone for health reasons, and was buried at

St Andrew's Church, South Huish St Andrew's Church is a ruined church in South Huish, South Hams, Devon, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches ...

, which he had rebuilt in memory of his first wife Harriet.Lauder, p.71 He was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son from his first marriage,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton, Charles Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefusis, 20th Baron 1834 births 1904 deaths Trefusis, Charles Lord-Lieutenants of Devon Trefusis, Charles Trefusis, Charles Trefusis, Charles Clinton, B20 20 People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Members of Devon County Council