Anthony Evelyn Melbourne Ashley (24 July 1836 – 16 November 1907) was a British barrister and Liberal politician. He was private secretary to Lord Palmerston and later published a biography of him. After entering Parliament at a

by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

in 1864, Ashley served under

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade from 1880 to 1882 and as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1882 to 1885.

Background and education

Ashley was the third child and second son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury and Lady Emily Cowper, eldest daughter of Peter Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper and sister of William Cowper-Temple, 1st Baron Mount Temple. He was educated at Harrow and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

. On William Cowper-Temple's death in 1888, he inherited a 10,000 acre estate on the Mullaghmore Peninsula in Sligo, around Classiebawn Castle. He would spend part of every year there.

Legal and political career

Ashley was private secretary to Lord Palmerston from 1858 to 1865 and worked as a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

on the Oxford Circuit from 1865 to 1874. He sat as Liberal Member of Parliament for Poole from 1874 to 1880 and for

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...

from 1880 to 1885 and served under

as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade from 1880 to 1882 and as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1882 to 1885. He was also an Ecclesiastical and Church Estates Commissioner from 1880 to 1885, a Verderer of the

New Forest The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, featu ...

and High Sheriff of Sligo in 1889. In 1891 he was sworn of the Privy Council. His publications include the ''Life of Lord Palmerston''. He later stood unsuccessfully for the Liberal Unionist Party in the Glasgow Bridgeton by-election in 1887 and 1888 Ayr Burghs by-election

Family

On 28 July 1866, Ashley married Sybella Charlotte Farquhar, daughter of Sir Walter Farquhar, 3rd Baronet. They had two children: * Wilfred William Ashley, later Baron Mount Temple (1867–1939), who married Amalia Mary Maud Cassel, daughter and only child of financier Sir Ernest Cassel. After his first wife's death in 1911, he married in 1914 Muriel Emily ("Molly") Forbes-Sempill, the former wife of

Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

The Hon. Arthur Forbes-Sempill, daughter of The Rev. Walter Spencer of Fownhope Court,

Herefordshire Herefordshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England, bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh ...

, and sister of Margery, Viscountess Greenwood. * Lillian Blanche Georgiana Ashley (1875–1939), who married Hercules Pakenham. Following Sybella's death on 31 August 1886, he married Lady Alice Cole, daughter of William Cole, 3rd Earl of Enniskillen on 30 June 1891. They had one son: * Anthony Henry Evelyn Ashley (1895–1921), who was educated at Harrow, Magdalen College and a Captain 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards; he died of wounds received in action in 1916. Ashley died in November 1907, aged 71. Lady Alice Ashley died on 25 August 1931.

References

5. ≠Harrow Register 1885 -1949 - term 1907/3

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ashley, Evelyn 1836 births 1907 deaths People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Younger sons of earls English biographers Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1874–1880 UK MPs 1880–1885 Members of Parliament for the Isle of Wight Evelyn Liberal Unionist Party parliamentary candidates Parliamentary Secretaries to the Board of Trade Church Estates Commissioners Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Poole