Francis Allston Channing, 1st Baron Channing (21 March 1841 – 20 February 1926), known as Sir Francis Channing, Bt, between 1906 and 1912, was an American-born

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barrister, academic, and

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politician.

Background and education

Channing born in

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, the youngest child and only son of American parents, Reverend

William Henry Channing William Henry Channing (May 25, 1810 – December 23, 1884) was an American Unitarian clergyman, writer and philosopher. Early life William Henry Channing was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Channing's father, Francis Dana Channing, died when he w ...

and Julia Maria Allen (died 1889). His sister was Blanche Mary Chaning, a writer a poet. He was the great-grandson of the Honourable William Channing, Attorney General of Rhode Island, by Lucy Ellery, daughter of

William Ellery William Ellery (December 22, 1727 – February 15, 1820) was a Founding Father of the United States, one of the 56 signers of the United States Declaration of Independence, and a signer of the Articles of Confederation as a representative of Rho ...

, a signer of the

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. He was the great-nephew of Dr

William Ellery Channing William Ellery Channing (April 7, 1780 – October 2, 1842) was the foremost Unitarianism, Unitarian preacher in the United States in the early nineteenth century and, along with Andrews Norton (1786–1853), one of Unitarianism's leading theolo ...

, Walter Channing and Edward Tyrrel Channing and a first cousin once removed of

. He was naturalized as a British subject in 1883. He was educated at

Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and the fourth-oldest college of the university. The college was founde ...

and subsequently became a fellow, lecturer and tutor in

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

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, and was

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. A passionate Protestant he attended and spoke at the United Protestant Demonstration in London on 29 January 1900 which resolved ) “to uphold and maintain the Protestantism of the nation and to demand the suppression of the Mass and the Confessional in the Established Church.”

Political career

Channing was elected as Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for

East Northamptonshire East Northamptonshire was a local government district in Northamptonshire, England, from 1974 to 2021. Its council was based in Thrapston and Rushden. Other towns included Oundle, Raunds, Irthlingborough and Higham Ferrers. The town of Rushde ...

at the 1885 general election, and held the seat until the December 1910 general election. From 1893 to 1896 he was a member of the

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on Agricultural Depression. He was made a Baronet, of Maiden Newton in the County of Dorset, on 3 December 1906, and on 9 July 1912 he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Channing ''of

Wellingborough Wellingborough ( ) is a market town in the North Northamptonshire, Unitary Authority area, England, from London and from Northampton, north of the River Nene. Originally named "Wendelingburgh" (the stronghold of Wændel's people), the Anglo ...

, in the County of Northampton''. In 1918 he published ''Memories of Midland Politics, 1885-1910''.

Family

Lord Channing of Wellingborough married Elizabeth Bryant on 21 July 1869. They had three daughters and one son, but only his eldest daughter, the Honourable Mary Channing (died 1940), survived infancy. Lady Channing of Wellingborough died at 40 Eaton Place,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, in August 1925. Lord Channing only survived her by seven months and died in

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

, in February 1926, aged 84. He was buried in

Torquay Torquay ( ) is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies south of the county town of Exeter and east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignt ...

. The baronetcy and barony died with him.

References

Attribution

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Channing, Francis 1841 births 1926 deaths Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford Fellows of University College, Oxford Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Channing of Wellingborough, Francis Channing, 1st Baron UK MPs 1885–1886 UK MPs 1886–1892 UK MPs 1892–1895 UK MPs 1895–1900 UK MPs 1900–1906 UK MPs 1906–1910 UK MPs 1910 UK MPs who were granted peerages Members of Lincoln's Inn Barons created by George V