Lord Elcho, Trade Unionism and Democracy

Abstract

The nonagenarian Lord Elcho (1818–1914) has a singular fascination for the student of Victoriana. A member of the Commons from 1841 until he became the 10th Earl of Wemyss and March in 1883, his political career may be symbolised by the proverbial ship of state — apprenticed on the Peelite schooner he held fast to the power and the beauty of the sail down to the dreadnought of Lloyd George. He was the eldest son of Francis Wemyss-Charteris Douglas and Lady Louisa Bingham, daughter of Balaclava’s controversial general, Lord Lucan. He was known as Francis Charteris until 1853 when upon the death of his grandfather he adopted the family title, ‘Lord Elcho’. The Wemyss estates were located primarily in East Lothian but over four thousand acres in Gloucestershire and five hundred in Worcestershire provided the family with strong English interests as well. Gosford House, the family residence on the edge of Haddington, presided over 56,739 acres which included such valuable minerals as coal and iron. John Bateman listed the Wemyss annual income at roughly £57,000 with only a small percentage produced from minerals.¹ Norman Gash reports that Elcho’s political career was ‘planned for him by his seniors’.²

I am grateful to the many people who assisted me in my work on Lord Elcho. The late Professor T. P. Neill of St Louis University introduced me to Elcho; Anthony Firth of University College, Oxford urged me through the initial research at the Bodleian Library; the present Lord and Lady Wemyss graciously allowed me to do additional research in their home; Professor J. Hitchcock of St Louis University and Helen Kauffman offered valuable textual criticisms.