Lord Henniker, 1895-1902

Born 1844 as John Major Henniker-Major, educated Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. Married, 1866 Alice daughter of Earl of Desart, in 1868 elected MP for East Suffolk, a seat previously held by his father before his receipt of an English Pereage as Lord Hartismere and translation to Lords.(the Henniker title was Irish). His father died in 1874, he inherited both titles and gave up his career as MP.

Subsequently held the position as Lord-in-waiting to Queen Victoria from 1877-1880, 1885 to 1893 and in 1895 when he was offered the Governorship - in Samuel Norris's description - "an affable, tottering old gentleman with no polirtical opinions and no understanding of political ecconomy. .. A living had to be found for him.".

Unfortuneately presided over one of the most unlucky periods in Manx History - starting with the Snaefell Mine disaster and including the collapse of Dumbell's Bank - in the later his own indecisiveness may well have made things worse,

References

D. Winterbottom Governors of the Isle of Man since 1765 Douglas: Manx National Heritage 1999 (ISBN 09524019-5-9)