Lord Raglan, Governor 1902-1918

Lord Raglan, in Masonic garb.

Samuel Norris has the following introductory remarks on Lord Raglan:

Lord Raglan was appointed Governor in 1902 — just previous to the inception of the Reform Movement. He remained Governor for sixteen years — and never suffered the indignity of having to preside over a Reformed Second Chamber and of seeing the great social and other changes which were demanded in vain under his Governorship.

I do not suppose that socially there was ever a more successful Governor than Lord Raglan.

He had the happy faculty of making himself agreeable in any company; and this, together with his great powers of patronage in judicial, civil, military and even ecclesiastical appointments and in government honours, and his position as head of the Legislature, the Judiciary, the Police and the Prison, gave him many blind admirers and willing co-adjutors in whatever policy he pursued.

He had a supreme contempt for change, and especially for social legislation passed or proposed by British Liberal governments and statesmen. He thought nothing of leaving his home in the Isle of Man and ranging himself alongside the " diehards " in the House of Lords in opposition to the British Government of the day — the Government to which, in reality, he owed his unlimited appointment.

I have heard that this extraordinary conduct, and many other inexplicable things he did and said while Governor, were due to his embedded belief that he held the Governorship for the term of his natural life, and could not be removed from the office. In that mistaken view he found, ultimately, his "Waterloo." Nevertheless, I believe it to be a fact that he was appointed at the expressed desire of King Edward VII.

Resigned, rather suddenly, in December 1918. Died 24 Oct 1921

References

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