Frank Russell, 2nd Earl Russell

John Francis Stanley Russell, 2nd Earl Russell ( * August 12, 1865, † March 3, 1931 ) was a British peer and politician. Due to his conviction for bigamy, he served as the "wicked Earl " (engl.: the wicked Earl ) known.

Family

Russell was the older brother of Bertrand Russell, and grandson of former British Prime Minister John Russell, 1st Earl Russell. His parents both died young; from 1876, both children were orphaned and were raised by paternal grandparents.

Russell was married three times, including with Elizabeth von Arnim, the omnibus with him in her novels. His first wife was Mary Edith Scott, whom he married in 1890. She tried in 1891 to obtain a divorce, but failed it. 1895 Russell wanted to force a judicial divorce, but this attempt also failed.

In 1900 he married in Nevada Marion Cooke Somerville, after his first marriage had previously been divorced by their legislation. This separation, however, was not recognized under British law. He was therefore sentenced on July 18, 1901 for bigamy in the House of Lords, for a peer to condemn crimes, it had to be made in the upper house of the process. Due to the " extreme torture ", which he suffered in his first marriage, he was only sentenced to three months in prison. They were divorced and then married Russell on October 31, 1901, three days after his release, his second wife, now also under UK law effective again.

This marriage lasted until 1915, after which it a year later married Elizabeth von Arnim. They separated in 1919 without a divorce took place. Russell had no children, but stepchildren from the second and third marriage.

Politician

Russell was the first peer who joined the Labour Party, and was the Labour leader in the House of Lords. He was State Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and India in the government of Ramsay MacDonald. He supported pacifism and his brother was a close friend of George Santayana.

His particular interest was the road. He received Christmas 1901, the first motor vehicle registration in the UK. His efforts to achieve a reform of the divorce law were unsuccessful.

  • Member of the House of Lords
  • Earl Russell
  • Labour Member
  • Briton
  • Born 1865
  • Died in 1931
  • Man
  • Politicians (19th Century )
  • Politicians ( 20th century)
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