John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley

John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley ( born January 7, 1826 in Wymondham, Norfolk, † April 8, 1902 in London) was a British aristocrat and liberal politician.

Life

Wodehouse first attended Eton College and studied at Christ Church College at the University of Oxford. In 1846 he succeeded his grandfather as Baron Wodehouse.

1852 Wodehouse joined the Aberdeen government as Secretary of State ( Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State ) one at the Foreign Office, he retained this office under Palmerston until 1856, when he went as a British ambassador to Saint Petersburg.

1858 recalled, he received in Palmerston's second Cabinet his old post again, and kept it until 1861. 1863 he worked as a special envoy in the Schleswig- Holstein question, without being able to reach a solution.

In Lord Russell's second ministry he was from October 1864 to July 1866, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, after he had previously been a short time Under-Secretary at the India Office. After retiring from this office he was raised to the Earl of Kimberley.

In Gladstone's government from December 1868 to July 1870 was Wodehouse Lord Keeper of the Seals, afterwards until February 1874 Colonial Secretary ( Secretary of State for the Colonies ), which office he again took over in Gladstone's second Cabinet in April 1880, but in 1882 after a brief stint as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with the Ministry of India ( Secretary of State for India) exchanged. This minister held Wodehouse while all other reigns of Gladstone (1882-1885, 1886, 1892-1894 ). During the latter period he was also Lord President of the Council.

Finally, he was 1894/95 Minister of Foreign Affairs in Lord Rosebery's government. Wodehouse was always a loyal partisan of Gladstone, but without personally to set special accents.

He died in 1902 in London. His titles went over to his eldest son.