129-403: Richard Burdon Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane , KT , OM , PC , FRS , FSA , FBA ( / ˈ h ɔː l d eɪ n / ; 30 July 1856 – 19 August 1928) was a lawyer and philosopher and an influential British Liberal and later Labour politician. He was Secretary of State for War between 1905 and 1912 during which time the " Haldane Reforms " of
258-592: A Queen's Counsel . By 1905 he was earning £ 20,000 per annum at the Bar (equivalent to £2.7 million in 2023). He became a bencher at Lincoln's Inn in 1893. Amongst his early friends was Edmund Gosse , the librarian of the House of Lords library . Haldane was a deep thinker, an unusual breed: a philosopher-politician. During his stay at Göttingen he expanded an interest in the German philosophers, Schopenhauer and Hegel. He had refused
387-529: A 20% rise in prices since then). In October 1907 Haldane was intimately involved with the negotiations at Windsor with Kaiser Wilhelm II . The Germanophile and linguist was thrilled to be summoned at 1 am to talk with the Emperor over whisky on arms reduction principles. But the import was the Berlin–Baghdad railway which Germany was hoping to construct with British approval. A fluent German-speaker, Haldane
516-591: A Chapel until 1911, when one was added onto St Giles High Kirk in Edinburgh . Each year, the sovereign resides at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for a week in June or July; during the visit, a service for the order is held. Any new knights or ladies are installed at annual services. Each member of the order, including the sovereign, is allotted a stall in the chapel, above which his or her heraldic devices are displayed. Perched on
645-558: A St Andrew badge, although the King's wardrobe inventories of the period make no mention of a thistle collar. In 1558, a French commentator described the use of the crowned thistle and St Andrew's cross on Scottish coins and banners but noted there was no Scottish order of knighthood. Writing around 1578, John Lesley refers to the three foreign orders of chivalry carved on the gate of Linlithgow Palace , with James V's ornaments of St Andrew, proper to this nation . In 1610 William Fowler ,
774-583: A day intended to celebrate Samuel de Champlain into a celebration of James Wolfe . At other times, and unlike future viceroys, the Governor General's influence expanded blatantly into government policy. Grey initially supported Asian immigration to Canada. He opposed the head tax imposed by the Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 on Chinese immigrants to Canada. He was invited to visit the province of British Columbia but declined as protest against
903-461: A federal statute attempting to regulate industrial disputes, holding that it was not within federal authority under either the peace, order and good government power, nor the federal trade and commerce power. He went so far as to suggest that the trade and commerce power was simply an ancillary federal power, which could not authorise legislation in its own right. The effects of some of these decisions have subsequently been modified by later decisions of
1032-527: A legal expert. 1912 saw the unsuccessful attempt of the Haldane Mission , an effort to quell the friction between Britain and Germany arising because of their escalating naval arms race . The mission was a failure because the Germans would agree to slow the tempo of its warship construction only if Britain promised to remain neutral if Germany should become engaged in a war where "Germany could not be said to be
1161-496: A number of legacies, the most prominent being the Grey Cup . Grey was the younger and only surviving son of General Sir Charles Grey —a younger son of former British prime minister the second Earl Grey and later the private secretary to Prince Albert and later still to Queen Victoria —and his wife, Caroline Eliza Farquhar, eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Harvie Farquhar, Bt . He was born at Cadogan House, Middlesex. Many members of
1290-565: A pan-European perspective he analysed the German character and economic advances towards militarism. He was largely responsible for the cross-party support for Balfour's Education Act 1902. He told Rosebery "a sense of nation is working towards ...a great centre party." He was also involved in the founding of Imperial College in 1907 and in his honour the University contained the Haldane Recreational Library, which now forms part of
1419-553: A part of his broader desire for a reform movement. He supported Canadian football and established the Grey Cup , which is awarded to the winner of the Senior Amateur Football Championship of Canada; it is today presented to the champions of the professional-level Canadian Football League . In 1963 Grey was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game. He gave to
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#17328514312041548-545: A personal level. Being a fluent German speaker, ascetic philosopher and atheist, he played host to Albert Einstein , when he visited London in 1921. As President of the Institute of Public Administration , he was a leading intellectual on the philosophy of governance. "The Reign of Relativity" combined Haldane's love of all things German expressed by Goethe and his works, with the Hegelian military-industrial complex. Haldane admired
1677-699: A place at Balliol, but in nodding respect for the Master and philosopher, T. H. Green , he dedicated his Essays in Philosophical Criticism to him. A cousin, the Whig politician Lord Camperdown encouraged the young barrister into standing as a Liberal at the General Election of 1880 . Although not elected that year Haldane joined the Eighty Club , a political dining and discussion club formed in 1879. Membership
1806-605: A popular music hall song ("All dressed up and nowhere to go") in the revue "Mr Manhattan". He was harried in particular by Beaverbrook 's Daily Express , which gave great publicity to the claim by Professor Onkel of Heidelberg that he had said "Germany was his spiritual home". He had in fact said that about Professor Hermann Lotze 's classroom at Göttingen at a dinner party given by Mrs Humphry Ward in April 1913 to enable him to meet some German professors during his mission. In 1915 Asquith ranked his Cabinet, putting Haldane only sixth of
1935-517: A proof. Haldane refused to join the platform for Asquith's speech at Westminster Central Hall in January 1922. He stated that his main interest in public life was now education reform and that the cause was not best served by endorsing the Liberal Party. It was not until the general election of 1923 that Haldane formally sided with Labour, and made several speeches on behalf of Labour candidates. When
2064-464: A seat he held until 1911. The philosopher-politician wrote several articles for the advanced and progressive Contemporary Review . In October 1888, "The Liberal Creed" was published summarising his belief in the direction of New Liberalism. In the 1890 article "The Eight Hours Question" Haldane rejected the idea of the eight-hour day. In 1888, he courted Emma Valentine Ferguson, sister of his Liberal party friend, Ronald Munro-Ferguson ; she broke off
2193-519: A stigmata in the eye and in 1909, he had to take bed rest when going blind from iritis. A lifelong walker and cigar smoker, he was diagnosed diabetic. "The latter is a large, fat man" was Haig 's initial impression of a dignified but portly demeanour. Yet, added Haig, "One seems to like the man at once." Having worked on the Army Regulations of 1909, Haig applauded "a most clear headed and practical man––very ready to listen and weigh carefully all that
2322-573: A visit to Canada by Prince Fushimi Sadanaru of the Empire of Japan . Throughout his tenure as governor general, Grey supported the arts and, when he departed Canada in 1911, he left behind him the Grey Competition for Music and Drama, first held in 1907. Grey also donated trophies to the Montreal Horse Show and for figure skating. He was a patron of sport, his feelings on health and fitness
2451-778: Is Nemo me impune lacessit ( Latin for "No one provokes me with impunity"). The same motto appears on the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom for use in Scotland and pound coins minted in 1984, 1989, 1994, and 1999 (since withdrawn), and is also the motto of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards , the Scots Guards , the Royal Regiment of Scotland , and The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada . The patron saint of
2580-511: Is said to him." Osbert Sitwell described him as "entering a room with the air of a whole procession". Leo Amery said he looked like "the old-fashioned family butler". Another Imperialist, Winston Churchill also respected Haldane, although they were from differing social backgrounds. On promoting Churchill to First Lord of the Admiralty, Asquith advised him to seek Haldane's advice at a meeting held at Archerfield, North Berwick. From 1907 to 1908, he
2709-566: Is shared only by members of the Royal Family, peers, Knights and Ladies Companion of the Garter, and Knights and Dames Grand Cross of the junior orders of chivalry and clan chiefs . Albert Grey Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey , GCB , GCMG , GCVO , PC (28 November 1851 – 29 August 1917) was a British peer and politician who served as Governor General of Canada from 1904 to 1911,
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#17328514312042838-454: Is that the order was founded in 809 to commemorate an alliance between Achaius and Emperor Charlemagne ; there is some plausibility to this, insofar as Charlemagne is believed to have employed Scottish bodyguards. Yet another version is that Robert the Bruce instituted the order after his victory at Bannockburn in 1314. Most historians consider the earliest credible claim to be the founding of
2967-600: Is used to recognise Scots 'who have held public office or contributed significantly to national life.' The Kings of Scots , later the Kings of Great Britain and of the United Kingdom, have served as sovereigns of the Order. When James VII revived the order, the statutes stated that the order would continue the ancient number of Knights, which was described in the preceding warrant as "the Sovereign and twelve Knights-Brethren in allusion to
3096-526: Is versed in precedents, acts on principle, and knows how and when to compromise. Lloyd George knows nothing for precedents and cares for no principles, but he has fire in his belly and that is what we want." As the war progressed Haldane moved increasingly close to the Labour Party, but he was held back by his ties to the Liberal Party and to Asquith. When the Irish War of Independence broke out in 1919, Haldane
3225-515: The Blessed Saviour and his Twelve Apostles ". In 1827, George IV increased the number to sixteen members. Women (other than Queens regnant ) were originally excluded from the Order; George VI created his wife Queen Elizabeth a Lady of the Thistle in 1937 by a special statute, and in 1987 Elizabeth II allowed the regular admission of women to both the Order of the Thistle and the Order of
3354-545: The British Empire into an Imperial Federation . Grey thus split with Prime Minister William Gladstone in 1886 over Irish home rule and became a Liberal Unionist , but the shift was short-lived as Grey failed to win his constituency again in the 1886 general election . Eight years later, in October 1894, Grey succeeded his uncle, the 3rd Earl Grey , as the 4th Earl Grey and returned to Parliament when taking his seat in
3483-710: The Canadian Constitution , particularly the interplay between sections 91 and 92 of the British North America Act 1867 . He gave the decision for the Judicial Committee in several of those cases, and showed a marked tendency to favour the provincial powers at the expense of the federal government. For instance, in the case of In re the Board of Commerce Act, 1919, and the Combines and Fair Prices Act , he gave
3612-774: The Chancellor , the Secretary, the Dean , Lord Lyon King of Arms , and the Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod . The Dean is normally a cleric of the Church of Scotland . This office was not part of the original establishment, but was created in 1763 and joined to the office of Dean of the Chapel Royal . The two offices were separated in 1969. The office of Chancellor is mentioned and given custody of
3741-606: The Conservative government of Arthur Balfour fell in December 1905 there was some speculation that Asquith and his allies Haldane and Grey would refuse to serve unless Henry Campbell-Bannerman accepted a peerage, which would have left Asquith as the real leader in the House of Commons. Haldane had suggested involving the King at Balmoral to 'kick CB upstairs'. However, the plot (called " The Relugas Compact " after Grey's Scottish lodge where
3870-579: The Dominion of Newfoundland (then not yet a part of Canada) and several times to the United States to visit President Theodore Roosevelt , with whom Grey developed a strong bond. Grey often exercised his right, as representative of a constitutional monarch, to advise, encourage, and warn. He desired social reform and cohesion. He put his support behind prison reforms in Canada to provide greater social justice. He
3999-551: The Earl of Arran . After James was deposed by the 1688 Glorious Revolution no further appointments were made, although the exiled House of Stuart continued to issue a Jacobite version until 1784 (the last appointment being Charlotte Stuart, Jacobite Duchess of Albany ), although none of those were recognised by the British Crown. Queen Anne appointed knights to the Order from 1704, and it has remained in existence since then, and
Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane - Misplaced Pages Continue
4128-630: The House of Lords , while simultaneously undertaking business ventures around the British Empire as Director of the British South Africa Company from 1898, he experienced a steep learning curve during high tension with the Boers. As administrator in Rhodesia he was directly responsible to Cecil Rhodes for conduct of the colony's business from 1894 to 1897. On his return in 1899 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of his native Northumberland. Grey
4257-519: The House of Lords . As a friend of Cecil Rhodes , Lord Grey became one of the first four trustees responsible for the administration of the scholarship funds which established the Rhodes Scholarship and he was invited by Rhodes to be a member of the board of directors and director of the British South Africa Company , coming to serve as the main liaison between Rhodes and the Secretary of State for
4386-652: The Imperial General Staff . Before Haldane, there was only the Defence Committee of the Cabinet, which met only in emergencies, and the Colonial Defence Committee. Esher had recommended the setting up of an Army Council and the abolition of the post of Commander-in-Chief, but few of his recommendations had been implemented before the change of government in December 1905. Haldane's reforms also created
4515-716: The Labour government was formed by Ramsay MacDonald in early 1924, Haldane served once again as Lord Chancellor . He was also joint Leader of the Labour Peers with Lord Parmoor . Haldane was a vital member of the Cabinet as he was one of only three members who had sat in a cabinet before. Haldane was responsible for drafting the London University Act 1926, purchasing properties in Euston. He made some famous speeches at Toynbee Hall for
4644-741: The Liberal Imperialist wing of the party, followers of Lord Rosebery rather than of Sir William Harcourt . Rosebery admired Haldane's intellect, and the Scotsman urged upon his friend, whom he had known since 1886, an assault on Tory power in the Lords in 1894. Haldane joined friends at the Articles Club, including Asquith and Grey. Haldane was disappointed having failed to secure the post of Solicitor-General in October 1894. Asquith wryly remarked "A very wrong decision come to upon inadequate grounds." Haldane
4773-462: The Scottish heraldic establishment, whose office predates his association with the order, serves as King of Arms of the Order. According to legend , an invading Norse army was attempting to sneak up at night upon a Scottish army's encampment. During this operation, one barefoot Norseman had the misfortune to step upon a thistle , causing him to cry out in pain, thus alerting Scots to the presence of
4902-1017: The Territorial Force of 14 divisions (the original plan was for 28) and 14 mounted Yeomanry brigades at home, the Officer Training Corps and the Special Reserve . In all the reforms, Haldane worked closely at the War Office with Major-General Haig . By coincidence, both men had been born in Charlotte Square, in Edinburgh. J. A. Spender later wrote of how Haldane got the best work out of an able but verbally-incoherent soldier (thought to refer to Haig) by not scoring verbal points off him, as many politicians would have done. Usually critical, Rosebery remarked on Haldane's interest in philosophy, declaring: "I have read his Secret Memorandum, and that
5031-601: The army for an Imperial war but with the more likely (and secret) task of a European war. The main element of this was the establishment of the British Expeditionary Force of six infantry divisions and one cavalry division. The Official Historian Brigadier James Edmonds later wrote that "in every respect the Expeditionary Force of 1914 was incomparably the best trained, best organised and best equipped British Army ever to leave these shores" Haldane set up
5160-514: The circlet (a green circle bearing the order's motto) and the collar of the order; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar. The Royal Arms depict the collar and motto of the Order of the Thistle only in Scotland; they show the circlet and motto of the Garter in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Knights and Ladies are also entitled to receive heraldic supporters . This high privilege
5289-534: The main library collection . Haldane was a member of the Coefficients dining club of social reformers set up in 1902 by the Fabian campaigners Sidney and Beatrice Webb . He wrote a biography of Adam Smith , extolling the virtues of free trade. Unlike Joseph Chamberlain he thought there was no strong connection between fiscal and imperial unity. He opposed any attempt to protection of British trade. In 1904, he
Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane - Misplaced Pages Continue
5418-433: The ninth since Canadian Confederation . He was a radical Liberal aristocrat and a member of a string of liberal high society clubs in London. An active and articulate campaigner in late Victorian England, he was associated with many of the leading Imperialists seeking change. Albert Grey was born into a noble and political family, though at birth not in direct line to inherit the earldom. His father, General Charles Grey,
5547-438: The seal of the order in the 1687 statutes, but no-one was appointed to the position until 1913. The office has subsequently been held by one of the knights, though not necessarily the most senior. The Usher of the Order is the Gentleman Usher of the Green Rod (unlike his Garter equivalent, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod , he does not have another function assisting the House of Lords ). The Lord Lyon King of Arms, head of
5676-447: The Annual American Seminar. In November 1923 Lord Birkenhead , the Conservative politician, praised Haldane's contribution to Britain's preparedness for the First World War: In the welter of sentimentality, amid which Great Britain might easily have mouldered into ruin, my valued colleague, Lord Haldane, presented a figure alike interesting, individual, and arresting. In speech fluent and even infinite he yielded to no living idealist in
5805-407: The Armistice had taken all impetus out of the reform agenda. At the time of the Paisley by-election of January 1920 Haldane was in the process of shifting his sympathies from Liberal to Labour, and was wrongly thought to have endorsed Labour (earning a rebuke from Margot Asquith , whom Haldane thought "tiresome because she is ignorant", to his aged mother). In fact he favoured Asquith's election on
5934-497: The Army Council on 3 August. With war imminent, Asquith was happy for Haldane to continue at the War Office formally as Secretary of State for War, but Haldane persuaded him to appoint Field Marshal Kitchener . Following the outbreak of the First World War Haldane was falsely accused of pro-German sympathies, in July 1914, for hosting Albert Ballin , a German shipping magnate and unofficial mediator between Germany and Britain. The accusations were widely believed and were even echoed in
6063-471: The British Army were implemented. As an intellectual he was fascinated with German thought. That led to his role in seeking detente with Germany in 1912 in the Haldane Mission . The mission was a failure and tensions with Berlin forced London to work more closely with Paris. Raised to the peerage as Viscount Haldane in 1911, he was Lord Chancellor between 1912 and 1915, when he was forced to resign because of allegations of German sympathies. He later joined
6192-407: The British PR Society. 4. Public House Trust [temperance refreshment houses], which is "a necessary adjunct to the first two items of his programme." On 28 March 1916, he was appointed by King George V as Chancellor of the Order of St. Michael and St. George . Grey died in August 1917 at his family residence. (On his deathbed, he penned a "stirring" letter to the editor of the London Times on
6321-544: The Canadian Constitution. In 1895, Haldane helped the Webbs found the London School of Economics . A fundamental believer in the power of improving education, he prepared the London University Act 1898. The philosophy of 'national efficiency' was central feature of the Hegelian complex, and the ideas of Schopenhauer, he had learnt on the continent, that accentuated freedom and decentralisation from an historicist's perspective. His moral centrism sought to unify The New Liberalism , as he published it in Contemporary Review. From
6450-421: The Colonies , Joseph Chamberlain , in the periods immediately before and after the Jameson Raid on the Transvaal . As the Administrator of Southern Rhodesia , Sir Leander Starr Jameson , was disgraced by the Jameson Raid, the British government, then headed by the Marquess of Salisbury , in 1896 asked Lord Grey to serve as Jameson's immediate replacement, staying in that role until 1897. Two years later, Grey
6579-546: The Crown a horse-drawn carriage he had purchased from the Governor-General of Australia , which is still today used as the state landau, and added a study and conservatory to Rideau Hall , the sovereign's and governor general's Ottawa residence; the latter was torn down in 1924. Grey and his wife were commended for their work in Canada and for their championing social reforms. Laurier said Lord Grey gave "his whole heart, his whole soul, and his whole life to Canada." On leaving office in 1911 Earl Grey and his family returned to
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#17328514312046708-406: The Dominion of Canada ," which followed on the passing of the Militia Act in 1904. At the request of Sir Robert Baden-Powell , Grey also undertook the role of Chief Scout of Canada. During the time Grey occupied the viceregal office (1904-1911) Canada experienced large-scale immigration, industrialisation, and economic development, and secured increased independence from the United Kingdom. It
6837-423: The Earl of Minto . (Minto was married to Grey's sister, Mary Caroline Grey.) The appointment came at a good time for Grey, as a series of failed investments in South Africa had left him penniless; a gift from his wife's aunt, Lady Wantage (widow of the Lord Wantage ), was used to supplement his salary as governor general. On 16 June 1905 Grey was designated as "Governor General of Canada and Commander-in-Chief of
6966-411: The Esher Committee. In 1900, during the Boer War , army expenditure was £86.8m, by 1910 (a low point, after four years of cuts under the Liberals) it had dropped to £27.6m and by 1914 it had risen back to £29.4m. In March 1914 effective expenditure on the Army, after allowing for increased pensions and £1m set aside for military aviation, was still less than in 1907–8, and £2m less than in 1905-6 (despite
7095-399: The French against the Germans. However, Haldane's first estimates reduced the Army by 16,600 men and reduced expenditure by £2.6m to £28 million, as the Liberals had been elected on a platform of retrenchment. By 1914 Britain spent 3.4% of national income on defence, little more in absolute terms than Austria-Hungary's 6.1%. Army expenditure was determined according to a formula devised by
7224-402: The Garter. From time to time, individuals may be admitted to the order by special statutes. Such members are known as "Extra Knights" or "Extra Ladies" and do not count towards the sixteen-member limit. Members of the British royal family are normally admitted through this procedure; the first to be so admitted was Prince Albert . King Olav V of Norway , the first foreigner to be admitted to
7353-460: The Green Rod also bears, as the title suggests, a green rod . When James VII created the modern order in 1687, he directed that the Abbey Church at the Palace of Holyroodhouse be converted to a Chapel for the Order of the Thistle, perhaps copying the idea from the Order of the Garter (whose chapel is located in Windsor Castle ). James VII, however, was deposed by 1688; the Chapel, meanwhile, had been destroyed during riots. The order did not have
7482-529: The Judicial Committee and the Supreme Court of Canada , but they have had the long-term effect of recognising substantial provincial powers. Haldane's approach to the division of powers was heavily criticised by some academics and lawyers in Canada, such as F. R. Scott and Chief Justice Bora Laskin , as unduly favouring the provinces over the federal government and depriving it of the powers needed to deal with modern economic issues. More recently, one major study has characterised him as "the wicked stepfather" of
7611-421: The Knights and Ladies wear an elaborate costume: Aside from these special occasions, however, much simpler insignia are used whenever a member of the order attends an event at which decorations are worn: However, on certain collar days designated by the sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal wear, or other costume. They will then substitute
7740-433: The Labour Party and once again served as Lord Chancellor in 1924 in the first Labour administration. Apart from his legal and political careers, Haldane was also an influential writer on philosophy, in recognition of which he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1914. Haldane was born at 17 Charlotte Square , Edinburgh, the son of Robert Haldane and his wife Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Burdon-Sanderson. He
7869-416: The Member of Parliament for East Gloucestershire. Together, they had five children, one of whom died in early childhood. Grey stood for parliament at South Northumberland in 1878 (at the age of 28). He received the same number of votes as his opponent Edward Ridley , but Grey declined a scrutiny and was not returned. It was not until the general election of 1880 that Grey, the Liberal Party candidate,
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#17328514312047998-425: The Norse invaders. Some sources suggest the specific occasion was the 1263 Battle of Largs , which marked the beginning of the departure of King Haakon IV (Haakon the Elder) of Norway who, having control of the Northern Isles and Hebrides , had harried the coast of the Kingdom of Scotland for some years. For the Order's great occasions, such as its annual service each June or July, as well for coronations ,
8127-411: The Order of St. Andrew, but lapsed by the end of that century, although the evidence is unclear. A royal thistle collar is depicted in a book of hours , prepared for James IV in about 1503, where he is shown kneeling at an altar bearing the royal arms encircled by a collar of thistles and a badge depicting St Andrew. In a painting of 1538, James V is shown wearing a gold collar of linked thistles with
8256-426: The Order of the Thistle and dedicated it to the saint. This seems unlikely on the face of it, since Achaius died a century before Æthelstan (though it is now thought that the opponents in this battle were not the East Anglian king Æthelstan (born around 894) but an earlier Northumbrian of the same name, and not the legendary Scottish King Achaius but the historical Pictish King Óengus II ). An alternative version
8385-455: The Order of the Thistle was John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll in 1710; the last to take such an action was Thomas Dundas, 2nd Earl of Zetland in 1872. Knights and Ladies of the Thistle may also be deprived of their knighthoods. The only individual to have suffered such a fate was John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar who lost both the knighthood and the earldom after participating in the Jacobite Rising of 1715 . The order has five officers:
8514-407: The Quebec celebrations, and Grey believed the official ceremony would promote Franco-Anglo-American friendship. The government arranged for the attendance of the Prince of Wales (later King George V), American and French warships, and a host of visiting dignitaries. The Ligue saw the ceremony as solely a tribute to the Empire. Bourassa and other Quebec nationalists complained that Grey had transformed
8643-462: The Scottish secretary to Anne of Denmark was asked about the Order of the Thistle. Fowler believed that there had been an order, founded to honour Scots who fought for Charles VII of France , but it had been discontinued in the time of James V, and could say nothing of its ceremonies or regalia. James VII issued letters patent "reviving and restoring the Order of the Thistle to its full glory, lustre and magnificency" on 29 May 1687. His intention
8772-515: The Thistle also feature on the order of precedence; relatives of Ladies of the Thistle, however, are not assigned any special precedence. (Generally, individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives.) Knights of the Thistle prefix " Sir ", and Ladies prefix " Lady ", to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Ladies. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
8901-434: The United Kingdom, where he became president of the Royal Colonial Institute (now the Royal Commonwealth Society ). He did not retire from public affairs. He lobbied and organized toward several goals: 1. to help those who are endeavoring to fight the slums. 2. to help the worker forward in the path of his natural evolution from the status of worker to that of partner. 3. proportional representation – by "the removal of
9030-443: The War Office directly himself. Asquith relied heavily on Haldane as the previous War Secretary and empowered him to carry out tasks at the War Office on his behalf. As the situation in Europe worsened, Asquith kept Haldane abreast of developments with Sir Edward Grey at the Foreign Office. Haldane was one of the first members of the Cabinet to recognise that war with Germany was inevitable and persuaded Asquith to mobilise by assembly of
9159-422: The aggressor." Above all Berlin wanted Britain to remain neutral in a war between Germany and France. That carried an unacceptable risk encouraging Germany to go to war with France or Russia and taking control of the continent. In March 1914 Haldane's successor at the War Office, Jack Seely , resigned following the Curragh incident . Rather than appoint a successor, Asquith decided to take over responsibility for
9288-561: The agreement of the Prime Minister ( Clement Attlee ) and the Leader of the Opposition ( Winston Churchill ) in 1946, both orders returned to the personal gift of the sovereign. Knights and Ladies of the Thistle may also be admitted to the Order of the Garter. Formerly, many, but not all, Knights elevated to the senior order would resign from the Order of the Thistle. The first to resign from
9417-544: The benefit of their inhabitants, instead of for the benefit of the United Kingdom. Grey was educated at Harrow School and then Trinity College, Cambridge , where he studied history and law. After graduating in 1873, Grey became private secretary to Sir Henry Bartle Frere and, as Frere was a member of the Council of India , Grey accompanied Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales , on his tour of India . In 1877, Grey married Alice Holford , daughter of Robert Stayner Holford ,
9546-561: The best known of which is The Reign of Relativity (1921), which dealt with the philosophical implications of the theory of relativity . Haldane published "The Pathway to Reality", based on the Gifford Lectures which he had delivered at the University of St Andrews . Some of his public addresses have also been published, including The future of democracy (1918). Haldane had health problems all his life. He suffered from bad rheumatism,
9675-529: The broad riband of another order to which they belong (if any), since the Order of the Thistle is represented by the collar. Upon the death of a Knight or Lady, the insignia must be returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood . The badge and star are returned personally to the sovereign by the nearest relative of the deceased. Officers of the order also wear green robes. The Gentleman Usher of
9804-410: The close and serious consideration of social reformers, as those affecting the condition of women. The possession of a vote by women who are heads of households will lead to the formation of associations and unions for the protection and advancement of the interests of their sex." Another reform he supported was electoral reform, favoring proportional representation and Single transferable voting . H
9933-429: The day and Haldane's closest political ally and friend for over 30 years, did anything to resist Bonar Law's demands. Roy Jenkins in his biography of Asquith describes the charges as "absolute nonsense" and Max Egremont describes Balfour as "knowing the injustice behind the charges" and "being privately indignant". To the detriment of their relationship, Asquith gave no personal expression to Haldane. Jenkins describes
10062-523: The decision striking down federal legislation which attempted to regulate the economy, challenging the legality of the Canadian legislature. In doing so, he gave very restrictive readings to both the " peace, order and good government " power of the federal government, as well as the federal criminal law power . Similarly, in Toronto Electric Commissioners v. Snider , Lord Haldane struck down
10191-510: The disparity between Parliamentary constituencies with 40,000 electors, on the one hand, and on the other, other constituencies with less than as many hundreds." (through creation of equal-sized single-member districts. Earl Grey was also a proponent of PR in the sense of elected representation reflecting how votes are cast. In 1916, he was honorary president of the Proportional Representation Society of Canada and president of
10320-399: The doors of the chapel has the names of the order's knights from before 1911 inscribed into the walls giving a complete record of the members of the order. Knights and Ladies of the Thistle are assigned positions in the order of precedence , ranking above all others of knightly rank except the Order of the Garter, and above baronets . Wives, sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights of
10449-516: The easy coinage of sentimental phraseology. Here, indeed, he was a match for those who distributed the chloroform of Berlin. Do we not remember, for instance, that Germany was his spiritual home? But he none the less prepared himself, and the Empire, to talk when the time came with his spiritual friends in language not in the least spiritual. He devised the Territorial Army, which was capable of becoming
10578-677: The easy nucleus of national conscription, and which unquestionably ought to have been used for that purpose at the outbreak of war. He created the Imperial General Staff. He founded the Officers' Training Corps. On Haldane's death The Times described him as "one of the most powerful, subtle and encyclopaedic intellects ever devoted to the public service of his country". The military historian Correlli Barnett claimed that Haldane had "all-round personal talents far exceeding those of his predecessors" as Secretary of State for War and that he
10707-515: The engagement and subsequently lampooned him in her novel Betsy in 1892. Haldane became firmly ensconced in the Imperialist wing of Liberalism, led by Sir Edward Grey . At the 1892 General Election, he received a shock when nearly defeated by the Liberal Unionist, Walter Hepburne-Scott, Master of Polwarth . Beatrice Webb , the socialist who was a close intimate, remarked on how alone Haldane
10836-521: The entire British Empire, his pronouncements frequently raised the ire of Bourassa and the Quebec nationalists. Grey helped plan the tercentennial of Quebec in 1908. This event marked the 300th anniversary of the landing of Samuel de Champlain at what later became Quebec City . The Cabinet agreed to Grey's suggestion to have the Plains of Abraham designated as a national park. this was to be done to coincide with
10965-688: The exclusionary measures implemented by the BC government under premier Richard McBride . However, following the Japanese victory in the Russo-Japanese War , he expressed concerned about the so-called Yellow Peril and worked with the federal Cabinet to explore restrictions on Asian immigration other than the head tax. He was nevertheless appalled by the 1907 anti-Asian riots in Vancouver , organized by BC's Asiatic Exclusion League . Later that same year, he arranged
11094-403: The fact that Germans were "trained to obey". Hegel's aristocratic desire for law and order and defence of property against revolution had a mathematical symmetry. Hegel was a purist: his work attempted to keep science and philosophy apart. The rising tide of New Liberalism and moral realism was for Haldane, Hegel's philological precept to improve behaviour, using the empiricism of scientific data as
11223-509: The family had enjoyed successful political careers based on reform, including to colonial policies; Grey's grandfather, while prime minister, championed the Reform Act 1832 and in 1846, Grey's uncle, the third Earl Grey , as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies during the first ministry of Lord John Russell , was the first to suggest that colonies should be self-sustaining and governed for
11352-624: The former British garrisons at Halifax, Nova Scotia , and Esquimalt, British Columbia , after which the Royal Canadian Navy was created by the Naval Service Act . The Act was so identified with Grey that, in Quebec , it was referred to as Grey's Bill and opposed by Henri Bourassa and his Ligue nationaliste canadienne . Although Grey strongly promoted national unity among French and English Canadians, as well as advocating unity within
11481-560: The inner cabinet members. He also inveigled Kitchener and Haldane to sign the King's Pledge, a vow to abstain from alcohol for the duration of the war, which Haldane resented and which Churchill and Asquith himself completely ignored. Following the shell crisis and the resignation of Lord Fisher , in May 1915 the Liberals were obliged to form a coalition government with the Conservatives who, under
11610-464: The leadership of Bonar Law , insisted on the removal of Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty and the dismissal of Haldane. Haldane's removal was on account of the popularity of the press's campaign relating to Haldane's alleged pro-German sympathies. Neither the former prime minister Arthur Balfour , Haldane's closest friend amongst the Conservatives, nor Asquith, the Liberal prime minister of
11739-720: The lurch". When Rosebery offered the Speakership, he refused it that March. However, on 11 October 1896, he wrote to Rosebery that he "was the leader of a revolution in our party". On 11 August 1902, Haldane was admitted to the Privy Council , following an announcement of the King's intention to make the appointment in the 1902 Coronation Honours list, published in June that year. The King used his influence and charm to cultivate allies, bringing cross-party groups like The Souls together in consensual amity. Balfour's administration leant on Haldane's philosophy for educational reforms. After
11868-490: The men met) collapsed when Asquith agreed to serve as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Campbell-Bannerman. Haldane wrote, "One longs for Rosebery had he been coming in to his right place at the head of affairs, we could have gone anywhere with confidence. But it seems now as if this were not to be and we have to do the only thing we can do, which is to resolutely follow a plan of concerted action". On 13 December 1905, Haldane
11997-513: The middle fourteenth century. In 1783 an Irish equivalent, the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick , was founded, but it is now dormant. The claim that James VII was reviving an earlier order is generally not supported by the evidence. The 1687 warrant states that during a battle in 786 with Angles under Æthelstan of East Anglia , the cross of St Andrew appeared in the sky to Achaius , King of Scots; after his victory, he established
12126-511: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Knights and Ladies use the post-nominal letters "KT" and "LT" respectively. When an individual is entitled to use multiple post-nominal letters, "KT" or "LT" appears before all others, except "Bt" or "Btss" ( Baronet or Baronetess ), "VC" ( Victoria Cross ), "GC" ( George Cross ) and "KG" or "LG" (Knight or Lady Companion of the Garter). Knights and Ladies may encircle their arms with
12255-486: The omission as "the most uncharacteristic fault of Asquith's whole career" attributing it to Asquith suffering the "indescribable blow" of the surprise announcement of the engagement of the woman he loved, Venetia Stanley , to one of his government ministers, Edwin Montagu . Following his departure from the government Haldane went to the front to meet his old friend General Haig, and his cousin, General Aylmer Haldane , but he
12384-453: The order by James III , during the fifteenth century. He adopted the thistle as the royal badge, issued coins depicting thistles and allegedly conferred membership of the "Order of the Burr or Thissil" on Francis I of France , although there is no conclusive evidence for this. Some Scottish order of chivalry may have existed during the sixteenth century, possibly founded by James V and called
12513-468: The order is St Andrew . Most British orders of chivalry cover the whole United Kingdom , but the three most exalted ones each pertain to one constituent country only. The Order of the Thistle, which pertains to Scotland, is the second most senior in precedence. Its equivalent in England, the Most Noble Order of the Garter , is the oldest documented order of chivalry in the United Kingdom, dating to
12642-405: The order, was also admitted by special statute in 1962. The sovereign has historically had the power to choose knights of the order. From the eighteenth century onwards, the sovereign made his or her choices upon the advice of the government. George VI felt that the orders of the Garter and the Thistle had been used only for political patronage, rather than to reward actual merit. Therefore, with
12771-406: The pinnacle of a knight's stall is his helm, decorated with mantling and topped by his crest. If he is a peer , the coronet appropriate to his rank is placed beneath the helm. Under the laws of heraldry, women, other than monarchs, do not normally bear helms or crests; instead, the coronet alone is used (if she is a peeress or princess). Lady Marion Fraser had a helm and crest included when she
12900-539: The recipient of a diplomatic gift from China of black tea scented with bergamot oil, which became known as Earl Grey tea ." In 1878, Albert Grey entered into politics as a member of the Liberal Party and, after relinquishing a tied vote to his opponent, eventually won a place in the British House of Commons in 1880. In 1894 Grey inherited an earldom from his uncle, the third Earl , and thereafter took his place in
13029-447: The stall and display its occupant's name, arms, and date of admission into the order. Upon the death of a Knight, his helm, mantling , crest (or coronet or crown) and sword are taken down. The stall plates, however, are not removed; rather, they remain permanently affixed to the back of the stall, so that the stalls of the chapel are festooned with a colourful record of the order's knights and ladies since 1911. The entryway just outside
13158-526: Was "a man of first-class intellect and wide education". Walter Reid believed Haldane to be the greatest of the Secretaries for War. Knight Companion of the Order of the Thistle The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland . The current version of the order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland , who asserted that he
13287-543: Was Gray scholar and Ferguson scholar. After studying law in London, he was called to the bar by Lincoln's Inn , in 1879, and became a successful lawyer. He was taken on at 5 New Square Chambers by Horace Davey in 1882 as the junior. Haldane's practice was a specialism in conveyancing ; a particular skill for pleadings at appeal and tribunal cases, bringing cases to the Privy Council and House of Lords. By 1890 he had become
13416-576: Was President of the Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club and gave the Toast to Sir Walter at the Club's annual dinner, addressing "The dedicated life" to a group of students on 10 January 1907. He also served as second Chancellor of the University of Bristol where he made an important address titled "The Civic University" outlining his educational philosophy in 1911. At the end of his life Lord Haldane
13545-411: Was a younger brother of the 3rd Earl , who died without issue. As General Grey was deceased, the titles descended to his eldest living son Albert, then in his forties. Albert was educated at Harrow School before going up to Trinity College, Cambridge , where he graduated MA and LLM. "His grandfather was the 2nd Earl Grey , who was prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834 and, reputedly,
13674-563: Was active in the Proportional Representation Society of Britain. (At the time of his passing, he was its president). He organized a model STV election in Northumberland in 1885, remarkably using untrained coal miners as staff to conduct it successfully. Inspired by the theories of Giuseppe Mazzini , Grey became an advocate of imperialism and was one of the founders of the Imperial Federation League , which sought to transform
13803-503: Was also an advocate for electoral reform, endorsing proportional representation . His past calls for political equality for Irish Catholics were relevant to Canada's internal politics, divided as the population was between Catholics and Protestants, Francophones and Anglophones. As governor General, Grey also encouraged his prime minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier , to support the Imperial Federation he had long championed, but Laurier
13932-517: Was also appointed as Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland and published a brief biography of a young relative, Hubert Hervey, who was killed in the Second Matabele War . On 4 October 1904 announcement made that King Edward VII had, by commission under the royal sign-manual and signet , approved the recommendation of his British prime minister, Arthur Balfour , to appoint Grey as his representative to Canada, replacing Grey's brother-in-law,
14061-525: Was also instrumental in the creation the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in 1909, which provided the fledgling aircraft industry in the United Kingdom with a sound body of science on which to base the development of aircraft for the next seventy years (it was disbanded in 1979). Throughout his long career and association with the modernisers or 'Limps' Haldane used his considerable intellect to great advantage against economy. A radical liberal, Haldane
14190-474: Was also, according to historian Martin Pugh , one of the "best supporters" of David Lloyd George 's " People's Budget ." During the constitutional and budget crisis of 1909–11, Haldane advised his friend and Prime Minister, Asquith on the legal niceties of his stance towards the monarch, who was outraged at the firebrand speeches from Churchill and Lloyd George. Stumbling from illness to illness, Haldane's own bad health
14319-426: Was appointed Secretary of State for War , but he may have been offered the jobs of Attorney-General and Home Secretary. (Grey became Foreign Secretary). Unity in the Liberals helped them obtain the largest electoral majority in the party's history in the 1906 general election . As early as January 1906 Haldane was persuaded by fellow Liberal Imperialist Edward Grey to begin planning for a Continental war in support of
14448-550: Was appointed as Governor General of Canada by King Edward VII in 1904, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Arthur Balfour , to replace the Earl of Minto as viceroy and occupied that post until succeeded by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn , in 1911. Grey travelled extensively in Canada and was active in Canadian political affairs, including national unity, leaving behind him
14577-457: Was elected Chancellor of the University of St Andrews in June 1928. Perhaps his greatest speech on education was made in House of Lords on 12 July 1916, at the height of the terrible slaughter on the Western Front. Haldane co-translated the first English edition of Schopenhauer 's The World as Will and Representation , published between 1883 and 1886. He wrote several philosophical works,
14706-626: Was elected as a member of parliament (MP) for South Northumberland, a seat he held until it was replaced under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 and he moved to be the MP for Tyneside , following that year's election . In 1884 he wrote to the Manchester-based Women's Suffrage Journal declaring his support for women's suffrage, writing that "[t]here are no questions which receive so little attention, or which, in my opinion, so urgently call for
14835-705: Was enough". In 1907 and 1908, Haldane passed far-reaching reforms to Army management. He was accredited as an efficient bureaucratic leader, notably founding the Territorial Army in a Second Memorandum. His reforms re-oriented British military policy, revamped army organization along the lines of the German General Staff, upgraded the training of the auxiliary forces, and created an efficient and economically run service. Those reforms enabled Britain to send some 120,000 men to France in fifteen days in August 1914. Haldane
14964-424: Was exhausted on being ejected from Cabinet. Having been awarded the Order of Merit in 1915, in the personal gift of George V, he wrote a Memorandum of Events, 1906–15 , to defend his reputation. It was published in April 1916. Haldane thought Lloyd George's new government, formed in December 1916, "very low class". Haldane told Lord Buckmaster at this time, "Asquith is a first-class head of a deliberative council. He
15093-409: Was granted arms; these were displayed above her stall in the same manner as for knights. Unlike other British orders, the armorial banners of Knights and Ladies of the Thistle are not hung in the chapel, but instead in an adjacent part of St Giles High Kirk. The Thistle Chapel does, however, bear the arms of members living and deceased on stall plates. These enamelled plates are affixed to the back of
15222-411: Was in the world. Haldane added the preface to Leonard Hobhouse 's The Labour Movement in 1893. Emma Ferguson died insane in 1897. Webb remarked, "He had pathos in his personality, a successful lawyer tinged with socialism." Focusing on his writings, Haldane was passed over for political office, being the only one of his group left out in the wilderness. Haldane remained an ally of Asquith and Grey in
15351-564: Was lulled into a false sense of security believing 'like a bear with a sore head' that he had won a great deal. Another such conference took place at Balmoral in September 1909. But the Kaiser, refusing to converse with a mere secretary, arrogantly insisted that only the King was of equal rank. Despite the budgetary constraints, Haldane implemented a wide-ranging set of reforms of the Army, aimed at preparing
15480-501: Was one of the first British politicians to argue that the solution lay in compromise rather than force. As Lord Chancellor, Haldane was a member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council , at that time the court of last resort for the Empire. He retained the position even when he was no longer Chancellor. He sat on several cases from Canada dealing with the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments under
15609-531: Was president of the Aristotelian Society . Haldane remained a lifelong bachelor after his fiancée, Miss Valentine Ferguson, broke off their engagement. He died suddenly of heart disease at his home in Auchterarder , Scotland, on 19 August 1928, aged 72. The viscountcy became extinct on his death. In December 1918, Lloyd George appointed Haldane chairman of 'The Machinery of Government' committee. However,
15738-525: Was restricted to Liberals under the age of forty. In 1881 Haldane met H. H. Asquith , and they soon became firm friends often meeting at the Blue Post Public house on Cork Street. They were founders of the Albert Grey committee, named after Albert Grey , regularly discussing burning social issues, such as education. In November 1885, Haldane was elected Liberal Member of Parliament for Haddingtonshire ,
15867-469: Was reviving an earlier order. The order consists of the sovereign and sixteen knights and ladies, as well as certain " extra " knights (members of the British royal family and foreign monarchs). The sovereign alone grants membership of the order; they are not advised by the government , as occurs with most other orders. The order's primary emblem is the thistle , the national flower of Scotland. The motto
15996-552: Was similar to King Edward's declining fortunes. Two elections ensued, one in January and another in December 1910, before in 1911 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Haldane , of Cloan in the County of Perth . He became Leader in the Lords, responsible for the passage of the Parliament Act. On Lord Loreburn's retirement in June 1912, Haldane succeeded him as Lord Chancellor , making a self-deprecating speech as to his abilities as
16125-569: Was sounded out for the Speakership by Rosebery, but refused it, declaring it to be a political death. At a meeting with Beatrice Webb Haldane told her he was disconsolate at the condition of the Liberal Party: "Rot has set in there is no hope now but to be beaten and then reconstruct a new party". The leaders of the party were exasperated and believed Rosebery to lack planning and direction. "Although Asquith, Grey and I", wrote Haldane, "stuck by him... we never knew when he would retire and leave us in
16254-651: Was the grandson of the Scottish evangelist James Alexander Haldane , the brother of respiratory physiologist John Scott Haldane , Sir William Haldane and author Elizabeth Haldane , and the uncle of J. B. S. Haldane , Robert Haldane Makgill and Naomi Mitchison . He received his first education at the Edinburgh Academy , and then at the University of Göttingen . He gained a first and MA at University of Edinburgh where he received first-class honours in Philosophy and
16383-478: Was to reward Scottish Catholics for their loyalty, but the initiative actually came from John, 1st Earl and 1st Jacobite Duke of Melfort , then Secretary of State for Scotland. Only eight members out of a possible twelve were appointed; these included Catholics, such as Melfort and the Lord Chancellor of Scotland , his elder brother James, 4th Earl and 1st Jacobite Duke of Perth , plus Protestant supporters like
16512-406: Was uninterested. Grey suggested the construction of a railway hotel in the federal capital - the outcome was the palatial Château Laurier , completed in 1912. Grey's years of urging Laurier to get the Cabinet and Parliament to agree to the idea of a Canadian navy were more fruitful. At the Governor General's urging, the Canadian and British governments agreed to have Canada assume control of
16641-525: Was with Grey's granting of Royal Assent to the appropriate Acts of Parliament that Alberta and Saskatchewan were separated from the North-West Territories to become provinces, The Governor General, writing to the King at the time, stated "[each one] a new leaf in Your Majesty's Maple Crown." As Governor General, he travelled extensively around the ever-growing country. He journeyed abroad to
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