1884 MARQUESS of Lorne- Kensington Palace, A fine 2 letter to Sir Henry Ponsonby, Queen Victoria's Private Secretary regarding an interesting letter he had recieved from Mary Mackellar, The Scottish Poet, who he say's is translating the Queens Book into Gaelic, and that she is so poor and does not know whether it was against the rules to pay anything to Poets.
John George Edward Henry Douglas Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll, KG, KT, GCMG, GCVO, VD, PC (6 August 1845 – 2 May 1914), usually better known by the courtesy title Marquess of Lorne, by which he was known between 1847 and 1900, was a British nobleman who was Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883. he was the husband of Princess Louise, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. He was the first president of "The Rangers Football Club", thanks to his Argyll ties to the original founders of the football club. Background and career Campbell was born in London, the eldest son of George, Marquess of Lorne and the former Lady Elizabeth Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, daughter of the 2nd Duke of Sutherland, and was styled Earl of Campbell from birth. In 1847, when he was 21 months old, his father succeeded as 8th Duke of Argyll and he assumed the courtesy title Marquess of Lorne, which he bore until he was 54. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy, Eton College, St Andrews and at Trinity College, Cambridge,[1] as well as at the National Art Training School. For ten years before coming to Canada, Lorne travelled throughout North and Central America, writing travel literature and poetry.[2] In the UK, he represented, from 1868, the constituency of Argyllshire as a Liberal Member of Parliament in the House of Commons. He made little impression there, however; the London World referred to Lorne as "a non-entity in the House of Commons, and a non-entity without."[2] A.C. Benson, who edited Queen Victoria's letters and spent time in the company of the royals, gave him the same epithet. He was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the part-time 1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers on 13 July 1866. He gave up the position in the 1880s, but was appointed the unit's Honorary Colonel on 18 July 1900. Lord Lorne married Queen Victoria's fourth daughter, Princess Louise, on 21 March 1871. This was the first time a legitimate daughter of the sovereign had married a subject of the Crown since 1515, when Charles Brandon, the first Duke of Suffolk, married Mary Tudor.[6] The pair shared a common love of the arts, but the marriage was childless and unhappy, and they spent much time apart. Lorne formed close friendships with men, including Lord Ronald Gower, Morton Fullerton and the Count de Mauny, who were known to be homosexual or bisexual, which fuelled rumours in London society that he shared their predisposition. No conclusive evidence has been found to settle this issue either way. Governor General of Canada When Lord Lorne's appointment was announced, there was great excitement throughout Canada. For the first time, Rideau Hall would have a royal resident. The Canadian Prime Minister relaxed his busy campaign schedule to prepare for her arrival and to organise a special carriage and corps of guards to protect the Princess. An author wrote in 1880 that "the appointment was hailed with satisfaction in all parts of the Dominion, and the new Governor General entered upon his term of office with the hearts of the people strongly prepossessed [sic] in his favour." However, Campbell and his wife were initially not received well by the Canadian press, which complained about the imposition of royalty on the country's hitherto un-regal society, a position that was only exasperated by mishaps and misunderstandings. The worries of a rigid court at the Queen's Canadian residence turned out to be unfounded;[10] the couple were more relaxed than their predecessors, as demonstrated at the many ice skating and tobogganing parties, balls, dinners, and other state occasions hosted by the Marquess and Marchioness. At age 33, Lord Lorne was Canada's youngest governor general and he became the first representative of Queen Victoria to have been born during the latter's reign but he was not too young to handle the marginal demands of his post. He and Princess Louise made many lasting contributions to Canadian society, especially in the arts and sciences. They encouraged the establishment of the Royal Society of Canada, the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and the National Gallery of Canada, even selecting some of its first paintings. Campbell was involved in the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway and other projects, such as a hospital for British Columbia. Mi'kmaq Grand Chief Jacques-Pierre Peminuit Paul (3rd from left with beard) meets Governor General of Canada, Lord Lorne, Red Chamber, Province House, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1879 Throughout his term of office, Lorne was intensely interested in Canada and Canadians. He travelled throughout the country encouraging the establishment of numerous institutions, and met with members of Canada's First Nations and with other Canadians from all walks of life. At Rideau Hall, he and Princess Louise hosted many social functions, including numerous ice skating and tobogganing parties as well as balls, dinners and state occasions. His small collection of First Nations artefacts was purchased by the British Museum in 1887. After Canada Princess Louise returned to England in 1881 and Lord Lorne followed two years later in 1883, when his book, Memories of Canada and Scotland, was published. In 1907, strenuous efforts were taken by officials to ensure that Lorne's name was not dragged into the investigation of the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels. This was due to the fact that his closest friend was Lord Ronald Gower, who while innocent, was associated with several of the homosexual circle who were involved in it. Lorne was Governor and Constable of Windsor Castle from 1892 to 1914 and he sat as MP for Manchester South from 1895 until the death of his father on 24 April 1900, when he succeeded as 9th and 2nd Duke of Argyll. He and Princess Louise lived at Kensington Palace until his death from pneumonia in 1914. He is buried at Kilmun Parish Church Mary Mackellar (Scottish Gaelic: Màiri NicEalair) (née Cameron; 1 October 1834 – 7 September 1890) was a prominent Highland Scottish poet, Scottish Gaelic-English translator and campaigner for the Gaelic language and culture of the 19th century Biography Mary Mackellar, daughter of Allan Cameron, baker at Fort William, was born on 1 October 1834. Her early days were spent with grandparents at Corrybeg on the north shore of Loch Eil; her father died at a young age, and Mary briefly took over his business.[1] She married early John Mackellar, captain and joint-owner of a coasting vessel, the "Glencoe", with whom she sailed for several years, visiting many places in Europe, and being often shipwrecked. She settled in Edinburgh in 1876, shortly afterwards obtained a judicial separation from her husband, and dying on 7 September 1890, was buried at Kilmallie, Argyllshire.[2] While living in Edinburgh she became friendly with Professor John Stuart Blackie and enthusiastically supported his successful campaign for the establishment of a Chair of Celtic Studies at Edinburgh University.[3] She dedicated her book of poems and songs to her caraide dìleas agus fear-tagraidh mo dhùtcha, mo shluaigh agus mo chànain, Professor Blackie ("faithful friend and advocate of my country, my people and my language, Professor Blackie"). She translated a few of Blackie's poems into Gaelic. For the last ten years of her life she tried to make a livelihood by her pen, and she was granted £60 from the Royal Bounty Fund in 1885. Her Poems and Songs, Gaelic and English, collected chiefly from newspapers and periodicals, were published at Edinburgh in 1880. According to the Dictionary of National Biography, the Gaelic poems show force and some fancy, but the English pieces, through which there is an undertone of sadness, are of no merit. She also wrote The Tourist's Handbook of Gaelic and English Phrases for the Highlands (Edinburgh, 1880), and her translation of Queen Victoria's second series of Leaves from our Journal in the Highlands has been described as "a masterpiece of forcible and idiomatic Gaelic". A Guide to Lochaber by her gives many traditions and historical incidents nowhere else recorded.[2] She also wrote fiction, serialised in the Oban Times. She held the office of 'bard' to the Gaelic Society of Inverness, in whose Transactions much of her prose, including her last work, appears;[2] and was 'bard' of the Clan Cameron Society. The Highland Monthly, in its obituary, noted that Lochaber and Clan Cameron "formed the centre and soul of her work". A monument was erected to her memory in Kilmallie by public subscription. Literary analysis Norquay states that Mackellar was a well-traveled and prolific poet, prominent in her day, but whose over-sentimental and over-literate work did not have lasting impact.[5] Macbain praises the force, accuracy and clearness of her use of Gaelic, and commends her fine intellect and breadth of knowledge, and sympathy for Highland history, lore and customs. Fresh to the Market Place, from Major-General Sir John Ponsonby's Collection For more from this collection see our shop category for SIR HENRY & JOHN PONSONBY COLLECTION John Ponsonby (British Army officer)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Major-General Sir John Ponsonby KCB CMG DSO (25 March 1866 – 26 March 1952) was a British Army officer who commanded 5th Division during World War I Born the son of Sir Henry Ponsonby (Queen Victoria's Private Secretary), his Mother Hon. Mary Elizabeth Ponsonby, Maid of Honour to Queen Victoria and a daughter of John Crocker Bulteel. His brothers were Frederick Ponsonby, ( Assistant Private Secretary to Edward VII & GV), and Arthur Augustus William Harry Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, (British politician, writer, and social activist). Sir John was educated at Eton College, He was gazetted to the Royal Irish Rifles 16 November 1887, and to the Coldstream Guards 15 August 1888, becoming Lieutenant 29 June 1891. He was ADC to the Governor and Commander-in-Chief, South Africa, 10 August 1891 to 30 January 1895; served in operations in Matabeleland (Medal); was promoted to Captain 7 September 1898, and in that year served in Uganda (Medal), and again in 1899, during the operations against Kabarega (clasp). Captain Ponsonby served in the South African War, 1899-1902, on special service with the Rhodesian Field Force, 19 February 1900 to 7 July 1901. He was Adjutant, 5th New Zealand Regiment, 8 June 1900 to 1 January 1901; afterwards in command 1 January to 18 January 1901. From February to May 1900, be was employed with Mounted Infantry, and he took part in operations in the Transvaal, west of Pretoria, from July to 29 November 1900; operations in the Transvaal, February to June 1901; operations in Cape Colony, February to 31 May 1902. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 10 September 1901]; received the Queen's Medal with four clasps, the King's Medal with two clasps, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 27 September 1901]: "John Ponsonby, Captain, Coldstream Guards. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa". The Insignia were presented by the King 27 October 1901. He was promoted to Major 23 January 1904, and commanded the Guards' Depot 1 March 1905 to 28 February 1907. He became Lieutenant Colonel 28 October 1913. Lieutenant Colonel Ponsonby served in the European War, 1914—18; Landed in France 13th August 1914 in charge of 1st Coldstream Guards,Wounded 15th September & returned to unit 21st November. commanded the 2nd Guards Brigade, BEF, 26 August 1915 to 19 November 1916: was given the Brevet of Colonel 1 January 1916; commanded the Special Reserve Infantry Brigade 28 November 1916 to 7 March 1917; commanded the 21st Infantry Brigade, BEF, 8 March to 20 March 1917; became Colonel 20 March 1917; commanded the 2nd Guards Brigade, British Armies in France, 21 March to 21 August 1917; commanded the 40th Division, British Armies in France, 22 August 1917 to 3 July 1918; subsequently commanded the 5th Division, British Armies in France, 4 July 1918 to 1 April 1919; was promoted to Major General 1 January 1919. He was mentioned in Despatches; created a CMG in 1915, a CB in 1918, and was given the Brevet of Colonel. He went on to become General Officer Commanding 5th Division remaining in that role until the end of the War. After the War he became General Officer Commanding the Madras District of India. He retired in 1928.He lived at Haile Hall near Beckermet in Cumbria
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