Sir Arthur Otway, 3rd Baronet
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Sir Arthur John Otway, 3rd Baronet PC, (8 August 1822–8 June 1912) was a British barrister and politician as well as a champion of administrative reform regarding India.
[edit] Biography
Arthur Otway was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in August of 1822, the fourth son of Admiral Sir Robert Otway. He was brought up along with the rest of his family in Kemp Town, an estate of Brighton, England. At the age of six, he began his education at Marlborough Place. Following that, he travelled to France and Germany, and eventually began education at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Naturally, his first career was in the military. In 1839, he signed on as an ensign of the 51st Yorkshire Light Infantry, which was then stationed in Australia. After two years' service, he was promored to the 2nd Queen's Regiment, stationed in India. He served with that regiment for approximately five more years, until 1846, at which time he retired from the Army. After his time in the military, he began to study law at the Middle Temple, one of London's four Inns of Court; in 1850 he was called to the Bar.
Before Otway had held his first brief, however, he began to perceive a need for reform in government, especially regarding the handling of the administration of India. He joined other notables of the time such as John Bright in forming the India Reform Society. Subsequently, he entered public office as a Liberal MP for Stafford. He represented that borough from 1852 to 1857. Later, he sat for Chatham from 1865 to 1874 and Rochester from 1878 to 1885.
At the end of 1868, three years into his term as MP of Chatham, Otway was appointed to William Ewart Gladstone's first Government in the post of Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs. He served for three years in that post. His chief was Lord Clarendon, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Lord Clarendon died on 19 July 1870, the eve of the Franco-Prussian War and was succeeded by Lord Granville. The months that followed were filled with anxiety for all representatives of the Foreign Office, until the war's end in 1871. Otway retired from said post in that year over matters of opinion connected to Russia's treatment of the Black Sea Treaty in the Crimean War.
In 1878, Otway was elected as the MP for Rochester. In 1881, he succeeded his brother as third baronet. Five years later, in 1883, he was appointed Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Ways and Means. He held his post as Chairman until 1885, the year he retired from Parliamentary life entirely. In that same year, he became a Privy Councillor.
On 13 September 1851, he married Henrietta Langham, daughter of Sir James Langham. They had three children, Henrietta Evelyn Marianne Otway, Phoebe Eleanora Otway and Waller Angelo Otway. His only son, Waller, died unmarried in 1884, and the baronetcy became extinct. His wife died in 1909, and he died in 1912 at 34 Eaton Square, London.
[edit] References
This article includes text from the December 1891 issue of "Brighton and County Magazine", which is presumed to be in the public domain.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by David Urquhart Thomas Sidney |
Member of Parliament for Stafford with John Ayshford Wise 1852–1857 |
Succeeded by John Ayshford Wise Viscount Ingestre |
| Preceded by Sir John Smith |
Member of Parliament for Chatham 1859–1874 |
Succeeded by George Elliot |
| Preceded by Philip Wykeham Martin Julian Goldsmid |
Member of Parliament for Rochester with Julian Goldsmid 1878–1880 Roger Leigh 1880–1885 1878–1885 |
Succeeded by Francis Hughes-Hallett (representation reduced to one member 1885) |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Edward Egerton |
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 1868–1871 |
Succeeded by Viscount Enfield |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by George Graham Otway |
Baronet (of Brighton) 1881–1912 |
Succeeded by Extinct |
