Ailwyn Fellowes, 1st Baron Ailwyn

The Right Honourable
The Lord Ailwyn
KCVO, KBE, PC
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
In office
10 July 1895 – 3 December 1900
Monarch Victoria
Prime Minister The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by Hon. Charles Spencer
Succeeded by Sir Alexander Fuller-Acland-Hood, Bt
President of the Board of Agriculture
In office
14 March 1905 – 4 December 1905
Monarch Edward VII
Prime Minister Arthur Balfour
Preceded by The Earl of Onslow
Succeeded by The Earl Carrington
Personal details
Born 10 November 1855 (1855-11-10)
Haverland Hall, Norwich, Norfolk
Died 23 September 1924 (1924-09-24)
Honingham Hall, Honingham, Norfolk
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Hon. Agatha Jolliffe (d. 1938)
Alma mater Trinity Hall, Cambridge

Ailwyn Edward Fellowes, 1st Baron Ailwyn KCVO, KBE, PC (10 November 1855 – 23 September 1924), was a British businessman, farmer and Conservative politician. He was a member of Arthur Balfour's cabinet as President of the Board of Agriculture between March and December 1905.

Contents

Background and education

Fellowes was born at Haverland Hall, Norwich, Norfolk, the younger son of Edward Fellowes (later Baron de Ramsey) and the Hon. Mary Julia, daughter of George Milles, 4th Baron Sondes. William Fellowes, 2nd Baron de Ramsey, was his elder brother. He was educated at Eton[1] and Trinity Hall, Cambridge.[1][2] He trained as a barrister, but never qualified, turning instead to agriculture and politics. He inherited a large estate at Honingham in Norfolk from his aunt in 1887 and devoted muchy of his time to running and improving it.[3]

Political career

Fellowes unsuccessfully contested Mid Norfolk in 1885 and North Norfolk in 1886[1] but won Ramsey in 1887 in a by-election following his brother's succession to the peerage.[1] He held office under Lord Salisbury as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household between 1895 and 1900[1] and under Salisbury and Arthur Balfour as a Lord of the Treasury between 1900 and 1905. In March 1905 he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed President of the Board of Agriculture[4] by Balfour, with a seat in the cabinet, a post he held until the government fell in December 1905.[1]

Between 1917 and 1919 Fellowes was Chairman of the Agricultural Wages Board and Deputy Director of Food Production. Apart from his involvement in national politics he was chairman of Norfolk County Council from 1920, having been an alderman for many years. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in 1911,[1] after serving as Deputy President of the Royal Agricultural Show to the King,[3] and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1917.[1] In the 1921 Birthday Honours he was raised to the peerage as Baron Ailwyn, of Honingham in the County of Norfolk.[5]

Business career

Fellowes was also director of the London and North Eastern Railway, Norwich Union and the National Provident Association and Deputy Chairman of the Great Eastern Railway.[1]

Family

Lord Ailwyn married the Honourable Agatha Eleanor Augusta, daughter of Hedworth Jolliffe, 2nd Baron Hylton, at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, London, on 9 February 1886. They had four sons:

Lord Ailwyn died at Honingham Hall in September 1924, aged 68, and was buried in the grounds of the local church. Lady Ailwyn died in July 1938.[1]

References

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Hon. Edward Fellowes
Member of Parliament for Ramsey
1887–1906
Succeeded by
Alexander Boulton
Political offices
Preceded by
Hon. Charles Spencer
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
1895–1900
Succeeded by
Sir Alexander Fuller-Acland-Hood, Bt
Preceded by
Henry Torrens Anstruther
William Hayes Fisher
Lord Stanley
Lord of the Treasury
with Henry Torrens Anstruther 1900–1903
William Hayes Fisher 1900–1902
Henry Forster 1902–1905
Lord Balniel 1903–1905

1900–1905
Succeeded by
Henry Forster
Lord Balniel
Lord Edmund Talbot
Preceded by
The Earl of Onslow
President of the Board of Agriculture
1905
Succeeded by
The Earl Carrington
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
New Creation
Baron Ailwyn
1921–1924
Succeeded by
Ronald Fellowes