Edward Tennant, 1st Baron Glenconner

Edward Tennant, circa 1900

Edward Priaulx Tennant, 1st Baron Glenconner (31 May 1859 – 21 November 1920), known as Sir Edward Tennant, 2nd Baronet, from 1906 to 1911, was a Scottish Liberal politician.

The eldest surviving son of Sir Charles Tennant, 1st Baronet, he was educated at Eton College and at Trinity College, Cambridge.^[1] He married Pamela Wyndham, a writer, and had several children.

The Wyndham Sisters, by John Singer Sargent, 1899 (Metropolitan Museum)

Tennant travelled extensively in Africa, India, and America, and was Assistant Private Secretary to Sir George Otto Trevelyan, Secretary for Scotland, from 1892-1895. He was unsuccessful parliamentary candidate for Partick in 1892 and for Peebles and Selkirk in 1900. He was elected as Liberal Member of Parliament for Salisbury at the 1906 general election, holding the seat until the 1910 general election.

He succeeded his father to the baronetcy in 1906, and in 1911 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Glenconner, of The Glen in the County of Peebles. Lord Glenconner was also Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1911, 1912, 1913 and 1914, and served as Lord Lieutenant of Peeblesshire from 1908 to 1920.

Timeline

"Glen". Caricature by "WHO" published in Vanity Fair in 1910.

1859 - Birth on 31 May.^[2]

(1880s) - Educated Eton and Trinity college, Cambridge.^[3]

1883,4,6 - Travelled in South Africa and on the American continent, later visiting India and the Far East.^[4]

1885 - Graduated Master of Arts.^[5] (1886 in ^[6]).

1892 - Contested Partick Division of Lanarkshire as Liberal (unsuccessfully).^[7]

1892-1895 - Appointed Private Secretary at the Scottish Office to Sir George Trevelyan who was then Secretary for Scotland.^[8]

1895 - Married Miss Pamela Wyndham, sister of late George Wyndham.^[9]

1900 - Contested Peebles and Selkirk (unsuccessfully), being defeated by sitting member Sir Walter Thorburn.^[10]

1900 - Purchased Estate of Wilsford near Salisburgh, where he built a stately mansion in the Tudor style.^[11]

1902 - Toured Far East with Lady Tennant; present at the Delhi Durbar that year.^[12]

1906 - Second Baronet of the Glen, Peeblesshire, succeeding his father.^[13]

1906-1910 - MP for Salisbury, defeated 1910.^[14]

1910 apx - On redoing his house at 34 Queen Anne's Gate, to the galleries of art he had inherited he made a separate entrance for the public on certain days of the week, which was widely appreciated and used.^[15]

1911 - Peerage, taking the name "Lord Glenconner".^[16]

1911-1914 - Then appointed Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, carried out with dignity, tact and courtesy, making him notable among the line of holders.^[17]

1914 - Presented to the Corporation of Glasgow 13 acres of land in the St Rollox district as a suitable recreation ground for that part of the city^[18]

1918 - Presented Dryburgh Abbey to the nation to save it from private ruin, which he had bought for it is said £35,000.^[19] This act was imitated by others, resulting in Scotland within two years possessing several ancient monuments in this way.^[20]

1920 - Death on 21 Nov at 21:15^[21] from heart failure^[22] 10 days after an operation from which he seemed to have rallied.^[23] He was cremated at Golder's Green and his ashes buried at Traquair, Peeblesshire.^[24]

1920 - He was succeeded in peerage by his second son, the Hon. Christopher Tennant.^[25]

Other Roles (Undated)

• Lord Lieutenant of the County of Peebles.^[26]
• Chairman of the Union Bank of Scotland.^[27]
• Director of several companies inc Mysore Gold Company.^[28]
• President of the Scottish Modern Arts Association for a time.^[29]
• President of the Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club.^[30]
• Head of the great chemical works of Glasgow (at St Rollox), Tharsis Sulphur and Copper Company,^[31] succeeding his father.^[32] The family fortunes were laid by his father when he turned to weaving and bleaching and became connected with the great chemical works at St Rollox, Glasgow^[33]
• President of the National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis.^[34]

Religion

• He was a frequent worshipper at St Columba's (Church of Scotland), London; he read the lesson on several occasions and interested himself in congregational affairs.^[35]
• Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, 1911-1914.^[36]

Personal Qualities

• "He sought neither publicity nor adulation. His spirit was abashed and fugitive rather than forward."^[37]
• He was "always eager to extend the hand of courtesy and of pity to those in bodily or mental distress, whether in public institution or private life."^[38]
• An extensive traveller, with great business aptitude.^[39]
• He brought to public affairs sound judgment and quick decision.^[40]
• He was never comfortable among party politics, never at home in either the House of Commons or Lords.^[41]
• He exhibited upright conduct, prudent counsel^[42]
• From his inherited riches, he was a liberal giver to public charities.^[43]
• He took active interest in the county affairs of Peeblesshire and Wiltshire.^[44]
• He was more of a businessman than a politician.^[45]

Other notable members of the family

• Harold Tennant, brother
• Margot (Tennant) Asquith, sister, wife of Prime Minister H. H. Asquith
• Edward Wyndham Tennant, son, war poet
• Stephen Tennant, son
• Clare Tennant, daughter
• David Pax Tennant, son, founder of the Gargoyle Club, husband of Hermione Baddeley
• Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner, grandson, developer of the island of Mustique
• Emma Tennant, granddaughter
• Pauline Tennant, granddaughter
• Elizabeth Bibesco, niece
• Anthony Asquith, nephew

Notes

References

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Edward Tennant