Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T22:29:56.615Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Lord Willoughby de Broke and the Politics of Radical Toryism, 1909-1914

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2014

Gregory D. Phillips
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In the midst of the political controversies of the early twentieth century, Lord Willoughby de Broke, a landed aristocrat with little parliamentary experience, emerged as a major political figure. An ally of the Chamberlains, Lord Milner, Sir Edward Carson, and Leo Maxse, editor of the National Review, he became a significant spokesman for extreme conservatism. During the Parliament Bill struggle, the battle over the Conservative leadership in the fall of 1911, and the Home Rule crisis, Willoughby de Broke organized the efforts of peers and other Conservatives radically dissatisfied with the direction of British politics. Since 1914 Willoughby de Broke has become a symbol of reaction and traditionalist resistance to change: the fox-hunting nobleman “whose face,” in Dangerfield's wellknown description, “bore a pleasing resemblance to the horse,” and who “was not more than two hundred years behind his time.” Such an analysis, however, is more amusing than accurate. In fact, while Willoughby de Broke's objectives were basically those of a traditional landed aristrocrat, his methods and emphases strongly prefigured those of later rightist politicians, both British and continental: tactics of political democracy could be mastered in order to preserve the status quo.

Although Willoughby de Broke often fondly recalled the patriarchical society he had known in his childhood on a great estate, he did not merely attempt to recreate the past. He and his political associates, for all their commitment to conservatism, understood that important adaptations would have to be made to new conditions.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of British Studies , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , Fall 1980 , pp. 205 - 224
Copyright
Copyright © North American Conference of British Studies 1980

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

I am grateful to Lafayette College for awarding me a summer research grant for 1978 to support work on this article.

1 Dangerfield, George, The Strange Death of Liberal England (London, 1935), pp. 43–44Google Scholar.

2 House of Lords Record Office, Willoughby de Broke to A. Bontwood, 1914, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 11/2.

3 de Broke, Willoughby, “The Unionist Position,” National Review, LXII (1913), 213–24Google Scholar. de Broke, Willoughby, “The Tory Tradition,” National Review, LVIII (1911), 208Google Scholar.

4 Bodleian Library, Lord Robert Cecil to Lady Selborne, April 29, 1910, Selborne Papers, 75/25.

5 Bodleian Library, the Marquess of Salisbury to the Earl of Selborne, August 10, 1904, Selborne Papers, 5/89.

6 See, for example, West Sussex Record Office, Lady Bathurst to L.J. Maxse, February 8, 1906, L.J. Maxse Papers, 455, S252; Lord Ebury to L.J. Maxse, July 20, 1906, L. J. Maxse Papers, 456, S328; University of Birmingham Library, L.J. Maxse to Joseph Chamberlain, November 23, 1907, Joseph Chamberlain Papers, JC22/96.

7 See, for example, Rugby Advertiser, January 16, 1909, and February 19, 1910; de Broke, Willoughby, “The Coming Campaign,” National Review, LVI (1910), 70Google Scholar.

8 West Sussex Record Office, Willoughby de Broke to L.J. Maxse, March 21, 1909, L.J. Maxse Papers, 459, R64.

9 West Sussex Record Office, Willoughby de Broke to L.J. Maxse, May 12, 1910, L.J. Maxse Papers, 461, R634.

10 de Broke, Willoughby, The Passing Years (London, 1924), p. 271Google Scholar.

11 West Sussex Record Office, Willoughby de Broke to L. J. Maxse, June 19, 1910, L.J. Maxse Papers, 461, R664.

12 West Sussex Record Office, Willoughby de Broke to L.J. Maxse, July 25, 1910, L.J. Maxse Papers, 462, R685.

13 West Sussex Record Office, Willoughby de Broke to L.J. Maxse, August 20, 1910, L.J. Maxse Papers, 462, R697.

14 Maxse, L.J., “Episodes of the Month: Tapers and Tadpoles,” National Review, LVI(1910), 23Google Scholar.

15 Bodleian Library, Selborne to A.J. Balfour, December 24, 1910, Selborne Papers, 1/140.

16 Bodleian Library, Selborne to Lady Selborne, August 21, 1910, Selborne Papers, 101/194.

17 Maxse, L. J., “Episodes of the Month: ‘Old Guards’ and ‘Old Gangs’; ‘The Crux,’” National Review, LVI (1910), 213–14Google Scholar.

18 “The Unionist Reveille,” National Review, LVI (1910), 367–69Google Scholar.

19 House of Lords Record Office, the Marquess of Lansdowne to Willoughby de Broke, October 11, 1910, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 1/8.

20 B.L., Willoughby de Broke to the Earl of Halsbury, July 10, 1911, Halsbury Papers, Add. MS 56374, f. 97.

21 de Broke, Willoughby, Years, p. 289Google Scholar.

22 House of Lords Record Office, George Wyndham to Willoughby de Broke, c. June 11, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 2/114.

23 Ibid.

24 See, for example, House of Lords Record Office, Ebury to Willoughby de Broke, June 14, 1911, WB 2/6; Raglan to Willoughby de Broke, June 1, 1911, WB 2/15; Ampthill to Willoughby de Broke, June 26, 1911, WB 2/17. Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142.

25 West Sussex Record Office, Willoughby de Broke to L.J. Maxse, June 19, 1911, L.J. Maxse Papers, 463, T84.

26 Ibid.

27 5 Hansard 9:931 (August 9, 1911).

28 5 Hansard 8:735-36 (May 23, 1911).

29 Blake, Robert, The Unknown Prime Minister: The Life and Times of Andrew Bonar Law (hereafter, Unknown) (London, 1955), p. 69Google Scholar. Amery, L.S., My Political Life, I, England Before the Storm 1896-1914 (hereafter, Life) (London, 1953), p. 378Google Scholar. Bodleian Library, Lord Milner to Selborne, July 19 and 20, 1911, Selborne Papers, 12/226-33.

30 See, for example, House of Lords Record Office, Rothes to Willoughby de Broke, n.d., WB 2/118; Scarbrough to Willoughby de Broke, July 27, 1911, WB 2/42. Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142.

31 West Sussex Record Office, Willoughby de Broke to L.J. Maxse, July 21, 1911, L.J. Maxse Papers, 463, T109.

32 On June 19, 1911, Willoughby de Broke had written Maxse that they should not commit themselves fully to the referendum because it would “not turn a single vote.” West Sussex Record Office, L.J. Maxse Papers, 463, T85.

33 5 Hansard 9:930-33 (August 9, 1911).

34 Bodleian Library, Selborne to Balfour, December 24, 1910, Selborne Papers, 1/143.

35 House of Lords Record Office, Lord Ampthill to Willoughby de Broke, July 22, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 2/31.

36 House of Lords Record Office, the Earl of Clarendon to Willoughby de Broke, July 31, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 2/63.

37 B.L., the Duke of Somerset to the Earl of Halsbury, May 8, 1911, Halsbury Papers, Add. MS 56374, ff. 83-84.

38 de Broke, Lord Willoughby, “The House of Lords and After,” National Review, LVII (1911), 395–96Google Scholar.

39 House of Lords Record Office, Lord Stanmore to Willoughby de Broke, July 25, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 2/38.

40 5 Hansard 7:28, 777 (February 6 and March 30, 1911); 5 Hansard 8:799, 883-84 (May 24 and 25, 1911); 5 Hansard 9:365, 815-32, 858-59, 868-69, 871, 876 (July 6 and August 8, 1911).

41 Maxse, L. J., “Episodes of the Month: The Noble 500,” National Review, LV (1910), 710Google Scholar.

42 B.L., L.J. Maxse to J.R. Sandars, July 22, 1911, Balfour Papers, Add. MS 49861, f. 275.

43 West Sussex Record Office, Willoughby de Broke to L.J. Maxse, July 21, 1911, L.J. Maxse Papers, 463, T109.

44 See, for example, House of Lords Record Office, Lord Ampthill to Willoughby de Broke, August 13, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 3/25; Blunt, Wilfrid Scawen, My Diaries: Being a Personal Narrative of Events 1888-1914 2 Vols. (New York, 1921), II, 361CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

45 LordNewton, , Lord Lansdowne: A Biography (London, 1929), p. 424Google Scholar; India Office Library, Lansdowne to Lord Curzon, September 25, 1911, Curzon Papers, Eur F112/18, f. 92.

46 Liberal Unionist Association, Memoranda, New Series, VII, March 1911Google Scholar.

47 Maxse, L.J., “Episodes of the Month: Leadership,” National Review, LVI (1911), 717Google Scholar; “Episodes of the Month: The Leader's Understudy,” National Review, LVI (1911), 905Google Scholar.

48 Maxse, L.J., “Episodes of the Month: Tired Men,” National Review, LVII (1911), 573Google Scholar; “Episodes of the Month: Balfourism,” National Review, LVII (1911), 733Google Scholar.

49 Maxse, L.J., “Episodes of the Month: Foozle Folly,” National Review, LVIII (1911), 11Google Scholar.

50 ‘B.M.G.’ [Maxse, L.J.], “The Champion Scuttler,” National Review, LVIII (1911), 215–16Google Scholar.

51 West Sussex Record Office, Willoughby de Broke to L.J. Maxse, January 29, 1911, L.J. Maxse Papers, 463, T9.

52 Bodleian Library, Willoughby de Broke to Selborne, August 17, 1911, Selborne Papers, 74/181-82.

53 House of Lords Record Office, the Duke of Bedford to Willoughby de Broke, August 12, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 3/17. Lord Ampthill told Willoughby de Broke, “We have saved the Unionist Party from utter demoralization …” August 13, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 3/25.

54 House of Lords Record Office, the Duke of Northumberland to Willoughby de Broke, August 11, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 3/14.

55 Bodleian Library, Willoughby de Broke to Selborne, August 12, 1911, Selborne Papers, 74/176-77.

56 Bodleian Library, Willoughby de Broke to Selborne, August 17, 1911, Selborne Papers, 74/181-82.

57 Lovat proposed that “all communications between the Opposition Peers Committee and the Front Benches should be via the Opposition Whips …; that Front Bench men should only attend Opposition Peers meetings by invitation and not by right.” House of Lords Record Office, Lovat to Willoughby de Broke, August 17, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 3/44.

58 Bodleian Library, Selborne to George Wyndham, August 22, 1911, Selborne Papers, 74/191. House of Lords Record Office, Selborne to Willoughby de Broke, August 18, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 3/46.

59 Bodleian Library, Willoughby de Broke to Selborne, August 23,1911, Selborne Papers, 74/195-96. House of Lords Record Office, Selborne to Willoughby de Broke, August 23, 25, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 3/61, 63.

60 University of Birmingham, Selbome to Austen Chamberlain, September 4, 1911, Austen Chamberlain Papers, AC 9/3/56.

61 University of Birmingham, Selborne to Austen Chamberlain, October 7, 1911, Austen Chamberlain Papers, AC 9/3/57.

62 House of Lords Record Office, Lovat to Willoughby de Broke, October 11, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 3/82.

63 B.L., Willoughby de Broke to Halsbury and others, October 7, 1911, Halsbury Papers, Add. MS 56374, f. 200.

64 Bodleian Library, Announcement, November 7, 1911, Selborne Papers, 75/4. B.L., Rules of the Halsbury Club, November 17, 1911, Halsbury Papers, Add. MS 56374, ff. 207-08.

65 B.L., Lord Salisbury to Halsbury, October 23, 1911, Halsbury Papers, Add. MS 56372, ff. 158-60.

66 Chamberlain, Austen, Politics from Inside: An Epistolary Chronicle, 1906-1914 (London, 1936), pp. 358–59Google Scholar. Amery, , Life, I, 411Google Scholar. B.L., Willoughby de Broke to Lord Robert Cecil, November 30, 1911, Cecil of Chelwood Papers, Add. MS 51160, ff. 31-32.

67 University of Birmingham, Selborne to Austen Chamberlain, October 7, 1911, Austen Chamberlain Papers, AC 9/3/57.

68 B.L., A. Steel-Maitland to A.J. Balfour, October 17, 1911, Balfour Papers, Add. MS 49861, ff. 351-55.

69 India Office Library, St. John Brodrick to Curzon, October 15, 1911, Curzon Papers, Eur F 112/18, ff. 119-20. Chamberlain, , Politics, p. 371Google Scholar.

70 India Office Library, St. Aldwyn to Curzon, October 19, 1911, Curzon Papers, Eur F 112/18, ff. 1-2.

71 House of Lords Record Office, Selborne to Willoughby de Broke, September 5, 12, 1911, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 3/67, 69.

72 West Sussex Record Office, Stanhope to L.J. Maxse, October 30, 1911, 464, P839; Leconfield to Maxse, October 22, 1911, 464, P821; Bathurst to Maxse, October 30, 1911, 464, P838; Somerset to Maxse, November 11, 1911, 464, P854. L.J. Maxse Papers.

73 West Sussex Record Office, R.E. Prothero to L.J. Maxse, October 28, 1911, L.J. Maxse Papers, 464, P835.

74 West Sussex Record Office, Scarbrough to L.J. Maxse, October 31, 1911, L.J. Maxse Papers, 464, P841.

75 University of Birmingham, Willoughby de Broke to Austen Chamberlain, November 12, 1911, Austen Chamberlain Papers, AC 9/4/9. See also the Earl of Malmesbury to Austen Chamberlain, October 11, 1911, Austen Chamberlain Papers, AC 9/3/4; West Sussex Record Office, Earl Stanhope to L.J. Maxse, November 15, 1911, L.J. Maxse Papers, 464, P859; Blake, , Unknown, p. 78Google Scholar.

76 5Hansard 16:654 (July 2, 1914); 5 Hansard 42:667 (November 29, 1920).

77 National Maritime Museum, T. Comyn Platt to Arnold White, December 4, 1913, Arnold White Papers, WHI/82. Stewart, Amery, Life, I, 414Google Scholar. A.T.Q., The Ulster Crisis (hereafter, Ulster) (London, 1967), pp. 73, 222Google Scholar.

78 Stewart, , Ulster, pp. 73, 89, 109Google Scholar.

79 5Hansard 14:921, 924-25 (July 14, 1913).

80 Amery, , Life, I, 440Google Scholar. Morning Post, November 18, 1913. Stewart, , Ulster, pp. 125, 132Google Scholar.

81 Bodleian Library, Lord Robert Cecil to L.S. Amery, January 18, 1913, Milner Add. MSS, 689-10-11-12.

82 Amery, , Life, I, 436–37, 440Google Scholar.

83 Bodleian Library, Willoughby de Broke to Milner, January 6, 1914, Milner Add. MSS, 689-2-4.

84 Amery, , Life, I, 440Google Scholar. Gollin, A.M., Proconsul in Politics: A Study of Lord Milner in Opposition and in Power (New York, 1964), pp. 185–86Google Scholar. Long, Walter, Memories (London, 1923), pp. 193–204Google Scholar.

85 Bodleian Library, Milner to Selborne, February 18, 1914, Milner Add. MSS, 689-16-18.

86 Buckland, P.J., Irish Unionism, I, The Anglo-Irish and the New Ireland, 1885-1922 (New York, 1972), p. 17Google Scholar. Blake, , Unknown, p. 150Google Scholar.

87 House of Lords Record Office, the Earl of Arran to Willoughby de Broke, October 4, 1913, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 6/5.

88 House of Lords Record Office, Lord Ashtown to Andrew Bonar Law, May 4, 1914, Andrew Bonar Law Papers, 32/3/8.

89 House of Lords Record Office, Lord Leconfield to Willoughby de Broke, January 12, 1914, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 7/6.

90 House of Lords Record Office, Ampthill to Willoughby de Broke, January 4, 1914, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB, 7/1.

91 Maxse, L.J., “Episodes of the Month: The Reveille Manifesto on Home Rule,” National Review, LVI (1910), 538–39Google Scholar.

92 5 Hansard 15:41 (February 10, 1914).

93 5 Hansard 15:43 (February 10, 1914).

94 House of Lords Record Office, Willoughby de Broke, Arran, Stanhope, and Ampthill to peers, February 4, 1914, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 8/5

95 See House of Lords Record Office, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 8/1-ff.

96 House of Lords Record Office, Stanhope to Willoughby de Broke, February 5, 1914, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 8/112.

97 House of Lords Record Office, Lansdowne to Willoughby de Broke, February 7, 1914, Willoughby de Broke Papers, Hist. Coll. 142, WB 8/24.

98 West Sussex Record Office, Willoughby de Broke to L.J. Maxse, June 16, 1912, L.J. Maxse Papers, 466, P100.

99 5 Hansard 15:39 (February 10, 1914); 1008-09 (April 22, 1914). Blake, , Unknown, pp. 174, 181–82Google Scholar. Gollin, , Proconsul, pp. 187, 207Google Scholar.

100 5 Hansard 16:768-72 (July 6, 1914).

101 B.L., Willoughby de Broke to Halsbury, July 5, 1914, Halsbury Papers, Add. MS 56375, ff. 53-54.

102 5 Hansard 16:577-78 (July 1, 1914). B.L., Willoughby de Broke to Halsbury, July 5, 1914, Halsbury Papers, Add. MS 56375, ff. 53-54.

103 5 Hansard 16:754 (July 6, 1914).

104 B.L., Lord Hugh Cecil to Lord Robert Cecil, January 10, 1915, Cecil of Chelwood Papers, Add. MS 51157, ff. 36-37.