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Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava

Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Earl of Dufferin, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (June 21, 1826 - February 12, 1902) was the third Governor General of Canada and the eighth Viceroy of India.

Early life

Born in Florence, Italy, Lord Dufferin succeeded his father in 1841 as 5th Baron Dufferin in the peerage of Ireland after having studied at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. He was appointed a Lord-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria in 1849. In 1850 he was created Baron Clandeboye, of Clandeboye, County Down, in the peerage of the United Kingdom.

In 1856, Lord Dufferin commissioned a schooner, the 'Foam', and set off on a journey around the North Atlantic. He first visited Iceland, where he visited the then-miniscule Reykjavik, the plains of Thingvellir and Geysir. Returning to Reykjavik, the Foam was towed north by Prince Napoleon of France, who was on an expedition to the region in the steamer 'La Reine Hortense'. Dufferin sailed close to Jan Mayen, but was unable to land due to heavy ice, and only caught a very brief glimpse of the island through the fog.From Jan Mayen, the Foam sailed to northern Norway, stopping at Hammerfest, before sailing for Spitzbergen.

On his return, Lord Dufferin published a book about his travels, Letters From High Latitudes. With its irreverent style and lively pace, it was extremely successful. Dufferin did not pursue a career as an author, though, and instead became a diplomat.

In 1860 he was appointed Commissioner to Syria, and in 1864 became Under-Secretary for India. Returning to the United Kingdom in 1866, he joined the Government as Under-Secretary of War. He also held the position as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in 1868 in Prime Minister Gladstone's government, and in 1871 he was raised in peerage to the 1st Earl of Dufferin, County Down and Viscount Clandeboye, of Clandeboye, County Down.

Lord Dufferin married Hariot Georgina Rowan Hamilton on October 23, 1862. They had seven children; the two youngest, a son and a daughter, were born in Canada.

Governor General of Canada

Dufferin became Governor General of Canada in 1872, and his six year tenure was a period of rapid change in Canadian history. During his term, Prince Edward Island was admitted to Confederation, and several well-known Canadian institutions, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Royal Military College of Canada, and the Intercolonial Railway, were established.

Lord Dufferin concentrated on promoting Canadian unity and travelled to every province, seeking contact with as many Canadians as possible. He was at ease speaking with a wide variety of people, whether addressing the National Club in English in Toronto, la Societé Saint-Jean-Baptiste in French in Montreal, or speaking with residents of Icelandic settlements in Manitoba and labourers in British Columbia. As an orator and writer, Lord Dufferin also closely followed political debate in Parliament, although as Governor General he was not permitted inside the House of Commons. Instead, Lady Dufferin often attended the debates and reported back to him. He did, however, establish an office of the Governor General in the east wing of the Parliament buildings.

A firm believer in recognizing excellence among Canadians, in 1873 he established the Governor General's Academic Medals for superior academic achievement by Canadian students - awards that continue to be given out in high schools, colleges and universities to this day. Also that same year, the Governor General's Match for shooting was created, and the Governor General's Curling Trophy for the Royal Caledonian Curling Club was established the following year.

Lord Dufferin realized that Rideau Hall needed space where ceremonial events could be held, and so the government added the Ballroom in 1873. Three years later, he had the Tent Room built to balance the appearance of the building and to accommodate the increasing number of social functions held by the Governor General. Lord and Lady Dufferin organized numerous balls, concerts, dinners, theatrical performances and receptions of all kinds -- and Lady Dufferin loved to perform the lead role in the plays at Rideau Hall. Their enthusiasm increased Rideau Hall's role as a centre for social affairs.

Other changes were made to the grounds. Lord Dufferin contributed $1,624.95 of his own money to build a skating rink, curling rink and toboggan slide at Rideau Hall in 1872-73, money later reimbursed by the government. These were available to the public on the condition that people "were properly dressed". The gasometer, currently known as the Dome Building, was constructed in 1877-78 to manufacturer gas from crude petroleum to supply fuel to Rideau Hall, avoiding the uncertain supply at the time from the city of Ottawa.

The Dufferins were the first to use La Citadelle in Quebec City as a second vice-regal residence. Like many other Governors General, Lord Dufferin and his family thought the city was beautiful. When municipal officials proposed to take down the walls that surrounded the city, a remnant from its days as a garrison town, in order to have room for the city to grow, he convinced them to abandon the idea. Saving the walls helped preserve the city's historical character, which was recognized in the 1980s when Old Quebec was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. In recognition of his contributions in Quebec, Lord Dufferin's last public event was to lay the foundation stone for Dufferin Terrace, a walkway overlooking the St. Lawrence River in Quebec City, in October 1878, which was built from his design.

Lady Dufferin was very active during her husband's term as Governor General. She was the first spouse to accompany the Governor General on a tour, visiting southern Ontario in 1872. By the end of their term, she had visited every province with her husband. During a trip to Manitoba in September 1877, Lord and Lady Dufferin each drove a spike in the line of what would become the Canadian Pacific Railway. In May 1874, she presented the regimental colours to the Governor General's Foot Guards.

Throughout the Dufferin's term of office, Lady Dufferin wrote weekly letters to her mother back in Ireland. These were later published as a diary of their time in Canada, called "My Canadian Journal." In it she said that, of all her experiences, she had spent her happiest times in Canada.

After leaving Ottawa in 1878 at the end of his term, Lord Dufferin returned to Great Britain to continue his diplomatic career. He served as ambassador to Russia from 1879-81 and to Turkey from 1881-84

Viceroy of India

Lord Dufferin's public service career culminated in his posting as Viceroy of India from 1884 to 1888. Just as in Canada, he presided over some great changes in India. His predecessor as Viceroy, Lord Ripon, while popular with the Indians, was very unpopular with the Anglo-Indians, who objected to the rapid pace of his extensive reforms. To rule with any measure of success, Dufferin would need to gain the support of both communities.

By all accounts he was highly successful in this regard, and gained substantial support from all communities in India. He advanced the cause of the Indian Nationalists greatly during his term, without antagonising the conservative whites. Among other things, he presided over the formation of the Congress Party in 1885, and laid the foundations for the modern Indian Army by establishing the Imperial Service Corps, officered by Indians.

He was frequently occupied with external affairs during his tenure. He successfully dealt with the Panjdeh Incident of 1885 in Afghanistan, and annexed Upper Burma in 1886.

In 1888, he published the "Report on the Conditions of the Lower Classes of Population in Bengal" (commonly known as Dufferin Report). The report highlighted the plight of the poor in Bengal, and was used by nationalists to counter the Anglo-Indian claim that British rule had been beneficial to the poorest members of Indian society. Following publication of the report, Dufferin recommended the establishment of provincial and central councils with Indian membership, a key demand of Congress at that time. The Indian Councils Act of 1892,which inaugurated the electoral politics in the country, was the outcome of his recommendations.

Later life

Following his return from India, Dufferin resumed his ambassadorial career, serving as ambassador to Italy from 1888-91. On November 17, 1888, he was advanced to the Marquessate of Dufferin and Ava and the Earldom of Ava, in County Down and in Burma. As ambdassador to France from 1891-96, he presided over some difficult times in Anglo-French relations, and was accused by the French press of trying to undermine Franco-Russian relations.

After returning from France, Dufferin became President of the Royal Geographical Society, and Rector of Edinburgh and St. Andrew's universities. In 1897, he was persuaded to become chairman of a mining conglomerate owned by Whitaker Wright, but in November 1900, shares in the company crashed and let to its insolvency. It subsequently transpired that Wright had been cooking the books. Dufferin himself lost substantial money on his holdings in the company.

Soon after this misfortune, Dufferin's eldest son was killed in the Boer War. He returned to his stately home at Clandeboye in poor health, and died on February 12, 1902. Lady Dufferin died on October 25, 1936.

Succession

Preceded by: Thomas Edward Taylor	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1868–1872	Followed by: Hugh Childers
Preceded by: The Lord Lisgar	Governor General of Canada 1872–1878	Followed by: Marquess of Lorne
Preceded by: The Marquess of Ripon	Governor-General of India 1884–1888	Followed by: The Marquess of Lansdowne

Preceded by: New creation

Marquess of Dufferin and Ava

Followed by: Price Blackwood

Baron Dufferin and Claneboye

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