John Manners, 7th Duke of Rutland

John James Robert Manners, 7th Duke of Rutland, KG, GCB, PC (13 December 1818 – 4 August 1906), known as Lord John Manners before 1888, was an English statesman.

Youth and poetry

Rutland was born at Belvoir Castle, the younger son of John Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland by Lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter of Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle. Charles Manners, 6th Duke of Rutland was his elder brother and Lord George Manners his younger brother. He was educated at Eton College, then entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1836. At Cambridge, he was a member of the University Pitt Club. He graduated MA in 1839, and was later awarded the honorary degrees of LLD by the same university in 1862, and DCL by Oxford in 1876.

He wrote two books of poetry: England's Trust and Other Poems, published in 1841, and English Ballads and Other Poems, published in 1850. The 1841 book contains his famous quote: "Let wealth and commerce, laws and learning die, But leave us still our old Nobility!" The 1850 book contains his poem "A Legend of Haddon Hall."

Political career

In 1841 Rutland was returned for Newark in the Tory interest, along with William Ewart Gladstone, and sat for that borough until 1847. Subsequently he sat for Colchester, 1850–57; for North Leicestershire, 1857–85; and for Melton from 1885 until, in 1888, he took his seat in the House of Lords upon succeeding to the dukedom.

In the early 1840s Manners was a leading figure in the Young England movement, led by Benjamin Disraeli. He accompanied the latter on a tour of English industrial areas in 1844, advocated public holidays (outlined in 1843 in his pamphlet, "In Defence of Holy Days"), factory reforms and an allotments system.

During the three short administrations of Lord Derby (1852, 1858–59, and 1866–68) he sat in the cabinet as First Commissioner of Works. In 1852 he was admitted to the Privy Council. On the return of the Conservatives to power in 1874 he became Postmaster-General under Disraeli, and was made GCB on his retirement in 1880. He was again Postmaster-General in Lord Salisbury's administration, 1885–86, and was head of the department when sixpenny telegrams were introduced. Finally, in the Conservative government of 1886–92 he was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He was made a Knight of the Garter in 1891 and in 1896 he was further honoured when he was made Baron Roos of Belvoir, in the County of Leicester.

He was patron of Saint Martin's League for letter carriers.

Sporting interests

He had a sympathetic interest in the Olympian Games movement of William Penny Brookes, first shown when he joined a party with his first cousin Lord Forester that viewed the first Wenlock Olympian Games at Much Wenlock in 1850. He there and then donated a cash prize of £1 (worth £58 in 2005) to the committee, who awarded it to the winner of a running race. He was a member of the council of the fourth National Olympian Games that were held, again at Much Wenlock, in 1874. In 1883 he was president of Wenlock Olympian Games themselves that year.

Family

Rutland married firstly Catherine Louisa Georgina, daughter of George Marley, in 1851. They had one child:

• Henry John Brinsley Manners, 8th Duke of Rutland (1852–1925)

Catherine died in April 1854. Rutland married secondly Janetta, daughter of Thomas Hughan, in 1862. They had seven children, including:

• Lord Edward William John Manners (1864–1903)
• Lord Cecil Reginald John Manners (1868–1945)
• Lord Robert William Orlando Manners (1870–1917), an officer in the King's Royal Rifle Corps.
• Lady Victoria Alexandrina Elizabeth Dorothy Manners (1876–1933)
• Lady Elizabeth Emily Manners (1878–1924)

Rutland succeeded to the dukedom of Rutland in March 1888, upon the death of his elder brother. The Duchess of Rutland died in July 1899. Rutland survived her by seven years and died on 4 August 1906, aged 87, at Belvoir Castle.

Ancestry