Sir Fowell Buxton, 3rd Baronet

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Sir Fowell Buxton, Bt

GCMG DL
ThomasFowellBuxton.jpg
13th Governor of South Australia
In office
29 October 1895 – 29 March 1899
MonarchVictoria
PremierCharles Kingston
Preceded byThe Rt. Hon. Earl of Kintore
Succeeded byLord Tennyson
Personal details
Born26 January 1837
London, United Kingdom
Died28 October 1915 (1915-10-29) (aged 78)
Cromer, United Kingdom
NationalityBritish

Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 3rd Baronet, GCMG, DL (26 January 1837 – 28 October 1915), commonly known as Sir Fowell Buxton,[1] was the Governor of South Australia from 29 October 1895 until 29 March 1899. He was the grandson of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, a British MP and social reformer, and the son of Sir Edward North Buxton, also an MP.

He attended Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge.[2] He was commissioned captain in the (No. 3) on 4 May 1860.[3] He married Lady Victoria Noel, daughter of Charles Noel, 1st Earl of Gainsborough, and Lady Frances Jocelyn, daughter of Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Roden on 12 June 1862. Of their 13 children, ten survived infancy:

  1. Sir Sir Thomas Buxton, 4th Baronet (8 Apr 1865 – 31 May 1919)
  3. Edith Frances Buxton (30 Aug 1867 – 25 Mar 1930)
  5. Noel Edward Noel-Buxton, 1st Baron Noel-Buxton (9 Jan 1869 – 12 Sep 1948)
  7. Mary Catherine Buxton (29 Jul 1870 – 6 Jan 1960)
  9. Constance Victoria Buxton (5 Jun 1872 – 22 Sep 1957)
  11. Victoria Alexandrina Buxton (5 Jan 1874 – 30 May 1953)
  13. Charles Roden Buxton (27 Nov 1875 – 16 Dec 1942)
  15. Mabel Frances Evelyn Buxton (29 Jan 1878 – 25 Oct 1966)
  17. Rt. Rev. Harold Jocelyn Buxton, Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe (20 Jun 1880 – 13 Mar 1976)
  19. Leland William Wilberforce Buxton (3 Jul 1884 – 12 Mar 1967)

Lady Buxton was crippled by a spinal condition in 1869.

Sir Fowell was elected as Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for King's Lynn at the 1865 general election, but was defeated at the 1868 election.[4] After his defeat, he stood again for Parliament unsuccessfully on several other occasions: in Westminster at the 1874 general election, in Western Essex at the 1880 general election and at the by-elections in Northern Norfolk in 1876 and 1879.[4] He was appointed High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1876.

When Buxton was appointed governor, the Premier of South Australia, Charles Kingston was angry that the South Australian government had not been involved in the decision about who should be the new governor, so made life as hard as possible for Buxton and his family. The governor's allowance was reduced and customs duty was charged on their household items (including his wife's invalid carriage). Buxton took up the job anyway, and later was described as the most genial, sociable and common-sense governor, due to his gentle and unassuming friendliness. He visited gaols and hospitals, and showed genuine interest in Aboriginal culture during his time as governor. He eventually returned to England due to the ill-health of his wife.[5]

A memorial to Sir Fowell and his wife Victoria was erected in St Thomas' Church in Upshire in Essex in 1917, designed by Sir Robert Lorimer.[6]

Notes[]

  1. ^ "Sir Fowell Bixton Ill". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW: National Library of Australia. 28 October 1915. p. 1. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  2. ^ "Buxton, Thomas Fowell (BKSN854TF)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. ^ "No. 22383". The London Gazette. 8 May 1860. p. 1746.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. pp. 21, 168, 388, 427. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
  5. ^ Howell, P. A. (1972). "Buxton, Sir Thomas Fowell (1837–1915)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne University Press. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 14 April 2008 – via National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  6. ^ Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer

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External links[]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
John Henry Gurney
Lord Stanley 		Member of Parliament for King's Lynn
1865 – 1868
With: Lord Stanley 		Succeeded by
Robert Bourke
Lord Stanley
Government offices
Preceded by
The Earl of Kintore 		Governor of South Australia
1895–1899 		Succeeded by
The Lord Tennyson
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Edward North Buxton 		Baronet
(of Belfield)
1849 – 1915 		Succeeded by
Thomas Fowell Victor Buxton
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