Garter-encircled shield of arms of William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne, KG, as displayed on his Order of the Garter stall plate in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle viz. Argent on two bars sable three trefoils slipped of the first, in chief a greyhound courant of the second, collared or.
William Waldegrave Palmer, 2nd Earl of SelborneKG,GCMG,PC (17 October 1859 – 26 February 1942), styled Viscount Wolmer between 1882 and 1895, was a British politician and colonial administrator, who served as High Commissioner for Southern Africa.
But the Liberal Party came into office in Britain the following December, before the new constitution had been established, and, the decision was now taken to give both the Transvaal and Orange River colonies self-government without delay. Lord Selborne accepted the changed situation, and the experiment proved successful, from the perspective of avoiding a further war with the Boers. But the new constitution allowed the franchise only to those of European descent, and Selborne pushed through policies to keep out non-white immigrants, stating that Indians were not wanted because they didn’t know how to use arms.[5]
He ceased to be governor of the Orange River Colony on its assumption of Responsible government in June 1907, but retained his other posts until May 1910, retiring on the eve of the establishment of the Union of South Africa.[2]
The despatch, dated 7 January 1907 and known as the Selborne Memorandum, in which he reviewed the situation in its economic and political aspects, was a comprehensive statement of the dangers inherent in the existing system and of the advantages likely to attend union. The document had in fact been compiled by Lionel Curtis and other members of Milner's Kindergarten. The force of its appeal had a marked influence on the course of events, while the loyalty with which Lord Selborne co-operated with the Botha administration was an additional factor in reconciling the Dutch and British communities.[2]
1910–1942
He returned to England with his reputation, according to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, "as a statesman enhanced by the respect of all parties, and with a practical experience, second only to that of Lord Milner, of British imperialism in successful operation." His experience made him a valuable ally in the movement among the Unionist party at home for Tariff Reform and Imperial Preference, to which he could now give his full support.[2]
In 1915 Selborne returned to government during the First World War when he became President of the Board of Agriculture in the war time coalition of Liberal prime minister H. H. Asquith. He resigned from Cabinet in June 1916 because of David Lloyd George's handling of the botched Home Rule negotiations (May–July) and the Prime Minister's failure to bring Lloyd George to task while the negotiations were still in progress. Selborne did not hold high political office again. The Selborne Committee on Church and State from 1914 to 1916 was chaired by Lord Selborne.[6]
Lady Mabel Laura Georgiana Palmer (6 October 1884 – 15 July 1958); married Charles Grey, 5th Earl Grey, and had two daughters.
Roundell Cecil Palmer, 3rd Earl of Selborne (15 April 1887 – 3 September 1971); married, firstly, Hon. Grace Ridley in 1910; had issue. Married, secondly, Valerie Irene Josephine Margaret de Thomka de Thomkahaza in 1966; no issue.
Hon. William Jocelyn Lewis Palmer (15 September 1894 – 6 June 1971); married Hon. Dorothy Cicely Sybil Loder in 1922 and had two children.
His second son, the Hon. Robert Palmer, was a captain in the Hampshire Regiment and was killed on active service in Mesopotamia in 1916.[8] His daughter was Lady Mabel Laura Georgiana Palmer, who became Countess Grey as the wife of Charles Grey, 5th Earl Grey. His letters home were privately published as Letters from Mesopotamia.[9] Lord Selborne died in February 1942, aged 82, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Roundell, Viscount Wolmer, who had already the previous year been summoned to the House of Lords by writ of acceleration in his father's junior title of Baron Selborne. The Countess of Selborne died in April 1950[10].[citation needed]
References
^History of the Royal Astronomical Society 1820–1920, pp. 28–30