Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo

Infobox Person
name = Richard Bourke


caption = The Rt Hon. The Earl of Mayo
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Richard Southwell Bourke, K.P., G.M.S.I., 6th Earl of Mayo (21 February, 1822–8 February, 1872), known as Lord Naas between 1842 and 1867, was an Irish statesman and prominent member of the British Conservative Party.

Bourke was born in Dublin, the eldest son of Robert Bourke, 5th Earl of Mayo, and his wife Anne Charlotte, daughter of the Hon. John Jocelyn. His younger brother the Hon. Robert Bourke was also a successful politician. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. After travelling in Russia he entered parliament, and sat successively for Kildare, Coleraine and Cockermouth.

He was thrice appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland - in 1852, 1858 and 1866 - and in 1869 he became Viceroy of India. He consolidated the frontiers of India where he was popularly known as Lord Mayo and reorganised the country's finances; he also did much to promote irrigation, railways, forests and other useful public works. The European-oriented Mayo College at Ajmer was founded by him for the education of young Indian native chiefs, with £70,000 being subscribed by the chiefs themselves. While visiting the convict settlement at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, for the purpose of inspection, he was assassinated by Sher Ali, a Muslim convict Fact|date=April 2007. The Mayo School of Arts, Lahore, British India in the present day Pakistan was set up to commemorate Lord Mayo after his assassination in 1872.

Lord Mayo married Blanche Julia, daughter of George Wyndham, 1st Baron Leconfield, in 1848. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son Richard. Lady Mayo died in 1918.

On 19 August 1875 a statue of Lord Mayo was unveiled in the town of Cockermouth in the centre of the main street. The eight hundred guinea cost of the statue (made by Messrs. Willis of London) had been raised by public subscription. The unveiling was attended by Mayo's son, the 7th Earl; Lord Napier and Ettrick; the then Bishop of Carlisle Harvey Goodwin: and the Earl of Lonsdale. The statue, carved in Sicilian marble, depicts Lord Mayo in his viceregal garb, and still stands today. [cite book |title=Annual Register |pages=pp. 74–75 ]

ee also

* Viceroy of India
* Mayo College, Ajmer, India
* Mayo School of Arts, Lahore, British India (now in Pakistan)

Notes

References

*cite book |title=Annual Register: A Review of Public Events at Home and Abroad for the Year 1875 |location=London |publisher=Rivingtons
*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). "Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage" (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
* [http://www.thepeerage.com/ www.thepeerage.com]
* [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9051609/Richard-Southwell-Bourke-6th-earl-of-Mayo Encyclopædia Britannica Article on Richard Southwell Bourke, 6th earl of Mayo]
* [http://mayocollege.com/AboutFounder.asp Obituary & Photo at the Mayo College, Ajmer, India website]