Biography

Thomas Brassey (1836-1918), 1st Earl Brassey and Governor of Victoria, was educated at Rugby School and University College, Oxford, where he took honours in the school of law and modern history (1859). He was called to the bar in 1866, but soon abandoned a legal career for politics. Having already stood unsuccessfully as a Liberal for Birkenhead in 1861, he was elected for Devonport in June 1865, but, before taking his seat, was defeated at the general election a few weeks later. He failed at a by-election at Sandwich in 1866, but was successful at Hastings in 1868 and retained that seat until 1886. In 1880 Brassey joined Gladstone's second administration as civil lord of the Admiralty, and held this office for four years. In 1881 he was created KCB in recognition of his services to the naval reserves, and in 1884 he was made parliamentary secretary to the Admiralty, a position which he held until the end of that parliament (1885). Brassey served as lord-in-waiting to the queen from 1893 to 1895, when he was appointed governor of Victoria. In 1906 Brassey was promoted GCB and in 1908 he was appointed lord warden of the Cinque Ports. At the coronation of George V (1911) he was created Earl Brassey and Viscount Hythe. He died in London on 23 February 1918.

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