b. 1811-05-22
d. 1864-10-18
Henry Pelham Fiennes Pelham Clinton, the fifth Duke of Newcastle, was born in
London on 22 May 1811. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, where he received
a BA in 1832. He represented South Nottinghamshire in Parliament from 1832 to 1846
and served as lord of the Treasury from 31 December 1834 to 20 April 1835. From 15
April 1841 to 14 February 1846 he was first commissioner of woods and forests, then
he became chief secretary to the lord lieutenant of Ireland.
In 1851 he entered the House of Lords and in 1852 he joined the colonial office as
secretary for the colonies. On 12 June 1854, he transferred to the war office, resigning
on 1 February 1855 to visit the army in the Crimea. On 18 June 1859, Newcastle was
appointed secretary of state for the colonies. In this post, he travelled to Canada
and the United States with the Prince of Wales in 1860. He resigned as colonial secretary
in April 1864, and he died at Clumber Park on 18 October 1864.
Dictionary of National Biography (London and New York: Oxford University Press, 1900-) Vol.4, pp. 554-55.