Sir John Tomlinson Hibbert

Married (2) in 1878 Charlotte Warde [picture], fourth daughter of Admiral Charles Warde, K.H., of Squerryes Court, Westerham, and sister of Lt.-Colonel C.A.M. Warde R.A., of the same address.

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John Tomlinson Hibbert attended Shrewsbury School then St. John's College, Cambridge, where he read Law. Having been admitted at St John's College Cambridge on 15th May 1843 he graduated BA as next above the 'wooden spoon' in the Mathematical Tripos'. He moved into politics, becoming Sir John Hibbert KCB. He served as P.S. to the Local Government Board, Under-Secretary to the Home Office, Financial Secretary in Gladstone's Cabinet (1884 to June 1885 and June 1892 to March 1894), and Secretary to the Admiralty (February to July 1885). He built (1880 - 2) a stately home called Hampsfield, situated between Lindale and Grange-over-Sands in the southern Lake District, in England.

Sir John is mentioned in The Life of the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles W. Dilke, Volume 2 by Gwynn, Stephen Lucius, 1864-1950 as follows:-
[In 1884] When the amendment [to allow women's suffrage] was reached, Dilke, with Fawcett and Courtney, abstained. This led to serious trouble. Sir Charles wrote on June 12th in his Diary: 'Hartington is very angry with me for not voting, and wants me turned out for it. He has to vote every day for things which he strongly disapproves, and this makes the position difficult. He says that my position was wholly different from that of Fawcett and Courtney, because I was a party to the decision of the Cabinet, and that custom binds the minority in the collective decision of Her Majesty's servants. This is undoubtedly the accepted theory. Poor Hibbert¹ was made to vote. I fear the Cabinet put the yoke, not of political necessity, but of their personal prejudice against woman suffrage, on the necks of their followers.'

¹Sir John Tomlinson Hibbert (d.1908), at this time Financial Secretary to the Treasury, was an able administrator, and held office in Mr. Gladstone's four administrations. He assisted materially in the passing of the Execution within Gaols Act [ending the spectacle of public hanging], Married Women's Property Act, and Clergy Disabilities Act, and was keenly interested in the reform of the Poor Law.

[Western Mail, Tuesday, May 21, 1889] JH was appointed to the Welsh Sunday Closing Commission.

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Eliza Anne Schofield b.16 August 1825 d.5 January 1877 and John T Hibbert as a young man from a locket.

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Portraits of Sir John Tomlinson Hibbert KCB b.1824 d.6 November 1908. The right-hand portrait hung on the stairs at the Lancashire County Council offices at Preston and was attacked. A swastika was cut into it.

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Sir John Tomlinson Hibbert KCB b.1824 d.6 November 1908

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Sir John Tomlinson Hibbert in 'Japan'. This was a Japanese garden laid out on the hillside opposite the stables at Hampsfield. There were interesting plants there. Such gardens very popular in Victorian times.

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Cartoons of Sir John Tomlinson Hibbert KCB b.1824 d.6 November 1908

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Cartoons of House of Commons members including Sir John Tomlinson Hibbert KCB

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Charlotte Warde, Lady Charlotte Hibbert, Sir John's second wife

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Election leaflet 1874

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Hampsfield above Lindale, built by Sir John Hibbert, soon after its construction.

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