Sir John Russell 1st Earl Russell 
Biography of Sir John Russell 1st Earl Russell
Sir John Russell
John Russell, formerly Lord John Russell, 1st Earl Russell (1792-1878), was elected Rector of the University in 1846. He was not elected for a second year.
Born in London, the third son of the Duke of Bedford, Russell studied at the University of Edinburgh and became a Whig MP in 1813. He was one of the men responsible for drafting the great Reform Bill of 1832 and held a number of important government posts, serving as Prime Minister from 1846 to 1852 and 1865 to 1866. He was created Earl Russell in 1861.
Russell defeated the poet laureate William Wordsworth in the Rectorial election of 1846 but was reported to be too busy dealing with national affairs to attend an installation. His perceived lack of enthusiasm for the rectorship created some discontent and in 1847 the Conservative students invited William Mure of Caldwell to contest the election, at which Russell was defeated.
Summary
Sir John Russell 1st Earl Russell
Prime Minister and Author
Born 18 August 1792, England.
Died 28 May 1878.
University Link: Rector
Occupation categories: politicians; prime ministers
NNAF Reference: GB/NNAF/P164075
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Record last updated: 27th Jan 2008
Country Associations
England
Place of Birth
