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#141
January 31st, 2012, 11:14 AM
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From a letter written by Benjamin Disraeli to Marian Evans dated 24 November 1853.
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#142
January 31st, 2012, 01:11 PM
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Damn, of course, its only a few years from the mutiny. Especially if there is a Crimean war to distract Dizzy is going to have his work cut out to avoid that. Especially since the replacement of the EIC by government rule might mean even more sepoys dismissed or worried about their future. Could even make things more explosive.  Steve
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#143
February 2nd, 2012, 09:03 PM
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With 35 MPs the Commonweal Party [CP] was the fourth largest in the House of Commons, or third largest if the Irish Freedom Party is not counted. Its leader was Lord John Manners. The CP was a mixture of conservatism and socialism. It was very much inspired by the values and ideas of Christian Socialism, and of the Co-operative movement. It attracted a significant minority of Chartists when the Chartist Party dissolved itself in September 1853. It appealed to High Church Anglicans who had been in the Oxford Movement [1] and who had a strong social conscience, and was very big on the Gothic and medievalism. Its leader was Lord Manners, MP for Newark.
John Malcolm Ludlow [2] and Edward Vansittart Neale [3] were elected to the House of Commons as Commonweal MPs in the general election of October/November 1853. In the same election William Morris, then an undergraduate at Exeter College, Oxford, campaigned for the Commonweal Party candidate in the Oxford University constituency, who as widely expected, was decisively defeated. [1] See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Movement. [2] Here is Ludlow's biography: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37696. [3] Here is Neale's biography: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/19820. Last edited by pipisme; February 5th, 2012 at 06:00 PM..
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#144
February 5th, 2012, 06:30 PM
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On 30 November 1853 a Turkish squadron of battleships in the harbour of Sinope on the north coast of Asia Minor was annihilated by the far superior Russian Black Sea fleet. When the news reached London a week to ten days later, there was intense popular demand for British intervention against Russia.
On 13 December the Ottoman Empire agreed to open negotiations under four-power mediation [Austria, Britain, France, Russia]. So far these events were as in OTL.
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#145
February 8th, 2012, 06:14 PM
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On 12 March 1854 Britain and France signed with the Otoman Empire a treaty by which they committed themselves to the defence of Ottoman Empire against Russia. On 28 March war was formally declared by Britain and France against Russia.
These events were as in OTL. After much consideration I have decided that in this TL the Crimean War would begin on the same date and with the same combatants at the outset as in OTL.
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#146
February 13th, 2012, 10:55 AM
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Because of his opposition to the declaration of war against Russia on 28 March 1854, Earl Aberdeen, the Foreign Secretary, resigned from the cabinet on 3 April. Lord John Russell, the Prime Minister, made the following changes to his cabinet: Earl Granville was moved from Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords to Foreign Secretary; Earl of Carlisle, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, took over Granville's posts; Edward Pleydell Bouverie was promoted to the cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Last edited by pipisme; February 16th, 2012 at 10:56 AM..
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#147
February 16th, 2012, 12:49 PM
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The success of the Irish Freedom Party, led by William Smith O'Brien [1], in the general election of October/November 1853 when they took 59 out of the 103 Irish seats in the House of Commons, showed the extent of support for repeal of the union between Britain and Ireland. There was a widespread feeling in political circles that something must be done to appease Irish nationalism.
In a speech in the House of Commons in late February 1854, Lord John Manners, the leader of the Commonweal Party, proposed the restoration of the Kingdom of Ireland, and that Queen Victoria be crowned as Queen of Ireland in Dublin. He said that this would strengthen the union between Great Britain and Ireland, and deepen the affection of the Irish people for the Queen and the royal family. Though he wanted to see a federal United Kingdom, his proposal was not for the restoration of an Irish Parliament. William Monsell said that he was sympathetic to Manners' proposal and that he would raise it with his cabinet colleagues. It was also supported by William Smith O'Brien as a step towards Irish independence. The cabinet agreed with Manners' proposal which was incorporated in the Crown of Ireland Bill. This provided for the restoration of the Kingdom of Ireland [Rioghacht Eireann], in union with the Kingdom of Great Britain, in the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and of Ireland. The flag of Ireland would be the green harp. [2] In the debate on its second reading in the House of Commons on 26 and 27 April 1854, the Crown of Ireland Bill was supported by the Liberal Party, the Irish Freedom Party and the Commonweal Party. Liberal and Commonweal members argued that it would strengthen the union. It was opposed by the Conservative Party on the grounds that it was the start of the slippery slope towards the complete separation of Ireland and Great Britain. However the bill received its second reading by a large majority. It continued its progress through both Houses of Parliament and received the royal assent in mid June 1854. Queen Victoria chose Thursday 28 June 1855 as the date for her coronation as Queen of Ireland in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. [3] It would be the 17th anniversary of her coronation in Westminster Abbey. [1] In this TL there was no Young Ireland rebellion, so O'Brien was not convicted of high treason and sentenced to transportation for life to Van Diemen's Land. [2] Here is the green harp flag: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gr...th_century.svg. [3] For Christ Church Cathedral see http://www.sacred-destinations.com/i...urch-cathedral.
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#148
February 16th, 2012, 10:46 PM
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If I may, I would like to suggest that Queen Victoria also establish the title Duke of Dublin for the heir to the throne to go along with the titles Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay.
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#149
February 17th, 2012, 11:43 AM
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Just to say that the previous title for this TL was William Gladstone: a struggle for personal and political liberation - a TL from 1827. I chose the new title because I want it to reflect the general theme of this TL, which is not primarily about Gladstone. [1] In OTL she gave that title to her third son, Prince Albert, in 1874.
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#150
February 19th, 2012, 03:18 PM
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I will now update on events on India since post #30 dated January 8th, 2011 on page 2.
In July 1843 Sir Robert Peel became Prime Minister. In September 1843 he withdrew British troops from Afghanistan and relinquished British control of that country. Last edited by pipisme; February 19th, 2012 at 06:46 PM.. Reason: To delete final paragraph and to delete appointment of Lord Ellenborough as governor-general of India
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#151
February 19th, 2012, 06:44 PM
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In this TL and in OTL the post of Governor-General of India was a political appointment with Tory Prime Ministers appointing Tories and Whig/Liberal Prime Ministers appointing Whigs/Liberals. But the Governor-Generals often did not change when the government change.
In this TL I stated in post #16, dated October 25th, 2010, on page 1 that Thomas Campbell Robertson was appointed Governor-General of India in February 1842 [by Viscount Melbourne]. Now I think that Melbourne would have appointed a titled Whig, but as it is now too late to edit that post, I will retcon that appointment and change it to the Marquess of Normanby. Here is his biography on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constan...ss_of_Normanby. He had previously held the posts of Governor of Jamaica, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Home Secretary. Last edited by pipisme; February 24th, 2012 at 11:27 AM.. Reason: To change Governor-General of India
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#152
February 24th, 2012, 02:58 PM
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In March 1843 Sind was annexed by the British East India Company. [1]
When Sir Robert Peel became Prime Minister in July 1843 he the Marquess of Normanby in post as Governor-General of India. When Henry Goulburn became Prime Minister on 30 January 1844, after Peel's assassination, he confirmed Normanby in post as Governor-General. In this TL the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1845-1846 - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Anglo-Sikh_War - does not happen. In February 1847 Goulburn appointed Sir George Arthur, one time Governor of Bombay, as Governor-General of India. [2] [1] See the map of India in 1837 here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:India1837to1857.jpg. [2] Here is his biography in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/707.
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#153
February 28th, 2012, 12:02 PM
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When Lord John Russell became Prime Minister in July 1848 he confirmed Lord Arthur [formerly Sir George Arthur] in post as governor-general of India. However on 23 February 1849 Arthur was murdered in Calcutta by a paranoid schizophrenic who was a former clerk in the East India Company.
Russell chose James Andrew Broun Ramsay, the tenth Earl of Dalhousie, as the new governor-general. [1] Dalhousie was a Grahamite, or free trade Conservative. In January 1846 he had resigned from the Goulburn government as Vice-President of the Board of Trade because he wanted the Corn Laws to be repealed. Dalhousie sailed for India in March 1849 and was sworn as governor-general in Calcutta on 16 May 1849. His tenure in that post proved to be highly controversial. His policies had two closely interwoven strands: economic and administrative modernisation, and territorial expansion within India's 'natural frontiers'. In 1849, the Sikh kingdom of the Punjab was a major Indian state not under British control. It also included Kashmir. [2] Its nominal ruler was Maharaja Dalip Singh [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duleep_Singh ], however as he was only ten years old, the real ruler was his mother Maharani Jind Kaur[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jind_Kaur ]. Dalhousie wanted to annex the Punjab and used the pretence of low-level fighting on the border with East India Company territory, to cross the River Sutlej [the border river] on 26 October 1849 with a large invasion force. See the map in footnote #2 below. [1] Here is his entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/23088. In OTL Russell appointed Dalhousie to the governor-generalship of India in 1847, and he makes the same appointment in this TL. [2] Here is a map of the area: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pu...pographic).png.
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#154
February 28th, 2012, 12:05 PM
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I like this thread.
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#156
March 2nd, 2012, 03:22 PM
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At the time the Anglo-Sikh War of October 1849 to June 1854 was regarded as a disaster for the British, but looking back from 2012 it is generally positively regarded as the successful defence of an independent nation against British imperialist aggression. The present-day Kingdom of Punjab now has excellent relations with the Federal Kingdom of Britain and Ireland. It has a high standard of living, with the majority Sikh population, and the minority Hindu and Muslim communities living more or less in harmony. Its capital, Lahore, is a must-visit tourist destination.
Last edited by pipisme; March 4th, 2012 at 05:33 PM.. Reason: To change end month of Anglo-Sikh War from December 1852 to June 1854
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#157
March 4th, 2012, 05:32 PM
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By February 1854 neither side had been able to win a decisive advantage in the Anglo-Sikh War. The Earl of Dalhousie was not reappointed to the post of Governor-General of India when his five-year term of office expired in early March 1854. The Prime Minister, Lord John Russell, chose James Bruce, the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, and Governor General of Canada since 1847, as the new Governor-General of India. [1]
Elgin was given the task of negotiating a peace treaty with the kingdom of Punjab. The Treaty of Lahore signed on 12 June 1854, which ended the war, guaranteed the perpetual independence of Punjab with no loss of its territory. In return Punjab agreed to enter into an alliance of friendship with Great Britain. [1] Here is the biography of Elgin in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/3737
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#158
March 7th, 2012, 11:32 AM
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Backstory on Florence Nightingale
In 1839 she fell passionately in love with her cousin, Marianne Nicholson, a love which Marianne did not reciprocate. Though she was friends with Florence. But Marianne's brother, Henry, fell in love with Florence. Although she did not love him she encouraged him because he brought her closer to Marianne. In the spring of 1845 Henry Nicholson proposed marriage. Florence refused him and the Nicholsons were furious. Florence, they said, had encouraged Henry and Marianne ended her friendship with Florence. The ending of Marianne's friendship was a catastrophe for Florence and plunged her into a deep depression. In July 1845, she wrote to a female cousin, Hilary Bonham Carter, that she felt abandoned by God, and that she had nothing to live for. That was the last letter she wrote in her life. A day later, she was found dead from an overdose of laudanum. She was 25 years old. Up to Florence Nightingale's death all this was as in OTL. The information is taken from the book Florence Nightingale 1820-1910, by Cecil Woodham-Smith, London: Constable, 1950. She suffered from bipolar disorder.
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#159
March 7th, 2012, 01:42 PM
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#160
March 8th, 2012, 03:08 AM
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Sad to hear about Nightingale.
Interesting to learn about 19th-century alternative sexuality here.
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"Going too far and caring too much about a subject is the best way to make friends that I know." - Sarah Vowell tumblr
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