Lord Robert Montagu

Montagu was born at Melchbourne, Bedfordshire[1] the second son of George Montagu, 6th Duke of Manchester by his first wife Millicent, daughter of Robert Bernard Sparrow. William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester, was his elder brother.[2] He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and graduated with an MA in 1849.[3]

"A Working Conservative"
As depicted by "Ape" (Carlo Pellegrini) in Vanity Fair, 1 October 1870

Montagu sat as Member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire from 1859 to 1874[4] and for Westmeath from February 1874 until he retired in 1880.[5] He held office under the Earl of Derby and Benjamin Disraeli as Vice-President of the Committee on Education from March 1867 until the fall of the government in December 1868[6] and was sworn of the Privy Council in 1867.[7] He was an advocate of protectionist policies.[8] He was a member of the Carlton Club and the Athenaeum Club.

Montagu married firstly Ellen Cromie, born in 1825, daughter of John Cromie, at Dublin on 12 February 1850. They had four children although their first son, John, died as a child. Ellen died aged 32 on 11 July 1857 at Portstewart, County Londonderry. Montagu remarried in London on 18 October 1862 to Elizabeth Wade (Holton, Suffolk, 15 May 1839 – London, 29 December 1908), daughter of William Wade of Holton, Suffolk, and had six more children. This second marriage scandalized society, since the former Betsy Wade had been a housemaid when Montagu met her.[9] Montagu died 6 May 1902[1] at 91 Queens Gate, South Kensington, London[10] and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.[11] He was survived by his wife, three children and one grandson.

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Lord Robert Montagu