The Rt Honorary Sir Algernon Edward West Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath was Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Gladstone.
Background
He was the son of Martin John West and Lady Maria Walpole, daughter of the second Earl of Orford. His father was a cousin to William Pitt, through alliance with the Temple family, and his mother was a great-granddaughter of Sir Robert Walpole, the prime minister.
Education
Eton; Christ Church, Oxford. Was a clerk in the Admiralty.
Career
George Barrington and Lady Caroline Grey (daughter of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, also a prime minister), on 12 August 1858. He was Private Secretary to Gladstone between 1861 and 1894. He held the office of Justice of the Peace (Justice of the Peace) for Middlesex.
He held the office of Chairman of the Board of the Inland Revenue.
He was invested as a Knight Commander, Order of the Bath (Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath) on 30 July 1886. He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (Personal Computer).
From 1880, he lived at the manor at Wanborough, Surrey. West entertained many political figures at the manor including Gladstone, Queen Victoria and Bismarck.
West was also a director of the South Eastern Railway and he caused a new station, named Wanborough but actually at Normandy, to be opened in 1891.
In 1900, Wanborough Manor was passed on to H. H. Asquith until he became Prime Minister. In 1908, West returned to stay in the manor until his death in 1921.
Membership
He held the office of Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament).