Background
He was the son of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford and his first wife the Honorary Georgiana Byng, second daughter of George Byng, 4th Viscount Torrington.
He was the son of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford and his first wife the Honorary Georgiana Byng, second daughter of George Byng, 4th Viscount Torrington.
Russell was educated at Westminster School and graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1808, with a Master of Arts.
He succeeded his father as duke in 1839. Subsequently Russell represented Bedfordshire until 1832. In the following year, he was summoned to the House of Lords in his father"s junior title Baron Howland of Streatham by a writ of acceleration.
He was made a Special Deputy Warden of the Stannaries in 1852 and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire in 1859, a post he held until his death in 1861.
Russell was the elder brother of John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, who was twice Prime Minister of Britain. Russell died in 1861, aged 73, and was buried on 22 May at the ‘Bedford Chapel’ of Saint Michael’s Church at Chenies, Buckinghamshire.
4th United Kingdom Parliament. 5th United Kingdom Parliament. 6th United Kingdom Parliament.
7th United Kingdom Parliament.
8th United Kingdom Parliament. 9th United Kingdom Parliament.
10th United Kingdom Parliament]
He entered the British House of Commons in 1809, sitting as Member of Parliament for Peterborough in the next three years.