Edmund Bernard FitzAlan-Howard, 1st Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent Knight of the Order of the Garter Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Defence Science Organisation Member of Parliament Personal Computer, known as Lord Edmund Talbot between 1876 and 1921, was a British Conservative politician and the last Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
Background
FitzAlan was the second son of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 14th Duke of Norfolk by his wife the Honorary Augusta Lyons, daughter of Vice-Admiral Edmund Lyons, 1st Baron Lyons, and the younger brother of Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk.
Career
He was the first Roman Catholic to be appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland since the 17th century, holding office when the former Ireland was partitioned into Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland. Born Lord Edmund FitzAlan-Howard, he assumed in 1876 by Royal licence the surname of "Talbot" as part of an unsuccessful attempt to succeed to the estates of the Earl of Shrewsbury. He returned to the use of his paternal name by Royal Licence in 1921, shortly after being raised to the peerage.
In 1918 he was sworn of the Privy Council.
On 27 April 1921 he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the first Roman Catholic to be appointed to the position since 1685 during the reign of King James World War II His appointment was possible because Section 37 of the Government of Ireland Acting 1920 had been brought into force shortly beforehand. That provision provided that no British subject would be disqualified from holding the position on account of his religious belief.
Concerning the announcement of his impending appointment, the Daily Chronicle observed that "the concillatory motive of his appointment is obvious..it is an olive branch in place of a dictatorship." However, his tenure as Lord Lieutenant lasted only a year and a half. The post was abolished with the coming into existence of the Irish Free State and its constitution in 1922.
The position was replaced by the offices of the Governor-General of the Irish Free State and the Governor of Northern Ireland.
The day after his appointment as Lord Lieutenant he was raised to the Peerage as Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent, of Derwent in the County of Derby.
Membership
25th United Kingdom Parliament. 26th United Kingdom Parliament. 27th United Kingdom Parliament.
28th United Kingdom Parliament.
29th United Kingdom Parliament. 30th United Kingdom Parliament.
31st United Kingdom Parliament]
Talbot was elected Member of Parliament for Chichester in 1894, a seat he held until 1921, and served briefly under Arthur Balfour as a Lord of the Treasury in 1905 and under H. H. Asquith and later David Lloyd George as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury from 1915 to 1921 (jointly from December 1916 onwards).