recognized him as their friend. When, in view of his growing blindness, he offered to resign the bishopric, he was induced to reconsider his proposal, and on the sudden death of Archbishop Benson in 1896, though now seventy-six years of age, he accepted the see of Canterbury.
As archbishop he presided in 1897 over the decennial Lambeth Conference. In the same year Dr Temple and his brother archbishop issued an able reply to an encyclical of the pope which denied the validity of Anglican orders. In 1900 the archbishops again acted together, when an appeal was addressed to them by the united episcopate, to decide the vexed questions of the use of incense in divine service and of the reservation of the elements. After full hearing of arguments they gave their decision against both the practices in question. During his archbishopric Dr Temple was deeply distressed by the divisions which were weakening the Anglican Church, and many of his most memorable sermons were calls for unity. His first charge as primate on “Disputes in the Church” was felt to be a most powerful plea for a more catholic and a more charitable temper, and again and again during the closing years of his life he came back to this same theme. He was zealous also in the cause of foreign missions, and in a sermon preached at the opening of the new century he urged that a supreme obligation rested upon Britain at this epoch in the world's history to seek to evangelize all nations. In 1900 he presided over the World Temperance Congress in London, and on one occasion preached in the interests of women's education. In 1902 he discharged the important duties of his office at the coronation of King Edward VII., but the strain at his advanced age told upon his health. During a speech which he delivered in the House of Lords on the 2nd of December 1902 on the Education Bill of that year, he was seized with sudden illness, and, though he revived sufficiently to finish his speech, he never fully recovered, and died on the 23rd of December 1902. He was interred in Canterbury cathedral four days later. His second son, William Temple (b. 1881), who had a distinguished career at Oxford, was in 1910 appointed headmaster of Repton.
See Archdeacon E. G. Sandford, Frederick Temple: an Appreciation (1907), with biographical introduction by William Temple Memoirs of Archbishop Temple, by “Seven Friends,” ed. E. G. Sandford (1906).
TEMPLE, SIR RICHARD, Bart. (1826–1902), English administrator,
a descendant in the female line of the Temples of
Stowe, was born on the 8th of March 1826, and after being
educated at Rugby and Haileybury, joined the Bengal Civil
Service. His industry and ready pen soon obtained appreciation,
and after acting as private secretary for some years to
John Lawrence in the Punjab, and gaining useful financial
experience under James Wilson, he was appointed Resident at
Haidarabad. In 1867 he was made K.C.S.I. In 1868 he became
a member of the supreme government, first as foreign
secretary and then as nuance minister; and he did admirable
work during the famine of 1874, in the course of which he was
made lieutenant-governor of Bengal. His services were recognized
by the bestowal of a baronetcy in 1876. In 1877 he
was made governor of Bombay, and his activity during the
Afghan War of 1878-80 was untiring. In 1880 he left India
to enter on a political career in England, but it was not till 1885
that he was returned as a conservative for the Evesham division
of Worcestershire. Meanwhile he produced several books on
Indian subjects. In parliament he was assiduous in his attendance,
and he spoke on Indian subjects with admitted authority;
but he was not otherwise a parliamentary success, and to the
public he was best known by the caricatures in Punch, which
exaggerated his physical peculiarities and made him look like a
lean and hungry tiger. In 1885 he became vice-chairman of
the London School Board, and as chairman of its finance committee
he did useful and congenial work. In 1892 he changed
his constituency for the Kingston division, but in 1895 he
retired from parliament, being in 1896 made a Privy Councillor.
He had kept a careful journal of his parliamentary experiences,
intended for posthumous publication; and he himself published
a short volume of reminiscences. He died at Hampstead on the
15th of March 1902. He was twice married, and left a daughter
and three sons, all of the latter distinguishing themselves in
the public service.
TEMPLE, RICHARD GRENVILLE-TEMPLE, 1st Earl (1711–1779),
English statesman, eldest son of Richard Grenville (d. 1727) of Wootton, Buckinghamshire, was born on the 26th
of September 1711. His mother was Hester (c. 1690-1752),
daughter, and ultimately heiress, of Sir Richard Temple, Bart.
(1634-1697), of Stowe, Buckinghamshire[1] and sister of Richard
Temple, Viscount Cobham, whose title she inherited under a
special remainder in 1749; in the same year, her husband
having been long dead, she was created Countess Temple. Her
son, Richard Grenville, was educated at Eton, and in 1734 was
returned to parliament as member for the borough of Buckingham.
In 1752, on the death of his mother, he inherited her
titles together with the rich estates of Stowe and Wootton;
and he then took the name of Temple in addition to his own
surname of Grenville. The turning point in his political fortunes
was the marriage of his sister Hester in 1754 to William Pitt,
afterwards earl of Chatham. Although Lord Temple was a man
of little ability and indifferent character, Pitt persistently
linked. his own career with that of his brother-in-law. In
November 1756 Temple became first lord of the admiralty in
the ministry of Devonshire and Pitt. He was intensely disliked
by George II., who dismissed both him and Pitt from office
in April 1757. But when the memorable coalition cabinet of
Newcastle and Pitt was formed in June of the same year,
Temple received the office of privy seal. He alone in the
cabinet supported Pitt's proposal to declare war with Spain in
1761, and they resigned together on the 5th of October. From
this time Temple became one of the most violent and factious
of politicians, and it is difficult to account for the influence,
wholly evil, which he exerted over his illustrious brother-in-law.
He himself is said to have avowed that “he loved faction, and
had a great deal of money to spare.” He was at variance with
his younger brother, George Grenville, when the latter became
first lord of the treasury in April 1763, and he had no place in
that ministry; but the brothers were reconciled before 1765,
when Temple, who probably aimed at forming a ministry mainly
confined to his own family connexions, refused to join the
government, and persuaded Pitt to refuse likewise. A few weeks
later the king offered the most liberal terms to induce Pitt to
form or join an administration; and “a ministry directed by
that great statesman,” says Lecky, “would have been beyond
all comparison the most advantageous to the country; it had
no serious difficulty to encounter, and Pitt himself was now
ready to undertake the task, but the evil genius of Lord Temple
again prevailed. Without his co-operation Pitt could not, or
would not proceed, and Temple absolutely refused to take office
even in the foremost place.” Pitt's continued refusal to join
the first Rockingham administration was no doubt partly due
to the same disastrous influence, though before the close of
1765 the old friendship between the brothers-in-law was dissolving;
and when at last in July 1766 Pitt consented to form
a government, Temple refused to join; being bitterly offended
because, although offered the head of the treasury, he was not
to be allowed an equal share with Pitt in nominating to other
offices, Temple forthwith began to inspire the most virulent
libels against Pitt; and in conjunction with his brother George
he concentrated the whole Grenville connexion in hostility to
the government. After George Grenville's death in 1770 Lord
Temple retired almost completely from public life. He died
on the 12th of September 1779.
- ↑ The Temple family belonged originally to Leicestershire, where, at Temple Hall, the elder line had resided since the 14th century. Peter Temple (1600–1663). the regicide, was a member of this elder line; a younger branch had settled in Oxfordshire and passed thence to Buckinghamshire, where John Temple purchased Stowe in 1589. This John was brother of Anthony, who was great grandfather of Sir William Temple, the famous statesman. John Temple's son Thomas, who was created a baronet in 1611, was the great-grandfather of Earl Temple.
