Robert Stafford Arthur Palmer Popular Books

Robert Stafford Arthur Palmer Biography & Facts

The Honourable Robert Stafford Arthur Palmer (26 September 1888 – 21 January 1916) was a British Army officer, barrister and poet. Palmer was born into an aristocratic family. He was the son of William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne, grandson of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, and cousin to Sir Edward Grey. Palmer was educated at Colet Court and Winchester College and developed an interest in the Church of England and law at an early age. He won a scholarship to University College, Oxford, where he studied classical moderations and literae humaniores (classics). At university he was president of the Oxford University Church Union and the Oxford Union debating society. In between studies he volunteered at the Oxford House Church of England settlement and campaigned in support of the Liberal Unionist Party. After graduation Palmer made a trip to India, an account of which was published as A Little Tour in India. From 1912 he served as governor at Edghill House in Sydenham, a school providing education to the poor. He turned down an offer to become dean of Divinity at New College, Oxford, to pursue a career in law. He was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in 1913 and in 1914 prosecuted his first case on the Western Circuit. The First World War interrupted Palmer's short legal career. He had joined one of the Hampshire Regiment's Territorial Force battalions as a second lieutenant in 1913 and was mobilised shortly before Britain joined the war. He was promoted to lieutenant and posted with his unit to India where he received the temporary rank of captain. He commanded a draft of men sent for service with another of his regiment's battalions in the Mesopotamian campaign in August 1915. A football injury prevented him from accompanying his men during the advance on Kut. Palmer recovered sufficiently by the end of December to join the force sent to try to relieve the siege of Kut, where the first force had been surrounded. He was killed during the defeat at the Battle of Hanna. A poem Palmer had composed on the campaign was published in The Times shortly before his death. He is remembered on the Basra Memorial and by an altarpiece at Winchester College. Birth and family Palmer was born on 26 September 1888 at 20 Arlington Street, London. This was the house of his grandfather Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, who was at that time the Conservative Party prime minister of the United Kingdom.: 1  Palmer was the second son of Salisbury's daughter Maud and William Palmer, Viscount Wolmer. His father was a politician of the Liberal Unionist Party (allied to the Conservatives) who went on to hold high office as First Lord of the Admiralty and entered the House of Lords as the 2nd Earl of Selborne.Robert Palmer was known to friends and family as Bobby. His forenames came from Lord Salisbury (Robert) and his two godfathers, the Conservative politician (and future prime minister) Arthur Balfour and Conservative politician Sir Henry Stafford Northcote.: 1  He was cousin to the Liberal politician and future Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey. Early life Palmer aspired to a career in law from the age of six, though he maintained an interest in nature, collecting butterflies and birds' eggs.: 5, 7  At the age of eight he was sent to Colet Court, the preparatory school of St Paul's School in Hammersmith, London, and rose to become its head boy.: 6, 14  In 1901 he received his confirmation in the Church of England from Edward Talbot, Bishop of Rochester, and afterwards maintained a strong faith.: 10  Palmer served as a page to the queen at the 9 August 1902 coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra.: 11 Palmer joined Winchester College, a fee-paying public school in Hampshire, in September 1902. In the winter of 1905/06 Palmer visited his family in Southern Africa where his father was serving as High Commissioner.: 25  Palmer did well at Winchester, becoming senior commoner prefect in 1907, in which role he banned most corporal punishment, and head of his house.: 26, 31  He won school prizes in English, history and Greek. At the school he authored his first published work, an article titled "The Labour Problem in South Africa" which appeared in the July 1906 National Review.: 32  He returned to Southern Africa to visit his family again in late spring 1907.: 38  He won a scholarship to University College, Oxford, as top of the 157 entrants.: 36  University At Oxford Palmer studied the classical moderations and literae humaniores (classics). He continued his interest in Christianity and became a close friend of the future theologian Nathaniel Micklem.: 41  He volunteered at Oxford House, a Church of England settlement in East London, where he provided legal advice to the poor. He also participated in a missionary campaign in South London in autumn 1908.: 48  He was president of the Oxford University Church Union from June 1909 and in this role introduced a new service book for use at the university; this had been partly written by his uncle Lord Hugh Cecil.: 62 Palmer also became involved in the Oxford Union debating society. His first speech there was against the government's plans for reform of the House of Lords. He was elected secretary of the Union in November 1908, junior librarian in March 1909 and president in November 1909.: 63–64  Whilst at Oxford Palmer also began a novel, never finished, entitled Wentworth's Reform.: 45  He supported the Liberal Unionist Party and canvassed for them at the December 1910 United Kingdom general election. He did not canvass at Newton-le-Willows for his brother Roundell Palmer, in case he was mistaken for him, but did so at Bradford West where his brother-in-law Ernest Flower was defeated.: 71  Palmer graduated from Oxford with a first class degree in 1911. Law career In 1911 Palmer made a trip to India, on his return he published an account of this as A Little Tour in India. Palmer then became a resident worker at Oxford House.: 95  In 1912 he was appointed a governor of the recently established Edghill House in Sydenham, which provided education to the poor.: 99  He declined an offer to become dean of divinity at New College, Oxford, in favour of a career in the law.: 107 Palmer was called to the bar at the Inner Temple in November 1913. He was pupilled to Howard Wright of Lincoln's Inn, working from the same barristers' chambers that his grandfather Roundell Palmer, 1st Earl of Selborne, a lord chancellor, had worked from.: 107  From June 1914 Palmer worked on the Western Circuit.: 107  On 14 July 1914 he prosecuted his first case in the Winchester County Quarter Sessions.: 109  First World War Palmer joined the 6th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment on 6 February 1913 as a second lieutenant. This was a part-time Territorial Force unit. Palmer served initially in G Company, based in Petersfield.: 111  He joined the annual training camp of.... Discover the Robert Stafford Arthur Palmer popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Robert Stafford Arthur Palmer books.