by Roy Jenkins
When the time came to say good-bye to him, he held my hand and said, “You will come and see me again — right to the end,” and then, quickly — as if he had said more than he meant to —
“ I mean right on to the end of this Parliament.” w
Asquith died on the evening of February 15th, 1928. He was buried in the village churchyard at Sutton Courtney, between the Thames and the Berkshire Downs. He had started on a bleak Yorkshire hillside, and in politics he had been mostly sustained by Scotland and the North. But a South of England resting-place, within ten miles of Carfax Tower, was nevertheless wholly appropriate. He had always been faithful to liberal, humane ideas, and to civilised, even fastidious, standards of political behaviour. He never trimmed for office. Yet he was essentially a man of Government, a great servant of the State, rather than a tribune of the people. And with him there died the best part of the classical tradition in English politics.
A short time afterwards, by the decision of Parliament, a memorial tablet was placed in Westminster Abbey. As an epitaph, after much thought by his family, the following lines from Milton were chosen :
Unmoved
Unshaken, unseduced, unterrified,
His loyalty he kept, his love, his zeal;
Nor number, nor example with him wrought
To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind.
They were as appropriate as the Sutton Courtney churchyard.
1 In 1916 he had given a “ step ” to the Earl of Aberdeen. The new marquess had insisted on changing to the double name of Aberdeen and Temair, and Asquith had commented rather adversely. In 1925 he recalled this, at least to the extent of talking about it to the King and telling Mrs. Harrisson of an old anecdote which formed part of the conversation: “ Lady A. sent to a friend a photograph of herself with a Scotch terrier on her knee signed with the new style. The friend replied with effusive thanks, adding,
‘ It was so nice, too, to see your little dog Temair.’ This, Asquith added, made the King “ roar with laughter.” (Letters from Lord Oxford to a Friend, II, p. 124).
2 The following comment on Mrs. Sidney Webb, written a few months earlier, just before he gave up the leadership, is a good example of Asquith’s latter-day style and outlook: “ I have finished Beatrice Webb’sApprenticeship —a remarkable story in its way. To me hers is, an fond, a tiresome type of mind, but she has lived, ever since she was eighteen, an independent and industrious and at times adventurous life. And it is to the credit both of her insight and character that, being lapped in bourgeois luxury, and really very good-looking, she finally at the age of thirty married Sidney Webb, a highly-knowledgeable Saint. Since then in their partnership they have jointly produced some twenty solid, though for the most part unreadable, books.”(Letters from Lord Oxford to a Friend, 11, p. 159).
REFERENCES
REFERENCES
CHAPTER I
a. Oxford and Asquith: Memories and Refections, i, p. 2
b. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith, i, p. 16
c. ibid., i, p. 18-19
d. Oxford and Asquith, op. cit., i, p. 8
e. Spender and Asquith, op. cit., i, p. 22 /. ibid., i, p. 23
g. ibid., i, p. 24
h. J. M. Angus in an article which he contributed to the City of London School Magazine after Asquith’s death in 1928
i. Spender and Asquith, op. cit., i, p. 28
j. ibid., i, p. 30
k. Stanley letters, 20th February, 1915
l. ibid., 22nd February, 1915
m. Davis: Balliol College, p. 193
n. Margot Oxford, More Memories, p. 187
0. Letter to Lady Homer, quoted in Spender and Asquith, op. cit., i, p. 37
p. Oxford and Asquith, op. cit., i, p. 19
q. ibid., i, p. 25
CHAPTER II
a. Stanley Letters, 22nd February, 1915
b. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith i, p. 43
c. ibid., i, p. 43
d. Haldane: Autobiography, p. 103
e. Letter to Mrs. (later Lady) Homer, September nth, 1892
f. Memories and Refections, i, p. 68
g. Studies and Sketches, 1924
h. Memories and Refections, i, pp. 67-9
1. The Times, 30 July, 1956 j. Haldane, op. cit., pp. 103-4
CHAPTER III
a. Spender and Asquith, Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith, i, p. 56
523
b. Haldane: Autobiography, p. 104
c. Parliamentary Debates, Commons, 3rd Series, Vol. 312, col. 1395
d. Gardiner, The Life of Sir William Harcourt, ii, p. 152
e. Memories and Reflections, i, p. 112
f Spender and Asquith, op. cit., i, p. 57
g. Haldane, op. cit., p. 101
h. Gardiner, op. cit., ii, p. 152
i. Crewe: Lord Rosebery, i, p. 347
j. Spender and Asquith, op. cit., i, p. 48
k. Memories and Reflections, i, pp. 79-80
l. Spender and Asquith, op. cit., p. 49
CHAPTER IV
a. Magnus: Gladstone, p. 394
b. Margot Asquith: Autobiography, i, pp. 262-3
c. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith, i, p. 98
d. Crewe: Lord Rosebery, ii, p. 391
e. Fifty Years of Parliament, i, pp. 200-1
/. The Letters of Queen Victoria, 3rd Series, vol. ii, p. 156
chapter v
a. Magnus: Gladstone, p. 402
b. Memories and Reflections, i, pp. 131-2
c. ibid., i, p. 132
d. ibid., i, p. 142
e. ibid., i, p. 130
/. Strand magazine, Oct., 1933
g. Fifty Years of Parliament, i, p. 215
h. ibid., i, pp. 216-17
i. Memories and Reflections, i, p. 143
j. Fifty Years of Parliament, i, pp. 221-2
CHAPTER VI
a. Margot Asquith: Autobiography, i, pp. 267-8
b. ibid., i, pp. 261-2
c. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith, i, p. 98
d. Margot Asquith, op. cit., i, pp. 192-3
e. Margot Oxford: More Memories, p. 44
f. Spender and Asquith, op. cit., i. p. 96
g. Margot Asquith, op. cit., i, pp. 269-70 It. Crewe: Lord Rosebery, ii, p. 466
i. ibid., p. 468
j. Gardiner: The Life of Sir William Harcourt, ii, p. 308
k. Fifty Years of Parliament, i, p. 224 /. ibid., i, p. 230
m. Parliamentary Debates, Commons, 4th Series, Vol. 30, col. 866
n. Gardiner, op. cit., ii, p. 348
CHAPTER VII
a. Margot Asquith: Autobiography, i, p. 163
b. Asquith Papers, box ix, pp. 169-72
c. Margot Asquith, op. cit., ii, pp. 35-6
d. ibid., ii, p. 36
CHAPTER VIII
a. Gardiner: The Life of Sir William Harcourt, ii, p. 376
b. Crewe: Lord Rosebery, ii, pp. 522-3
c. Gardiner, op. cit., ii, p. 418
d. ibid., ii, p. 418
e. ibid., ii, p. 421
f Fifty Years of Parliament, i, p. 253
g. Margot Asquith: Autobiography, ii, p. 23
h. ibid., ii, p. 25
i. Fifty Years of Parliament, i, p. 254
j. Asquith Papers, box ix, f. 92
k. ibid., ix, ff. 129-32 /. ibid., ix, ff. 147-52
m. ibid., ix, ff. 109-28
n. Campbell-Bannerman Papers, 41210, 155-6 0. Asquith Papers, box ix, ff 139-42
p. Campbell-Bannerman Papers, 41210, 159-60
q. Asquith Papers, box ix, 167-8
r. Campbell-Bannerman Papers, 41210, 163-4
s. Asquith Papers, box xlvi, ff. 9-12
CHAPTER IX
a. Garvin: Life of Joseph Chamberlain, iii, pp. 414-16
b. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith, i, p. 133
c. Speech at the Liverpool Street Station Hotel, June 17th, 19
01
d. Gardiner: The Life of Sir William Harcourt, ii, p. 513
e. Fifty Years of Parliament, i, p. 270 /. Trevelyan: Grey of Fallodon, p. 80 g. Gardiner, op. cit., ii, p. 517
h. Garvin, op. cit., iii, p. 599
i. ibid., iii, p. 603
/. Spender: The Life of the Rt. Hon. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, i, p. 297 k. ibid., i, p. 336
/. Campbell-Bannerman Papers, 41210, 206-7 nt. Asquith Papers, box x, fF. 3-4 n. ibid., box x, fF. 13-14 0. ibid., box x, fF. 21-2
p. Campbell-Bannerman Papers, 41210, 208-9
q. Spender and Asquith, op. cit., i, p. 141
r. Asquith Papers, box x, fF 23-24
s. ibid., box x, fF. 16-17
t. Spender and Asquith, op. cit., i, p. 141
u. Asquith Papers, box x, fF 25-6
v. Crewe: Lord Rosebery, ii, p. 573
w. Spender, op. cit., ii, p. 17 chapter x
a. Holland: Life of the Duke of Devonshire, ii, p. 284
b. Margot Asquith: Autobiography, ii, p. 53
c. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith, i, p. 154
d. Spender: The Life of the Rt. Hon. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, ii, p. 120
e. Asquith Papers, box x, fF. 124-9
f. Spender: op. cit., ii, p. 138
g. Asquith Papers, box x, fF. 98-9
h. ibid., box x, F. 123
i. Campbell-Bannerman Papers, 41210, 227-8
j. Asquith Papers, box x, fF. 90-1
k. ibid., box x, fF. 92-3
/. Lee: King Edward VII, ii, p. 442
m. Haldane: Autobiography, pp. 158-9
n. Asquith Papers, box x, fF. 138-40 0. ibid., box x, fF. 148-9
p. Sommer: Haldane of Cloan, p. 147
q. Asquith Papers, box x, fF. 144-5
r. ibid., fF. 153-4
s. Haldane, op. cit., p. 161
t. Margot Asquith, op. cit., ii, pp. 66-8
u. Asquith Papers, box x, F. 165
v. Campbell-Bannerman Papers, 41210, 247-252
CHAPTER XI
a. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith i, pp. 174-5
b. Asquith Papers, box x, fF. 27-32
c. ibid., box x, fF. 180-1
d. Margot Asquith: Autobiography, ii, p. 71
e. ibid., ii, p. 73
f. ibid., ii, p. 74
g. Spender: The Life of the Rt. Hon. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, ii, p. 198
h. Margot Asquith, op. cit., ii, p. 75
i. Spender and Asquith, op. cit., pp. 174-5 i. Margot Asquith, op. cit., ii, p. 77
CHAPTER XII
a. Fifty Years of Parliament, ii, p. 69
b. Memories and Reflections, i, p. 254
c. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith, i, p. 190
d. Campbell-Bannerman Papers, 41210, 272-3
e. ibid., 273-6
f. Spender: The Life of the Rt. Hon. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, ii, p. 336
g. Spender and Asquith, op. cit., i, p. 184
h. Spender, op. cit., ii, p. 313
CHAPTER XIII
a. Spender: The Life of the Rt. Hon. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, ii, p. 377
b. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith, i, p. 196
c. Asquith Papers, box xi, fF. 39-40
d. ibid., box xi, fF. 16-19
e. Reproduced in facsimile in Margot Asquith’s Autobiography, ii, p. 102 /. Asquith Papers, box xi, fF. 10-15
g. Letter From Asquith to his wife, quoted by Spender and Asquith, i, p. 195
h. Asquith Papers, box xi, fF. 77-8
l. ibid.
j. Morley: Recollections, ii, p. 251
k. Asquith Papers, xi, fF. 69-70
/. Margot Asquith: Autobiography, ii, p. 107
m. Asquith Papers, box v, fF. 75-6
n. ibid., box i, f. 42
0. ibid., box xi, fF. 162-5
p. ibid., box xx, fF. 153-4
q. ibid., box xlvi, f. 169
r. ibid., box xx, fF. 25-7
s. ibid., box xx, fF. 91-142
t. ibid., box F. 139
u. ibid., box xi, fF. 203-4
v. ibid., box xx, fF. 167-8 u>. ibid., box xlvi, F. 171 x. ibid., box xi, fF. 239-54
CHAPTER XIV
a. Asquith Papers, box xxi, fF. 61-7
b. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith, i, p. 254
c. ibid.
d. Asquith Papers, box v, fF. 77-8
e. ibid., box v, fF. 93-6
f. ibid., box i, F. 194
g. ibid., box v, fF. 150-1
h. ibid., box v, fF. 160-1
i. ibid., box xxi, fF. 274-9
j. ibid., box i, fF. 230-1
k. Quoted in Spender and Asquith, op. cit., i, p. 261
l. ibid., i, p. 268
m. Asquith Papers, box, xii, fF. 114-15
n. ibid., box xxiii, fF. 70-6 0. ibid., box xxiii, fF. 62-6
p. Annual Register For 1910, p. 56
q. Asquith Papers, box xlvi, F. 183
r. ibid., box xxiii, fF. 94-5
s. Murray: Master and Brother, p. 39
t. Asquith Papers, box v, fF. 190-1
u. ibid., fF. 192-3
v. ibid., box v, fF. 208-11
w. ibid.
x. Murray, op. cit., p. 45
y. Margot Asquith: Autobiography, ii, p. 135
CHAPTER xv
a. Fifty Years of Parliament, ii, pp. 87-8
b. Asquith Papers, box xii, fF. 136-8
c. Nicolson: King George V, p. 131
d. Lloyd George: War Memoirs, p. 22
e. Asquith Papers, box xii, F. 198
f. ibid., box xii, fF. 214-15
g. ibid., box xlvi, f. 188
h. Nicolson, op. cit., p. 134
i. ibid., p. 135
j. ibid., p. 12911.
k. ibid., p. 138
/. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith, i, p. 297 tn. Asquith Papers, box ii, f. 83 rt. Nicolson, op. cit., p. 139
0. Asquith Papers, box xiii, fF. 1-4
p. ibid., box ii, F 258
q. Parliamentary Debates, Commons, 5th Series, vol. 29, col. 817
r. Asquith Papers, box ii, f. 276
s. ibid., box ii, f. 278
t. Nicolson, op. cit., p. 155
u. Asquith Papers, box ii, fF. 278-9
CHAPTER XVI
a. Owen: Tempestuous Journey, p. 216
b. Asquith Papers, box iii, fF. 4-5
c. ibid., box iii, fF 8-9
d. ibid., box vi, fF. 24-5
e. ibid., box vi, fF 125-6
f. Owen, op. cit., p. 211
g. Grey of Fallodon: Twenty-fve Years, i, p. 238
h. Asquith Papers, box xlvi, F. 191
1. Haldane: Autobiography, p. 230
j. ibid., p.231
k. Sommer: Haldane of Cloan, pp. 248-9 /. Grey of Fallodon: op. cit., i, p. 95
tn. ibid.
n. Asquith Papers, box vi, F. 75 0. ibid., box vi, fF. 79-80
p. ibid., box xxii, fF. 224-6
q. Fulford: Votes for Women, p. 184
r. Speeches of the Earl of Oxford, p. 183
s. Asquith Papers, box vii, fF. 7-8
t. Stanley Letters, F 46
u. Donaldson: The Marconi Scandal, p. 57
v. Nicolson: King George V, p. 210
w. Samuel: Memoirs, p. 57
CHAPTER XVII
a. Memories and Reflections, i, p. 271
b. ibid., p. 273
CHAPTER XVIII
a. Memories and Reflections, i, p. 202
b. Asquith Papers, box vi, ff. 95-6
c. Blake: The Unknown Prime Minister, p. 130
d. Austen Chamberlain: Politics from Inside, pp. 486-7
e. Nicolson: King George V, p. 221 /. ibid., p. 220
g. ibid., p. 223
h. ibid., pp. 226-7
i. ibid., p. 226
j. Asquith Papers, box xxxviii, ff. 216-19
k. idib., box xxxviii, ff. 126-7 /. Bl
ake, op. cit., p. 156
m. Asquith Papers, box xxxviii, ff. 198-201
n. ibid., box xxxviii, ff. 220-1 0. ibid., box xxxviii, ff. 222-3
p. ibid., box xxxviii, f. 230
q. Blake, op. cit., p. 161
r. ibid., p. 161
5. Asquith Papers, box xxxviii, ff. 231-4
t. ibid., box xxxiv, ff. 1-6
u. Blake, op. cit., p. 165
v. ibid., p. 165
w. Asquith Papers, box vii, ff. 71-2
x. ibid., box xxxix, ff. 23-26
y. ibid., box xxxix, ff. 29-35 ibid., box vii, ff. 77-8
aa. Blake, op. cit., p. 170 bb. Nicolson, op. cit., p. 222
CHAPTER XIX
a. Spender and Asquith: Life of Lord Oxford & Asquith, ii, p. 77
b. Asquith Papers, box xxv, ff. 148-9
c. Churchill: World Crisis, i, p. 178
d. Asquith Papers, box xxxix, ff. 97-8
e. ibid., box xxxix, ff. m-16
f. Nicolson: King George V, p. 234
g. Asquith Papers, box xxxix, ff 143-4
h. ibid., box xl, f. 19.
i. ibid., box xl, ff. 27-8
j. Callwell: Sir Henry Wilson, i, p. 143
k. Ryan: Mutiny at The Curragh, p. 160
l. Asquith Papers, box xl, ff. 118-21
m. ibid., box xxix, ff 157-8
n. ibid., box xli, f. 5
0. ibid., box xlvi, f. 213
p. Blake: The Unknown Prime Minister, p. 215
CHAPTER XX
a. Margot Asquith: Autobiography, ii, p. 196