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Description: | A white stone portrait statue of the 3rd Duke of Northumberland, standing in a proud pose and dressed in robes of the Order of the Garter. Set on a yellow stone pedestal, the statue's dimensions makes the Duke look curiously small in relation to its position. Additional Information: Hugh, 3rd Duke of Northumberland (1785-1847) was a descendent of the famous Percy line which included Harry Hotspur and inhabitants of Alnwick Castle. After studying at Cambridge he was elected to Parliament in 1806, becoming MP for Northumberland and Lancashire in 1807, speaking in favour of the Colonies Anti-Slavery Bill. Succeeding to the Dukedom in 1817, he was a man of moderate views, welcoming Catholic emancipation and paying for most of his state duties out of his own purse. He was Viceroy of Ireland from 1829 where he laboured towards the application of impartiality in law, but returned to England in 1830 after calls for Parliamentary reform led to civil unrest. In his capacity as Vice Admiral of the Coast he heard of the exploits of Grace Darling and her father William in rescuing nine people from the wreck of the steamer Forfarshire off Bamburgh on 7th September 1838. She was already feted as a national hero, and the Duke became her guardian after presenting her with gold medals, money and household goods for her family. He died at Alnwick Castle and was buried in Westminster Abbey.(2) | Subjects: | Statue | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Sculptor: Tate, Christopher Sculptor: Davies, Richard George | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=7539... | Go to resource |
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