George Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen

The Hon. George Joachim Goschen, 1895

Goschen was born to George Joachim Goschen, 1st Viscount Goschen, a prominent Liberal politician, and his wife Lucy née Dalley, daughter of Kent esquire John Dalley, on 15 October 1866 at St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings.[3] The Goschen family were eminent in both Germany and Britain; indeed, his grandfather, Wilhelm Heinrich von Göschen was co-founder of the merchant banking firm Frühling & Göschen and the son of Georg Joachim von Göschen. The family had moved to England in 1814 during the Napoleonic wars, from Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony.[4] He was educated at Rugby School, and Balliol College, Oxford.[1]

Goschen fell in love with Lady Margaret Evelyn Gathorne-Hardy, the eldest of the five children of the Earl of Cranbrook, who was eight years older than he was, but still desired to marry her.[5] His father, the 1st Viscount, was, however, strongly opposed to their marriage and used his influence to get an appointment for his son as a Private Secretary to Lord Jersey, the Governor of New South Wales in Australia.[5] Goschen calmly obeyed his father's orders and worked in Australia from 1890 to 1892.[5] On his return from Australia, however, he married Margaret in 1893.[3][5]

He was a Major in the 2nd Volunteer Battalion of The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), and from February 1901 served as an extra Aide de camp to Lord Roberts, Commander-in-Chief during the Second Boer War.[6] He fought in the First World War as Commandant of the 2nd/5th Battalion, East Kent Regiment.

Goschen entered politics early in life. In 1895, he was elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as a Conservative for the then East Grinstead constituency in Sussex and served as a member of parliament for two terms from 18 July 1895 to 25 January 1906.[7] In July 1913, he was elected Chairman of the Council of the Corporation of Foreign Bondholders which comprised some of the leading financiers in England.[8] Goschen served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries from March to June 1918.[9][10]

Goschen succeeded his father as Viscount Goschen on the latter's death on 7 February 1907.[11] In December 1910, he was appointed a deputy lieutenant (DL) of Kent.[12]

Viscount Goschen, Maharajah Ram Chandra Deo and Lady Margaret, Viscountess (née Gathorne-Hardy)

Goschen was appointed Governor of Madras in 1924 and he arrived at Madras in May 1924 to take charge.[13] Goschen was awarded the Order of the Star of India (GCSI) in March 1924.

The Madras Presidency Radio Club started a radio transmission service in Madras, the first in the city, in 1924, under Goschen's patronage. This service lasted from 1924 to 1927. Goschen was also involved in the early stages of the Loyola College, Chennai, and presided over its first college day in 1928.[14] The Children's Hospital at Mangalore was refurbished and renamed as Lady Goschen Hospital while the SPG College, Trichinopoly, was renamed as Bishop Heber College and Goschen presided over its diamond jubilee celebrations in 1926.[15]

In November 1926, the Pykara hydroelectric project across the Moyar river was conceived by Lord Goschen.[16]

Goschen maintained friendly relations with the Raja of Panagal who was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency. However, in the 1926 elections to the Madras Legislative Assembly, the Justice Party, to which the Raja belonged, was reduced to a minority winning only 21 out of 98 seats in the assembly.[17] The Raja stepped down as Chief Minister and handed over his resignation to the Governor.[17] Goschen invited S. Srinivasa Iyengar, the leader of the Swarajya Party which had won a majority, to form the government, but he refused as the acceptance of public posts would defeat the very purpose of the Swarajists to disrupt the working of the dyarchy.[17] Goschen, therefore, made an independent, P. Subbarayan, the Chief Minister, and nominated 34 members to the council to support him.[18] As the government was set up by Goschen and all the members nominated by him, it functioned more or less like a puppet government.[18]

Subbarayan's government was the subject of much controversy and survived a no-confidence motion on 23 August 1927.[19] Its position became more precarious when the Simon Commission arrived in India in 1928.[19] The Swarajya Party moved a resolution exhorting a boycott of the commission and the Justice Party supported them. The motion was passed 65 to 50 with both of Subbarayan's ministers in favour of a boycott.[20] Subbarayan responded by resigning his post.[20] Goschen, however, mediated a settlement with the Raja of Panagal and appointed a Justice Party nominee, Krishnan Nair to the Executive Council.[20] The Justice Party, immediately, withdrew their support to the resolution[20] and welcomed the commission.[21] Just before his retirement from active politics in 1925, the Justice Party insisted upon a gift of land to their leader Theagaroya Chetty from the Madras government but Goschen staunchly refused to make the grant.[22] A block named "Goschen Block" was constructed in the Govt Estate (presently Omandurar Estate) in Mount Road. This had a number of houses allotted to Govt officials and later to MLAs (Mr P. Kakkan, Minister in the Kamaraj Govt, lived in one). Goschen Block was demolished when construction of the new Assembly building (now a hospital) started.

During his tenure, the Yanam-Neelapalli bridge was constructed. Yanam was then a French colony. He laid the foundation stone for the bridge on 10 December 1927.

Lord Goschen as Viceroy of India, July 1929

Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India, left for London on leave in early July 1929. He appointed Goschen to act as the Viceroy during his absence, which lasted for the remainder of Irwin's tenure until April 1931.[23] As such, Goschen was de facto Viceroy and Governor-General of India while Irwin oversaw the beginning of the Round Table conferences in Britain.[24][25]

During Lord Goschen's three-year tenure as acting Viceroy, the Raj underwent a period of lavish splendour and prosperity, largely inspired by his hand.[23][26] Goschen partook in tiger hunting and horse racing, and hosted large, luxurious banquets and high-society weddings.[27] However, the days of the British rule in India were coming to an end. Mahatma Gandhi was campaigning for Indian independence from the empire, and on 12 March 1930 in protest, led the Salt march or Dandi Satyagraha of civil disobedience, specifically against the British salt monopoly.[28] Irwin and Goschen were not concerned by this, however,[29] the latter believing that the administration could come to terms with Gandhi, rather than undertake the violent approach Secretary of State for India William Wedgwood Benn advocated for.[30] During this period, Lord Irwin possibly returned to India, and so Goschen's acting tenure may have been several times interrupted. The Round Table conferences were ambiguous in outcome, but overall, alluded to the fact that India would eventually, gain self-rule (Swaraj).

George Goschen's father, the 1st Viscount, had been offered the Viceroyalty of India by British Liberal Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone in 1880, but had declined the offer.[31][32][33]

In 1933, a group which called itself the Union of Britain and India was formed in London.[34] This group was in favour of an Indian federation.[34] Goschen served as the first President of the union.[34] Goschen also wrote a chapter titled "Provincial Autonomy" in the 1934 book India from a Back Bench where he criticized the dyarchy system regarding it as a failure based on his experience as an administrator in India.[35]

From this point of view, the result has been disappointing; for Diarchy has inculcated a spirit of irresponsibility than responsibility. The Ministers have to rely for support on the official bloc in the Councils (about a quarter of the whole number of members), and for this reason their sense of responsibility to the elected members is "blurred", and the elected members regard them as to some extent suspect.
The Ministers are not responsible for "Law and Order" or Finance. In other words, they have not to find the money for their departments and are consequently handicapped in starting new schemes: and they are not responsible for the effect of their administration. They thus stand to lose their credit and escape the blame that fuller responsible would award them.[35]

On 26 January 1893, at Benenden, Kent, Lord Goschen married Lady Margaret Evelyn Gathorne-Hardy (27 May 1858 – 11 July 1943), eldest daughter of Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook by his wife Jane (née Stewart-Orr).[1] Lady Goschen gave her name to the Viscountess Goschen Government Girls (Muslim) High School in Tharanallur, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu,[36] and to the Lady Goschen Hospital in Mangalore.[24]

They had three children:[3]

• Lt. Hon. George Joachim, 7th Btn East Kent Regiment (18 November 1893 – 16 January 1916), expected to succeed, but died of wounds received in action at the Siege of Kut[37][38]
• Hon. Phyllis Evelyn (5 August 1895 – 27 May 1976), Lady-in-Waiting to Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal 1948–1965, married Lt Col. Francis Cecil Campbell Balfour, nephew of Prime Minister Arthur Balfour and grandson of the Duke of Argyll
• Hon. Cicely Winifred (29 April 1899 – 1980), married Maj. Melville Edward Bertram Portal, who had previously served as secretary to the Governor of Madras, in India

Goschen died on 25 July 1952 at the age of 85. His title passed to his nephew John Goschen.[2]

• Ralhan, O. P. (2002). Encyclopaedia of Political Parties. Anmol Publications PVT. LTD. ISBN 978-81-7488-865-5.

• Hesilrige, Arthur G. M. (1921). Debrett's Peerage and Titles of courtesy. 160A, Fleet street, London, UK: Dean & Son. p. 411.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
• Muthiah, S. (12 May 2008). "In search of the Stanley name". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012.
• Ramnarayan, V. (23 July 2001). "Traveller with a mission". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011.

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Viscount Goschen