Stuart Rendel, 1st Baron Rendel

Stuart Rendel, 1st Baron Rendel (2 July 1834 – 4 June 1913), was a British industrialist, philanthropist, and politician affiliated with the Liberal Party. He served as the Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire from 1880 to 1894 and was considered a prominent figure among Welsh Members of Parliament. Rendel was also recognized for his contributions to education and regional development in Wales.

Born in Plymouth, Devon, Rendel was the son of civil engineer James Meadows Rendel and his wife Catherine Jane, daughter of W. J. Harris. His family included several notable engineers: his brothers were Alexander Meadows Rendel and Hamilton Owen Rendel, both civil engineers, and his brother George Wightwick Rendel was a naval architect. Rendel received his early education at Eton College before attending Oriel College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1856 with a fourth-class degree in classical studies. He was called to the Bar in 1861 but primarily engaged in engineering activities, managing the London branch of Armstrong Mitchell, a company specializing in hydraulic power for civil engineering projects.

In his political career, Rendel was elected as the Liberal MP for Montgomeryshire, a constituency in Wales, in 1880. Despite being English and an Anglican by faith, he gained popularity in his Welsh-speaking constituency due to his support for Welsh causes, including the establishment of the University of Wales. He maintained his parliamentary seat until his retirement in March 1894. During his tenure, he was a close associate and confidant of William Ewart Gladstone and was regarded as the leader among Welsh MPs. Rendel was also an advocate for the disestablishment of the Church in Wales. Upon retiring from the House of Commons, he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Rendel, of Hatchlands in Surrey.

Beyond his political endeavors, Rendel was a benefactor to the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, serving as its president from 1895 until his death in 1913. He donated land for the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, and many of his papers are preserved there.

In his personal life, Rendel married Ellen Sophy Hubbard in 1857. She was the daughter of William Egerton Hubbard. The couple had four daughters. Their second daughter, the Honourable Maud Ernestine Rendel, married Henry Gladstone, who later became the 1st Baron Gladstone of Hawarden and was the third son of William Ewart Gladstone, Rendel’s close friend. In 1888, Rendel acquired Hatchlands Park in Surrey from the Sumner family. Lady Rendel died in May 1912 at age 74. Rendel died at his residence at 10 Palace Green, Kensington Palace Gardens, in June 1913 at the age of 78. The peerage became extinct upon his death, as he had no sons. His eldest daughter, Rose Ellen, married Harry Goodhart, a former international footballer and professor of Latin at the University of Edinburgh. Their son, Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel, inherited Hatchlands and became a notable architect.

At the state funeral of William Ewart Gladstone held at Westminster Abbey, Rendel served as a pallbearer alongside the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and the Duke of York (later King George V).

References and external links pertaining to Rendel’s parliamentary contributions and the history of Hatchlands Park are available, including records from Hansard and the National Trust website.