Biography of Sir Archibald Philip Primrose 5th Earl of Rosebery and 1st Earl of Midlothian

Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery and 1st Earl of Midlothian (1847-1929) was Chancellor of the University from 1908 until his death and Rector from 1899 to 1902.

Lord Rosebery was born in London and studied at Christ Church, Oxford until he was sent down for owning a race horse. He retained a love of horse racing for the rest of his life, and his horses included three Derby winners. He became a leading Liberal politician, especially popular in Scotland, and was briefly Prime Minister from 1894 until 1895.

Rosebery's unsuccessful opponent in the 1899 rectorial election was Lord Kelvin, the University's most famous son. When Kelvin died in 1907 Rosebery was chosen to replace him as Chancellor.

Rosebery was Rector of each of the four Scottish universities which existed during his lifetime.

Summary

Sir Archibald Philip Primrose 5th Earl of Rosebery and 1st Earl of Midlothian
Prime Minister
Born 7 May 1847, England.
Died 21 May 1929.
University Link: Chancellor, Rector
Occupation categories: historians; prime ministers; racehorse owners
NNAF Reference: GB/NNAF/P143919
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Record last updated: 27th Jan 2008

University Connections

University Roles

• Chancellor
• Rector
• Rector, 1899-1902
• Chancellor, 1908-1929

Buildings

• Memorial Chapel

Images

Lord Rosebery