BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE ... - ideals

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trustee throughout his life.15
meetings with any frequency.
Only Wolff seems to have attended
His visits occurred primarily before
Middleton and Akers-Douglas began to make their presence felt, just
prior to the formation of Salisbury's Caretaker government in July of
1885. 16 In May, 1885 Lady Salisbury, Lady Northcote, and the Duchess of
Marlborough were appointed Presidents of the LGC.
Their positions upon
the executive along with that of Mrs. Akers-Douglas, who was
represented upon the Council between 6 June 1885 and 22 April
1887,17
can also be seen as a barometer of Conservative party interest in
supervising the League, particularly during its early, formative stage.
The anticipation of a General Election in June, 1885 led
Middleton to attend some key Council meetings, one of which authorized
the payment of lecturers and allocation of funds for the use of the
15 Minutes of the Grand Council of the Primrose League, 25
April 1885. The last letter from the League to Churchill concerning
fiscal matters relating to his position as trustee is dated 31 January
1894. F. Willis to Churchill; Churchill papers, RCHL xxx/4433. Gorst
also held a "permanent" position as League trustee from August of 1886,
continuing to serve in that capacity throughout the years under study.
Minutes of the Grand Council of the Primrose League, 6 August 1886.
List of Council and trustees for the 1900-1901 Primrose year contained
in The Primrose League Gazette, 2 July 1900, p. 3.
1^ Wolff appears to have attended at least nine Council
meetings between January and June of 1885 and few if any sessions
during the subsequent twelve months. Conversely Middleton and Akers-
Douglas seem to have attended, all told, only five executive functions
between January and June of 1885, all of them occurring from April
onward. The following year they were present for at least nineteen
Council meetings. The above figures are based on attendance records
maintained in the Minutes of the Grand Council of the Primrose League
between January of 1885 and June, 1886.
17 LGC Executive Committee Minutes, 16 May 1885 and between 6
June 1885 and 22 April 1887.