Henry Baillie

Baillie was the son of Colonel Hugh Duncan Baillie, son of Evan Baillie, by his first wife Elizabeth, daughter of Reverend Henry Reynett. Peter Baillie and James Evan Baillie were his uncles.[1] He was educated at Eton College.[2]

Baillie was a friend of Benjamin Disraeli, and in 1835 was actually called upon by Disraeli to serve as his second (after d'Orsay declined), when it appeared that Disraeli and Morgan O'Connell, the son of Daniel O'Connell, were going to fight a duel, which apparently did not actually occur.[3] In 1840 Baillie was elected Member of Parliament for Inverness-shire, and retained that seat until 1868.[4] In the early 1840s he was associated with the "Young England" movement, of which Disraeli was the head. Another member of that group, George Smythe, was Baillie's brother-in-law. He apparently broke with Sir Robert Peel over the Corn Laws and accepted minor office in Lord Derby's 1852 government as Joint Secretary to the Board of Control. He again held office under Derby as Under-Secretary of State for India from 1858 to 1859. In 1866 he was sworn of the Privy Council.[5]

Grave of Henry James Baillie in the Baillie family vault in the Lebanon Circle in Highgate Cemetery

Baillie married firstly the Honourable Philippa Eliza Sydney Smythe, daughter of Percy Smythe, 6th Viscount Strangford, in 1840. They had several children. After Philippa's death in June 1854 he married secondly Clarissa Rush, daughter of George Rush, in 1857. Baillie died at the age of 82 and was buried in the Baillie family vault in the Lebanon Circle on the west side of Highgate Cemetery.[1]

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Henry Baillie