Ailwyn Edward Fellowes, 1st Baron Ailwyn {{post-nominals|country=AUS|KCVO|KBE|PC|DL}} (10 November 1855 – 23 September 1924) was a British businessman, farmer and Conservative politician. He was a member of Arthur Balfour's cabinet as President of the Board of Agriculture between March and December 1905.

Background and education

Fellowes was born at Haveringland Hall, Norfolk, the younger son of Edward Fellowes (later Baron de Ramsey) and Mary Julia, daughter of George Milles, 4th Baron Sondes. William Fellowes, 2nd Baron de Ramsey, was his elder brother. He was educated at Eton and Trinity Hall, Cambridge.{{acad|id=FLWS874AE|name=Fellowes, Ailwyn}} He trained as a barrister, but never qualified, turning instead to agriculture and politics. He inherited Honingham Hall in Norfolk from his aunt in 1887 and devoted much of his time to running and improving it.{{Cite news |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS236787512/TTDA |title=Obituary: Lord Ailwyn |newspaper=The Times |publication-place=London |issue=43765 |page=14 |date=24 September 1924 |access-date=2024-08-21 |via=The Times Digital Archive}}

Political career

File:Ailwyn Edward Fellowes (1855–1924).png

Fellowes unsuccessfully contested Mid Norfolk in 1885 and North Norfolk in 1886 but won Ramsey in 1887 in a by-election following his brother's succession to the peerage. He held office under Lord Salisbury as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household between 1895 and 1900 and under Salisbury and Arthur Balfour as a Lord of the Treasury between 1900 and 1905. In March 1905 he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed President of the Board of Agriculture{{London Gazette |issue=27774 |date=14 March 1905 |page=2011 }} by Balfour, with a seat in the cabinet, a post he held until the government fell in December 1905.

Between 1917 and 1919 Fellowes was chairman of the Agricultural Wages Board and deputy director of Food Production. Apart from his involvement in national politics he was chairman of Norfolk County Council from 1920, having been an alderman for many years. Fellowes was made a deputy lieutenant of Norfolk in 1909.{{London Gazette | issue=28241 |page=2926 | date=13 April 1909}} He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in 1911, after serving as deputy president of the Royal Agricultural Show to The King (George V), and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1917. In the 1921 Birthday Honours he was raised to the peerage as Baron Ailwyn, of Honingham in the County of Norfolk.{{London Gazette |issue=32346 |date=4 June 1921 |page=4529 |supp=y}}

Business career

Fellowes was also director of the London and North Eastern Railway, Norwich Union and the National Provident Association and deputy chairman of the Great Eastern Railway.

Family

Lord Ailwyn married Agatha Eleanor Augusta,{{Cite web |title=Agatha Eleanor Augusta Fellowes (née Jolliffe), Lady Ailwyn (1863–1938), Wife of 1st Baron Ailwyn; daughter of 2nd Baron Hylton |url=http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person.php?LinkID=mp60389 |publisher=National Portrait Gallery, London}} daughter of Hedworth Jolliffe, 2nd Baron Hylton, at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, on 9 February 1886. They had four sons: