# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Maule, Fox

1904 Errata appended.
​MAULE, FOX, second Baron Panmure (of the United Kingdom), and eventually eleventh Earl of Dalhousie (in the peerage of Scotland) (1801–1874), was the eldest son of William Maule, first baron Panmure [q. v.] His mother was Patricia Heron, daughter of Gilbert Gordon of Halleaths, N.B. Born on 22 April 1801 at Brechin Castle, Forfarshire, he was educated at the Charterhouse under Dr. Russell, and entered the army at the usual age, but after twelve years' service retired as captain from the 79th highlanders in 1831–2. He was known as a spendthrift in youth. He sat in the House of Commons in the liberal interest in 1835–7 as M.P. for Perthshire, and afterwards represented the Elgin burghs, 1838–41, and the borough of Perth from the latter date until 1852, when his father's death raised him to the peerage. He was one of the under-secretaries of state in Lord Melbourne's ministry in 1835–41, and vice-president of the board of trade for a few months in the last-named year. He became secretary at war on 6 July 1846 in Lord John Russell's administration, and remained in office until 6 Feb. 1852. When Lord Palmerston formed an administration in February 1855, Panmure took office as secretary for war, and it was thus under his direction that the Crimean war reached its termination. Although he was in no way responsible for the errors for which his predecessor in the department, the Duke of Newcastle, was so freely blamed by the press, all Panmure's acts were rigorously scrutinized. While holding office he addressed a despatch to the military authorities in the Crimea, asking them to pay special attention to his nephew, a young officer named Dowbiggin; and the despatch gave birth to a long popular phrase, ‘Take care of Dowb.’ Panmure was one of the few Scottish noblemen who supported the free church at the date of the disruption of 1843. In December 1860 he succeeded to the earldom of Dalhousie on the death of his cousin, James Andrew Ramsay, tenth earl and first marquis of Dalhousie [see Ramsay]. In the following year, by royal licence, he assumed the additional name of Ramsay, as head of the ancient house of Dalhousie. He was a knight of the Scottish order of the Thistle, a knight grand cross of the Bath (civil division), a privy councillor, keeper of the privy seal of Scotland, lord-lieutenant of Forfarshire, a commissioner of the royal military asylum, and a governor of the Charterhouse. He married in 1831 Montagu Abercromby, daughter of George, second Lord Abercromby, but died without issue on 6 July 1874, when the earldom passed to his cousin, George Ramsay, admiral R.N., the barony of Panmure becoming extinct.
[Burke's Peerage; Dod's Peerage; Dod's Parliamentary Companion; personal knowledge and personal information.]
E. W.
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.197 N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
| Page | Col. | Line | |
| 85 | ii | 15-25 | Maule, Fox, 2nd Baron Panmure: for and again under Lord Aberdeen . . . . the fall of Sebastopol. read When Lord Palmer ston formed an administration in Feb. 1855 Panmure took office as secretary for war, and it was thus under his direction that the Crimean war reached its termination. Although he was in no way responsible for the errors for which his predecessor in the department, the duke of Newcastle, was severely blamed by the press, all Panmure's acts were rigorously scrutinised. |