Sir George Russell, 4th Baronet (23 August 1828 – 7 March 1898) was a British barrister, judge, and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1898.

["Wokingham"

Russell as caricatured by "Spy" (Leslie Ward) in Vanity Fair, March 1889 | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/George///Russell///Vanity///Fair///2///March///1889.jpg]

Early life

Russell was the third son of Sir Henry Russell, 2nd Baronet and his wife Marie Clotilde Mottet de la Fontaine, a daughter of Baron Benoît Mottet de La Fontaine. He was educated at Eton and Exeter College, Oxford. He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1853 and went to the Oxford Circuit. In 1862 he became recorder of Wokingham.

Career

He was a County Court Judge of County Circuit No. 19 from 1866 to 1874, and of Circuit No. 49 from 1874 to February 1884. He succeeded his brother Charles as 4th baronet in 1883. In the 1885 general election, Russell was elected the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Wokingham. He served until his death at the age of 69 in 1898. Russell was elected Chairman of the South Eastern Railway (SER) on 24 January 1895, and served in that post until his death on 7 March 1898, being replaced by Cosmo Bonsor. During Russell's short term as chairman, the SER began to work more closely with its rivals. The Railway Times remarked "upon his succession to the chair he initiated a policy wholly new to that company, the salient features of which were peace with its neighbours and an energetic development of its own resources."

Personal life

Russell married Constance Charlotte Elisa Lennox, daughter of Lord Arthur Lennox in 1871. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son George. They lived at Swallowfield Park in Berkshire. Their children were: Sir George died on 7 March 1898.