caricature of the Earl of Powis by
Spy.|200px Powis was returned to Parliament as one of two MPs for
Shropshire North in 1843, a seat he held until 1848, when he succeeded his father in the earldom and entered the
House of Lords. Paternally great-grandson of
Clive of India and grandson of a former
Governor of Madras (
Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis), the Earl was offered the
Viceroyalty of India by then Prime Minister
Disraeli in 1875, when aged 67, but declined, fearing his health
"would not be suited to the rigours of the tropical climate". On the preserved envelope of the letter he scrawled,
"Not worth considering - Powis." From the formation of
County Councils in 1889, he was County Alderman for Shropshire and County Councillor for Montgomeryshire. He also served as
Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire from 1877 to 1891, and was
J.P. for the counties of Shropshire and
Herefordshire. ==Military service==