Charles Wyndham, 3rd Baron Leconfield
Charles Henry Wyndham, 3rd Baron Leconfield GCVO (17 February 1872 – 16 April 1952) was a British peer, army officer and political figure. He succeeded his father as third Baron Leconfield in 1901.
The Lord Leconfield | |
|---|---|
 Lord Leconfield, 1908 | |
| Lord Lieutenant of Sussex | |
| In office 1917–1949 | |
| Preceded by | 15th The Duke of Norfolk |
| Succeeded by | 16th The Duke of Norfolk |
| 3rd Baron Leconfield | |
| In office 1901–1952 | |
| Preceded by | Henry Wyndham |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Wyndham |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 February 1872[1] Petworth, Sussex, England |
| Died | 16 April 1952 (aged 80) Petworth House, Sussex |
| Spouse(s) | Beatrice Violet Rawson |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1892–1898; 1917–1918 |
| Rank | Honorary Colonel |
| Unit | 1st Regiment of Life Guards |
| Commands | Royal Sussex Volunteers |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
Ancestry
Wyndham was born at the family estate, Petworth House, in Sussex. A direct descendant of Sir John Wyndham, he was the second but eldest surviving son of Henry Wyndham, 2nd Baron Leconfield, and Constance Evelyn Primrose, daughter of Archibald Primrose, Lord Dalmeny. His grandfather, the first Baron Leconfield, was the adopted heir of George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, from whom the family derived their considerable wealth.[1]
Military career
He served in the 1st Life Guards from 1892 to 1898 and He was appointed a lieutenant of the Reserve on 27 January 1900,.[2] In 1901, during the Second Boer War, he became the commanding officer of the newly-reformed Sussex Yeomanry (originally raised at Petworth by the 3rd Earl of Egremont).[1][3][4]
During World War I he rejoined the 1st Life Guards and commanded the Royal Sussex Volunteers from 1917 to 1918. In World War II, he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 5th Battalion of the Border Regiment (representing Cumberland, of which he held significant lands), and of the 98th Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Sussex between 1917 and 1949.[1]
Properties
Lord Leconfield inherited the family seat, Petworth House, as well as significant land in Cumberland, including Cockermouth Castle and Scafell Pike. In 1919, he placed Scafell Pike—the highest peak in England—under the custody of the National Trust in honour of the soldiers of the Lake District who served in World War I.
Lord Leconfield also opened the state rooms of Petworth House, the 17th-century marvel with considerable artwork, to the public. In 1947, he gave Petworth and its 735-acre park to the National Trust as well.
Later life
Lord Leconfield married Beatrice Violet Rawson, daughter of Colonel Richard Hamilton Rawson, in 1911. Wyndham had two adopted children, Peter and Elizabeth Geraldine Wyndham (born Betty Seymour).
He was a dedicated sportsman, a master of foxhounds, and served as president of the Marylebone Cricket Club for the 1927–1928 season. He also served as president of the Pratt's club in London.
He died in April 1952, aged 80, after a lengthy illness. Wyndham was succeeded in the barony by his younger brother Hugh (1877–1963) as his adopted son Peter was disqualified from inheriting his adoptive father’s titles and estates. Wyndham left an estate of £2,136,439 (equivalent to £61,925,567 in 2019).[5]
His adopted daughter Elizabeth Wyndham was a socialite and civil servant, born on 15 December 1922. She died on 13 May 2008, aged 85 in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire. As an accomplished polyglot, during the Second World War, she worked as a linguist in the British codebreaking department at Bletchley Park.[6]
Notes
- "Lord Leconfield: A Life of Public Service". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 18 April 1952. p. 7.
- "No. 27157". The London Gazette. 26 January 1900. p. 518.
- Army List, various dates.
- L. Barlow & R.J. Smith, The Uniforms of the British Yeomanry Force 1794–1914, 1: The Sussex Yeomanry Cavalry, London: Robert Ogilby Trust/Tunbridge Wells: Midas Books, ca 1979, ISBN 0-85936-183-7, p. 7.
- "Wills and Bequests". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 26 August 1952. p. 6.
- "Elizabeth Wyndham: socialite and civil servant". The Times. 21 June 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Duke of Norfolk |
Lord Lieutenant of Sussex 1917–1949 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Norfolk |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Henry Wyndham |
Baron Leconfield 1901–1952 |
Succeeded by Hugh Archibald Wyndham |