Alfred Erskine Gathorne-Hardy (27 February 1845 - 11 November 1918), styled The Honourable from 1878, was a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 Conservative

Conservative Party (UK)

The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

 Member of Parliament

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

.

Gathorne-Hardy was the third son of Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook, and Jane Orr. Born Alfred Hardy, he assumed by Royal license the additional surname of Gathorne in 1878 like the rest of his family. The same year he was elected to the House of Commons

British House of Commons

The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...

 for Canterbury

Canterbury (UK Parliament constituency)

Canterbury is a county constituency which has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

, a seat he held until 1880, when the constituency was suspended. He returned to Parliament in 1886 when he was returned for East Grinstead

East Grinstead (UK Parliament constituency)

East Grinstead was a parliamentary constituency in the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. It first existed as a Parliamentary borough from 1307, returning two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons elected by the bloc vote system...

, and continued to represent this constituency until 1895.

An observant naturalist he was also a keen shot and fisherman. In 1900 Longmans published his "Autumns in Argyle with Rod and Gun", which is a collection of reminiscences of 30 years worth of sporting visits to his brother-in-law's estate at Poltalloch in Argyll. This 100000 acres (404.7 km²) estate included historic Dunadd

Dunadd

Dunadd, , is an Iron Age and later hillfort near Kilmartin in Argyll and Bute, Scotland and believed to be the capital of the ancient kingdom of Dál Riata.-Description:...

 as well as Castle Sween

Castle Sween

Castle Sween is located on the eastern shore of Loch Sween, in Knapdale, on the west coast of Argyll, Scotland. Castle Sween is thought to be one of the earliest stone castles built in Scotland, having been built sometime in the late twelfth century...

, Carnasserie Castle

Carnasserie Castle

Carnasserie Castle is a ruined 16th century tower house, noted for its unusual plan and renaissance detailing...

, and Duntrune - the family seat of the Clan Malcolm

Clan Malcolm

Clan Malcolm is a Highland Scottish clan. The Clan Malcolm is sometimes also called MacCallum. The Clan MacCallum was originally a separate clan until the 18th century when the chief of Clan MacCallum adopted the name Malcolm and the two clans were drawn together.-Origins of the Clan:The name...

 . The book has recently been reissued in a facsimile edition.

Gathorne-Hardy died in November 1918, aged 73.

External links