Basil Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 4th Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
Encyclopedia
Basil Sheridan Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 4th Marquess of Dufferin and Ava DL
(April 6, 1909 - March 25, 1945), styled Earl of Ava until 1918, was a Conservative
politician and soldier.
. He was educated at Eton College
and then at Balliol College, Oxford
. Following his father's succession to the marquessate in 1918 he was known as the Earl of Ava. At Eton he won the coveted Rosebery Prize, the highest possible distinction for a history pupil, when aged sixteen. At Oxford
he was friends with among others Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford
. He was also a contemporary and close friend of the poet John Betjeman
. Betjeman wrote of his friend as "the dark, heavy-lidded companion" in his poem Brackenbury Scholar of Balliol.
in December 1931, aged just 22, during a debate on India
. Only a few days later he was appointed to the Indian Franchise Committee which was to tour the country during its researches. After his return from India he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the 11th Marquess of Lothian
, who was Under-Secretary of State for India
, and then to the 3rd Viscount Halifax (later 1st Earl of Halifax
) who was successively President of the Board of Education from 1932 to 1935, Secretary of State for War
in 1935, and Lord Privy Seal
from 1935 to 1937. Lord Dufferin was chairman of the Primrose League
from 1932 to 1934, a Lord-in-Waiting
to King George VI from 1936 to 1937 and was himself appointed Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
in 1937 before he resigned from the government in 1940 to join the British Army
, refusing a post in the wartime
coalition government of Winston Churchill
.
He received a commission as a captain in the Royal Horse Guards
in July 1940 but was released from the Army in 1941 to become Director of the Empire Division of the Ministry of Information. The following year he undertook a special mission abroad for the ministry, and rejoined the Army in 1944. Lord Dufferin was serving as a staff officer in Mandalay
, Burma when he was killed in an ambush during a covert mission on March 25, 1945, just a few weeks short of his 36th birthday.
, on July 3, 1930 at St. Margaret's, Westminster
. They had three children:
Terence Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
(9 July 1938 - 29 May 1988)
Lord Dufferin was buried in the family burial ground of Campo Santo at Clandeboye
, County Down
where a Celtic cross stands to mark his loss and the earlier losses of the Dufferin family to war. His friend John Betjeman
wrote the poem In Memory of Basil, Marquess of Dufferin and Ava in his memory. His widow married twice after his death, first to Major Harry Alexander Desmond ('Kelpie') Buchanan MC
in 1948 (divorced 1954) and second in 1955 to Judge John Cyril Maude QC
(1901-1986), but against precedent always used the title she acquired from her first marriage. Maureen, Lady Dufferin died on May 3, 1998 and is buried at Clandeboye.
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(April 6, 1909 - March 25, 1945), styled Earl of Ava until 1918, was a 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...
politician and soldier.
Early life and family
Dufferin was the eldest child and only son of the 3rd Marquess of Dufferin and AvaFrederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 3rd Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 3rd Marquess of Dufferin and Ava DSO, PC , styled Lord Frederick Blackwood between 1888 and 1918, was a British soldier and politician.-Background:...
. He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and then at Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
. Following his father's succession to the marquessate in 1918 he was known as the Earl of Ava. At Eton he won the coveted Rosebery Prize, the highest possible distinction for a history pupil, when aged sixteen. At Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
he was friends with among others Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford
Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford
Francis Aungier Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford KG, PC , known as the Lord Pakenham from 1945 to 1961, was a British politician, author, and social reformer...
. He was also a contemporary and close friend of the poet John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
. Betjeman wrote of his friend as "the dark, heavy-lidded companion" in his poem Brackenbury Scholar of Balliol.
Political career and the war
After university Lord Dufferin pursued a career in politics. He made his maiden speech in the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
in December 1931, aged just 22, during a debate on India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Only a few days later he was appointed to the Indian Franchise Committee which was to tour the country during its researches. After his return from India he was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the 11th Marquess of Lothian
Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian
Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian KT CH PC was a British politician and diplomat.Philip Kerr was the son of Lord Ralph Drury Kerr, the third son of John Kerr, 7th Marquess of Lothian...
, who was Under-Secretary of State for India
Under-Secretary of State for India
This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the period of British rule between 1866 and 1948, and for Burma from 1858-1948....
, and then to the 3rd Viscount Halifax (later 1st Earl of Halifax
E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax
Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, , known as The Lord Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and as The Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was one of the most senior British Conservative politicians of the 1930s, during which he held several senior ministerial posts, most notably as...
) who was successively President of the Board of Education from 1932 to 1935, Secretary of State for War
Secretary of State for War
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
in 1935, and Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
from 1935 to 1937. Lord Dufferin was chairman of the Primrose League
Primrose League
The Primrose League was an organisation for spreading Conservative principles in Great Britain. It was founded in 1883 and active until the mid 1990s...
from 1932 to 1934, a Lord-in-Waiting
Lord-in-Waiting
Most Lords in Waiting are Government whips in the House of Lords who are members of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. As members of the Royal Household their duties are nominal, though they are occasionally required to meet visiting political and state leaders on visits...
to King George VI from 1936 to 1937 and was himself appointed Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and, from 1948, also to a Minister of State....
in 1937 before he resigned from the government in 1940 to join the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, refusing a post in the wartime
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
coalition government of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
.
He received a commission as a captain in the Royal Horse Guards
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
in July 1940 but was released from the Army in 1941 to become Director of the Empire Division of the Ministry of Information. The following year he undertook a special mission abroad for the ministry, and rejoined the Army in 1944. Lord Dufferin was serving as a staff officer in Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
, Burma when he was killed in an ambush during a covert mission on March 25, 1945, just a few weeks short of his 36th birthday.
Family
Lord Dufferin and Ava married Maureen Constance, second daughter of the Hon. Arthur Ernest Guinness, himself the second son of Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of IveaghEdward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh
Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, KP, GCVO, FRS was an Irish philanthropist and businessman.-Public life:...
, on July 3, 1930 at St. Margaret's, Westminster
St. Margaret's, Westminster
The Anglican church of St. Margaret, Westminster Abbey is situated in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, and is the parish church of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in London...
. They had three children:
- Lady Caroline Maureen Hamilton-Temple-BlackwoodCaroline BlackwoodLady Caroline Maureen Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood was a writer and artist's muse, and the eldest child of the 4th Marquess of Dufferin and Ava and the brewery heiress Maureen Guinness....
(16 July 1931 - 15 February 1996) - Lady Perdita Maureen Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood (b. 17 July 1934)
- Sheridan Frederick
Terence Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
Sheridan Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
Sheridan Frederick Terence Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Marquess of Dufferin and Ava was a British patron of the arts...
(9 July 1938 - 29 May 1988)
Lord Dufferin was buried in the family burial ground of Campo Santo at Clandeboye
Clandeboye
Clandeboye is in modern times an area of Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is named after the Clandeboye family, a branch of the O'Neill dynasty. They settled in the 1330s after the death of the Earl of Ulster in what is now south Antrim and north Down, giving their name to the territory...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
where a Celtic cross stands to mark his loss and the earlier losses of the Dufferin family to war. His friend John Betjeman
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
wrote the poem In Memory of Basil, Marquess of Dufferin and Ava in his memory. His widow married twice after his death, first to Major Harry Alexander Desmond ('Kelpie') Buchanan MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1948 (divorced 1954) and second in 1955 to Judge John Cyril Maude QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(1901-1986), but against precedent always used the title she acquired from her first marriage. Maureen, Lady Dufferin died on May 3, 1998 and is buried at Clandeboye.