Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham
Encyclopedia
Charles John Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham, KG
, GCMG
, GCVO
, TD
, PC
(8 August 1909 – 20 March 1977) was the ninth Governor-General of New Zealand and an English cricket
er.
, London, the son of Violet Yolande Leonard and her husband, John Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham
. He was educated at Eton College
and Cambridge
. He graduated with a law degree in 1932.
He had a family connection to New Zealand, where he was to become Governor-General, through his great-grandfather George Lyttelton, 4th Baron Lyttelton
, who was chairman of the Canterbury Association
and had contributed financially to the early development of Christchurch
. Hagley Park
is named after their family estate, and the port town of Lyttelton
bears his great-grandfather's name.
Viscount Cobham visited New Zealand in 1950 in relation to property holdings in Christchurch.
Lyttelton married Elizabeth Alison Makeig-Jones on 30 April 1942 at Chelsea
in central London. The marriage produced four sons and four daughters. He was cousin of the musician Humphrey Lyttelton
.
in France from 1940. He was commander of the 5th Regiment from 1943.
Viscount Cobham became the ninth Governor-General of New Zealand
on 5 September 1957. Although from aristocratic background, he proved popular with the population. He was seen as an outdoors man with a sporting prowess in cricket, golf, and a competent rugby judge. He was good with a gun and an enthusiastic fly fisherman. All these attributes resonated well with New Zealanders.
Significant events during his tenure included the independence of Samoa
and the opening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge
.
Cobham served under three Prime Ministers
: Sidney Holland
(1949–1957), Keith Holyoake
(1957 and 1960–1972) and Walter Nash
(1957–1960). He was most careful to not comment on controversial matters, and had a good working relationship with all three of them.
Cobham was instrumental in setting up the outdoor education organisation Outward Bound
in New Zealand. He opened the Outward Bound school in Anakiwa near Picton
in September 1962, which bears his name. He visited the school again during 1966 and was pleased with the progress that had been made.
He served until 13 September 1962. He was a skilled orator and a book of his speeches sold 50,000 copies. Cobham donated the £10,000 profit to Outward Bound. Cobham Oval in Whangarei and Cobham Court in Porirua are named after him.
, playing more than 90 times for Worcestershire
in the 1930s and captaining the club between 1936 and 1939.
He made his first-class debut against Gloucestershire
in June 1932, but made a duck
in his only innings and did not reappear for two years. He played five times in 1934, but it was only the following season that he became established in the side, playing about twenty matches a year from then until the Second World War, with the exception of 1937 when he appeared only twice.
Lyttelton's highest score (and only first-class century) was the 162 he made against Leicestershire
in 1938, but he made many other useful if lesser contributions with the bat, reaching fifty on 14 further occasions. His most productive year was 1938, when he scored 741 runs at an average
of 21.17.
With the ball, his first victim (in July 1934) was Charlie Barnett
, while in 1935 he produced his best innings' bowling, claiming 4–83 against the South Africans
. However, after 1935 his bowling became a largely occasional part of his game, and with the exception of nine wickets in 1938 he never again took more than three in a season.
Lyttelton's cricketing career proper ended with the outbreak of war, but (now listed on the scorecard as Lord Cobham, having succeeded to the title in 1949) he played for an "MCC New Zealand Touring Team" against a strong "London New Zealand Club" side in 1954, taking two wickets including that of Bill Merritt. Remarkably, however, he made a one-off return to first-class action aged 51 in February 1961, more than two decades after his previous appearance at that level, when as New Zealand Governor-General he captained an eponymous side against MCC at Auckland
; he showed he still had ability with a handy first-innings 44 from number ten in the order.
As well as the matches mentioned above, Lyttelton also played ten games for MCC
: one against Oxford University
in 1935, and nine on MCC's tour of Australia and New Zealand during the winter that followed.
A number of his relatives played first-class cricket. His great-grandfather George
played for Cambridge University
in the 1830s, his grandfather (also Charles
) turned out for a selection of teams including Cambridge and MCC in the 1860s, his father John
made a handful of appearances for Worcestershire in the 1920s, and his uncle – another Charles
– played for Worcestershire, Cambridge and MCC before the First World War.
, London, on 20 March 1977. He was survived by his wife and children.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, GCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(8 August 1909 – 20 March 1977) was the ninth Governor-General of New Zealand and an English cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er.
Early life and family
Charles Lyttelton was born in KensingtonKensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London, the son of Violet Yolande Leonard and her husband, John Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham
John Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham
John Cavendish Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham KCB , was a British peer, soldier and Conservative politician....
. 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 Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He graduated with a law degree in 1932.
He had a family connection to New Zealand, where he was to become Governor-General, through his great-grandfather George Lyttelton, 4th Baron Lyttelton
George Lyttelton, 4th Baron Lyttelton
George William Lyttelton, 4th Baron Lyttelton , was a British aristocrat and Conservative politician.-Early life:...
, who was chairman of the Canterbury Association
Canterbury Association
The Canterbury Association was formed in order to establish a colony in what is now the Canterbury Region in the South Island of New Zealand.- Formation of the Association :...
and had contributed financially to the early development of Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. Hagley Park
Hagley Park
Hagley Park is the largest urban open space in Christchurch, New Zealand, and was created in 1855 by the Provincial Government. According to the government's decree at that time, Hagley Park is "reserved forever as a public park, and shall be open for the recreation and enjoyment of the public."...
is named after their family estate, and the port town of Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
bears his great-grandfather's name.
Viscount Cobham visited New Zealand in 1950 in relation to property holdings in Christchurch.
Lyttelton married Elizabeth Alison Makeig-Jones on 30 April 1942 at Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
in central London. The marriage produced four sons and four daughters. He was cousin of the musician Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
.
Military service
Lyttelton joined the Territorial Army in 1933. He serviced in World War II with the Expeditionary ForceBritish Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
in France from 1940. He was commander of the 5th Regiment from 1943.
Politics
After the war, he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and enter the House of Commons. However, his father died in 1949, and Lyttelton was elevated to the peerage, precluding a career as a Commoner.Viscount Cobham became the ninth Governor-General of New Zealand
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
on 5 September 1957. Although from aristocratic background, he proved popular with the population. He was seen as an outdoors man with a sporting prowess in cricket, golf, and a competent rugby judge. He was good with a gun and an enthusiastic fly fisherman. All these attributes resonated well with New Zealanders.
Significant events during his tenure included the independence of Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
and the opening of the Auckland Harbour Bridge
Auckland Harbour Bridge
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane box truss motorway bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, joining St Marys Bay in Auckland with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. The bridge is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway...
.
Cobham served under three Prime Ministers
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
: Sidney Holland
Sidney Holland
Sir Sidney George Holland, GCMG, CH was the 25th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957.-Early life:...
(1949–1957), Keith Holyoake
Keith Holyoake
Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake, KG, GCMG, CH, QSO, KStJ was a New Zealand politician. The only person to have been both Prime Minister and Governor-General of New Zealand, Holyoake was National Party Prime Minister from 20 September 1957 to 12 December 1957, then again from 12 December 1960 to 7...
(1957 and 1960–1972) and Walter Nash
Walter Nash
Sir Walter Nash, GCMG, CH served as the 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960, and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance...
(1957–1960). He was most careful to not comment on controversial matters, and had a good working relationship with all three of them.
Cobham was instrumental in setting up the outdoor education organisation Outward Bound
Outward Bound
Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor educationorganization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year...
in New Zealand. He opened the Outward Bound school in Anakiwa near Picton
Picton, New Zealand
Picton is a town in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It is close to the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. The population was 2928 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 72 from 2001...
in September 1962, which bears his name. He visited the school again during 1966 and was pleased with the progress that had been made.
He served until 13 September 1962. He was a skilled orator and a book of his speeches sold 50,000 copies. Cobham donated the £10,000 profit to Outward Bound. Cobham Oval in Whangarei and Cobham Court in Porirua are named after him.
Cricket
Lyttelton enjoyed a fairly substantial career in first-class cricketFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
, playing more than 90 times for Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
in the 1930s and captaining the club between 1936 and 1939.
He made his first-class debut against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
in June 1932, but made a duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
in his only innings and did not reappear for two years. He played five times in 1934, but it was only the following season that he became established in the side, playing about twenty matches a year from then until the Second World War, with the exception of 1937 when he appeared only twice.
Lyttelton's highest score (and only first-class century) was the 162 he made against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
in 1938, but he made many other useful if lesser contributions with the bat, reaching fifty on 14 further occasions. His most productive year was 1938, when he scored 741 runs at an average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 21.17.
With the ball, his first victim (in July 1934) was Charlie Barnett
Charlie Barnett (cricketer)
Charles John Barnett was an English cricketer, who played in 20 Tests from 1933 to 1948...
, while in 1935 he produced his best innings' bowling, claiming 4–83 against the South Africans
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
. However, after 1935 his bowling became a largely occasional part of his game, and with the exception of nine wickets in 1938 he never again took more than three in a season.
Lyttelton's cricketing career proper ended with the outbreak of war, but (now listed on the scorecard as Lord Cobham, having succeeded to the title in 1949) he played for an "MCC New Zealand Touring Team" against a strong "London New Zealand Club" side in 1954, taking two wickets including that of Bill Merritt. Remarkably, however, he made a one-off return to first-class action aged 51 in February 1961, more than two decades after his previous appearance at that level, when as New Zealand Governor-General he captained an eponymous side against MCC at Auckland
Eden Park
Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable...
; he showed he still had ability with a handy first-innings 44 from number ten in the order.
As well as the matches mentioned above, Lyttelton also played ten games for MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
: one against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
in 1935, and nine on MCC's tour of Australia and New Zealand during the winter that followed.
A number of his relatives played first-class cricket. His great-grandfather George
George Lyttelton, 4th Baron Lyttelton
George William Lyttelton, 4th Baron Lyttelton , was a British aristocrat and Conservative politician.-Early life:...
played for Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
in the 1830s, his grandfather (also Charles
Charles Lyttelton, 8th Viscount Cobham
Charles George Lyttelton, 8th Viscount Cobham , known as The Lord Lyttelton from 1876 to 1889, was a British peer and Liberal Member of Parliament.-Biography:...
) turned out for a selection of teams including Cambridge and MCC in the 1860s, his father John
John Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham
John Cavendish Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham KCB , was a British peer, soldier and Conservative politician....
made a handful of appearances for Worcestershire in the 1920s, and his uncle – another Charles
Charles Frederick Lyttelton
Charles Frederick Lyttelton was an English cricketer, who played 31 first-class games for Cambridge University, Worcestershire and MCC in the early twentieth century...
– played for Worcestershire, Cambridge and MCC before the First World War.
Death
Cobham died in MaryleboneMarylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
, London, on 20 March 1977. He was survived by his wife and children.
External links
- Official biography (Government House, Wellington)
- Statistical summary from CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...