Fergus Bowes-Lyon
Encyclopedia
Captain
Fergus Bowes-Lyon (18 April 1889 – 27 September 1915) was an older brother of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
.
He was born at Glamis Castle
in Angus
and educated at Eton College
, Berkshire
. Just a fortnight after the start of World War I
, he married Lady Christian Norah Dawson-Damer
(7 August 1890 – 29 March 1959), daughter of the 5th Earl of Portarlington
, on 17 September 1914. She bore him a daughter, Rosemary Lusia Bowes-Lyon (18 July 1915 – 18 January 1989).
In the First World War he served with the 8th Battalion, Black Watch
and was killed in the opening stages of the Battle of Loos
. As he led an attack on the German lines, his leg was blown off by a barrage of German artillery and he fell back into his sergeant's arms. Bullets struck him in the chest and shoulder and he died on the field. He is commemorated on the Loos Memorial
.
His mother, Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, was severely affected by the loss of her son, and after his death became an invalid, withdrawn from public life until the marriage
of her daughter Elizabeth
to the future king
in 1923.
Fergus's widow married secondly Captain William Frederick Martin (d. 6 October 1947).
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
Fergus Bowes-Lyon (18 April 1889 – 27 September 1915) was an older brother of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
.
He was born at Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public....
in Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
and 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"....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. Just a fortnight after the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he married Lady Christian Norah Dawson-Damer
Lady Christian Norah Dawson-Damer
Lady Christian Norah Dawson-Damer was the sister-in-law of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.She was the daughter of the 5th Earl of Portarlington, Lionel Dawson-Damer, and Emma Kennedy. She married for the first time to Captain the Hon...
(7 August 1890 – 29 March 1959), daughter of the 5th Earl of Portarlington
Earl of Portarlington
Earl of Portarlington is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1785 for John Dawson, 2nd Viscount Carlow, who had earlier represented Portarlington in the Irish House of Commons...
, on 17 September 1914. She bore him a daughter, Rosemary Lusia Bowes-Lyon (18 July 1915 – 18 January 1989).
In the First World War he served with the 8th Battalion, Black Watch
Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
It all began in 1725 when General Wade, as leader of the King's Army in Scotland, and involved in his great project of building the military roads there, set up six companies of the Highland "Watch". These were formed to stop fighting among the clans; controlling the roads was an important part of...
and was killed in the opening stages of the Battle of Loos
Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
. As he led an attack on the German lines, his leg was blown off by a barrage of German artillery and he fell back into his sergeant's arms. Bullets struck him in the chest and shoulder and he died on the field. He is commemorated on the Loos Memorial
Loos Memorial
The Loos Memorial is a World War I memorial forming the sides and rear of Dud Corner Cemetery, located near the commune of Loos-en-Gohelle, in the Pas-de-Calais département of France. The memorial lists 20,610 names of British and Commonwealth soldiers with no known grave who were killed in the...
.
His mother, Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, was severely affected by the loss of her son, and after his death became an invalid, withdrawn from public life until the marriage
Wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
The wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York , and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon took place on 26 April 1923 at Westminster Abbey.-Courtship and proposals:...
of her daughter Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
to the future king
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
in 1923.
Fergus's widow married secondly Captain William Frederick Martin (d. 6 October 1947).