George Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley
Encyclopedia
George Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley GCVO , styled Earl of Rocksavage from birth until 1923, was a British
peer. He was the Lord Great Chamberlain
of England
in 1936 and also between 1952 and 1966.
, the first Prime Minister of Great Britain
. He was the son of George Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley
and Winifred Ida Kingscote. Like his great-grandfather, his great-uncle, his grandfather, and his father, Cholmondeley was educated at Eton
(1896–1898). In the years before he acceded to his father's title, he was a well-known tennis and polo player.
in the 9th Lancers. He was Aide-de-Camp
to the Viceroy of India; and he fought in the First World War, during which he gained the rank of Captain
in the 9th Lancers. In 1920, he was promoted to the rank of Major
.
Cholmondeley's life and career took a turn when he acceded to his father's land, estates and title in 1923, and his inherited title became Marquess of Cholmondeley. In 1953, he was awarded a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
.
The family seats are Houghton Hall
, Norfolk
, and Cholmondeley Castle
, which is surrounded by a 7500 acres (30.4 km²) estate near Malpas, Cheshire
.
The Cholmondeleys bought Wenbans near Wadhurst
in Sussex
in the mid-1890s; and after major restoration work in the 1920s and 1930s, the rustic farm only fifty miles from London was reported to have been frequented as a romantic getaway for the Prince of Wales who later became (Edward VIII). The property was sold around the time of the abdication crisis of 1936 and the accession of George VI.
part of the ancient office of Lord Great Chamberlain
is a Cholmondeley inheritance. This hereditary honour came into the Cholmondeley family through the marriage of the first Marquess of Cholmondeley to Lady Georgiana Charlotte Bertie, daughter of Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven
. The second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh holders of the marquessate have all held this office.
The Marquess bore the Royal Standard
at the Coronation
of King George VI in 1937.
(1894–1989), a member of the Sassoon family
, a Jewish banking family with origins in Baghdad
and India
, and heiress to her brother Sir Philip Sassoon. The couple were married on 6 August 1913; and they had two sons and one daughter:
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...
peer. He was the Lord Great Chamberlain
Lord Great Chamberlain
The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1936 and also between 1952 and 1966.
Personal
Cholmondeley was a direct descendant of Sir Robert WalpoleRobert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
, the first Prime Minister of Great Britain
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. He was the son of George Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley
George Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley
George Henry Hugh Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley PC, DL was a British peer and Lord Great Chamberlain of England between 1884 and 1923.-Background:...
and Winifred Ida Kingscote. Like his great-grandfather, his great-uncle, his grandfather, and his father, Cholmondeley was educated at Eton
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"....
(1896–1898). In the years before he acceded to his father's title, he was a well-known tennis and polo player.
Military career
Cholmondeley fought in the Boer War (1899–1901), serving as a "Railway Staff Officer." In 1905, he attained the rank of LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the 9th Lancers. He was Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Viceroy of India; and he fought in the First World War, during which he gained the rank of Captain
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...
in the 9th Lancers. In 1920, he was promoted to the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
.
Cholmondeley's life and career took a turn when he acceded to his father's land, estates and title in 1923, and his inherited title became Marquess of Cholmondeley. In 1953, he was awarded a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
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...
.
Lands and estates
Houghton Hall
Houghton Hall is a country house in Norfolk, England. It was built for the de facto first British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, and it is a key building in the history of Palladian architecture in England...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, and Cholmondeley Castle
Cholmondeley Castle
Cholmondeley Castle is a country house in the civil parish of Cholmondeley, Cheshire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building. It is surrounded by a estate.-House:...
, which is surrounded by a 7500 acres (30.4 km²) estate near Malpas, Cheshire
Malpas, Cheshire
Malpas is a large village which used to be a market town, and it is also a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The parish lies on the border with Shropshire and Wales...
.
The Cholmondeleys bought Wenbans near Wadhurst
Wadhurst
Wadhurst is a market town in East Sussex, England. It is the centre of the civil parish of Wadhurst, which also includes the hamlets of Cousley Wood and Tidebrook. Wadhurst is twinned with Aubers in France.-Situation:...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
in the mid-1890s; and after major restoration work in the 1920s and 1930s, the rustic farm only fifty miles from London was reported to have been frequented as a romantic getaway for the Prince of Wales who later became (Edward VIII). The property was sold around the time of the abdication crisis of 1936 and the accession of George VI.
Position at court
One moietyMoiety title
Moiety title is legal term describing a portion other than a whole of ownership of property. The word derives from Old French moitié meaning "half" , from Latin medietas "middle", from medius....
part of the ancient office of Lord Great Chamberlain
Lord Great Chamberlain
The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable...
is a Cholmondeley inheritance. This hereditary honour came into the Cholmondeley family through the marriage of the first Marquess of Cholmondeley to Lady Georgiana Charlotte Bertie, daughter of Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven
Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven
General Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, 3rd Marquess of Lindsey, 6th Earl of Lindsey, 19th Baron Willoughby de Eresby PC was the son of Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven....
. The second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh holders of the marquessate have all held this office.
The Marquess bore the Royal Standard
Royal Standard
The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is the flag used by Elizabeth II in her capacity as Sovereign of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories...
at the Coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
of King George VI in 1937.
Family
The wealth of the Cholmondeley family was greatly enhanced by Cholmondeley's marriage to Sybil SassoonSybil Sassoon
Sybil Rachel Betty Cecile Sassoon, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, CBE was Chief Staff Officer to Director WRNS, WRNS HQ, Admiralty from 12 November 1939 until 1946. On 9 February 1945 she was appointed as Supt. of the Women's Royal Naval Service and the following year was made CBE...
(1894–1989), a member of the Sassoon family
Sassoon family
The Sassoon family was an Indian family of Iraqi Jewish descent and international renown, based in Bombay, India. It was descended from the famous Ibn Shoshans, one of the richest families of medieval Spain...
, a Jewish banking family with origins in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and 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...
, and heiress to her brother Sir Philip Sassoon. The couple were married on 6 August 1913; and they had two sons and one daughter:
- Lady Aline Caroline (5 October 1916– ?).
- George Henry HughGeorge Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of CholmondeleyGeorge Hugh Cholmondeley, 6th Marquess of Cholmondeley, GCVO, MC , styled Earl of Rocksavage from 1960 until 1968, was a British peer and Lord Great Chamberlain of England between 1968 and 1990.-Biography:...
(24 April 1919 – 13 March 1990). - John George (15 November 1920 – October 1986).
Further reading
- 1953 -- A Handlist of the Cholmondeley (Houghton) MSS.: Sir Robert Walpole's archive (with Gilbert Allen Chinnery). Cambridge: Cambridge University Library. OCLC 3372466
- 1959 -- The Houghton Pictures: by kind permission of The Marquess and Marchioness of Cholmondeley, [Exhibition] in aid of King George's Fund for Sailors, May 6-June 6, 1959. London: Thomas Agnew & Sons. OCLC 222289892