Noel Lytton, 4th Earl of Lytton
Encyclopedia
Noel Anthony Scawen Lytton, 4th Earl of Lytton (7 April 1900 – 18 January 1985) was a British Army
officer, Arabian horse
fancier and writer.
He had an intriguing ancestry. He was a descendant of the poet and adventurer Lord Byron
(born 1788), via his daughter Ada Lovelace
(born 1815), arguably the world's first computer programmer. Her daughter Anne
(born 1837) married the poet Wilfrid Scawen Blunt
; their daughter Judith Blunt-Lytton was Noel's mother.
He was raised just east of the Sussex town of Crawley
, in the mansion built by his maternal grandparents on the grounds of their renowned horse breeding establishment
, the Crabbet Arabian Stud
. He was educated at Sandhurst
and was commissioned in the Rifle Brigade. He later taught economics there in the 1930s. In the time between the World Wars
, he served "as an administrator and keeper of the peace in the area around Lake Rudolph in Kenya
." When the British entered World War II
, he was posted by the military to North Africa
, but due to an automotive accident, was invalided out to desk duty, which his son describes as extremely frustrating for someone who was used to being athletic and active.
As part of government administration, he eventually went to Italy to work with Josip Broz Tito
's Partisans
. There, he also met his wife, Clarissa Palmer, daughter of Brigadier General Cyril Eustace Palmer R.A. They married in 1946 and had five children: John Peter Michael
, eventual 5th Earl of Lytton and 18th Baron Wentworth
; the Hon. (Thomas) Roland Cyril Lawrence Lytton, Lady Caroline Mary Noel Lytton, Lady Lucy Mary Frances Lytton and Lady Sarah Teresa Mary Lytton. On moving to Exmoor to farm, he dropped the '-Milbanke' from the family name and kept merely the 'Lytton'.
He went on to write several books , including a biography about his grandfather, Wilfred Blunt, and a military autobiography The Desert and the Green. Due to his family's continued interest in the Arabian horse
breed, he contributed from his private collection to the W.K. Kellogg
Arabian Horse Library at Cal Poly Pomona.
Noel Lytton succeeded his father as the 4th Earl of Lytton
in 1951, and his mother as 17th Baron Wentworth
in 1957. Both titles passed to his son, John, upon his death in 1985.
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...
officer, Arabian horse
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
fancier and writer.
He had an intriguing ancestry. He was a descendant of the poet and adventurer Lord Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, later George Gordon Noel, 6th Baron Byron, FRS , commonly known simply as Lord Byron, was a British poet and a leading figure in the Romantic movement...
(born 1788), via his daughter Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace , born Augusta Ada Byron, was an English writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine...
(born 1815), arguably the world's first computer programmer. Her daughter Anne
Lady Anne Blunt
Anne Isabella Noel Blunt, née King-Noel, 15th Baroness Wentworth , known for most of her life as Lady Anne Blunt, was co-founder, with her husband the poet Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, of the Crabbet Arabian Stud. The two married on 8 June 1869...
(born 1837) married the poet Wilfrid Scawen Blunt
Wilfrid Scawen Blunt
Wilfrid Scawen Blunt was an English poet and writer. He was born at Petworth House in Sussex, and served in the Diplomatic Service from 1858 to 1869. His mother was a Catholic convert and he was educated at Twyford School, Stonyhurst and at St Mary's College, Oscott...
; their daughter Judith Blunt-Lytton was Noel's mother.
He was raised just east of the Sussex town of Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
, in the mansion built by his maternal grandparents on the grounds of their renowned horse breeding establishment
Stud farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...
, the Crabbet Arabian Stud
Crabbet Arabian Stud
The Crabbet Arabian Stud, also known as the Crabbet Park Stud, was a horse breeding farm established on 2 July 1878 when the first Arabian horses brought to England by Wilfrid Scawen Blunt and Lady Anne Blunt arrived at Crabbet Park, their estate in Sussex...
. He was educated at Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and was commissioned in the Rifle Brigade. He later taught economics there in the 1930s. In the time between the World Wars
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
, he served "as an administrator and keeper of the peace in the area around Lake Rudolph in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
." When the British entered World War II
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...
, he was posted by the military to North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, but due to an automotive accident, was invalided out to desk duty, which his son describes as extremely frustrating for someone who was used to being athletic and active.
As part of government administration, he eventually went to Italy to work with Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
's Partisans
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
. There, he also met his wife, Clarissa Palmer, daughter of Brigadier General Cyril Eustace Palmer R.A. They married in 1946 and had five children: John Peter Michael
John Lytton, 5th Earl of Lytton
John Peter Michael Scawen Lytton, 5th Earl of Lytton, FRICS, MCIArb is a British surveyor and member of the House of Lords.He graduated from the University of Reading with a BSc honours degree in Estate Management in 1972; after spending 13 years in the Inland Revenue Valuation Office and some...
, eventual 5th Earl of Lytton and 18th Baron Wentworth
Baron Wentworth
Baron Wentworth is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1529 for Thomas Wentworth, who was also de jure sixth Baron le Despencer of the 1387 creation. The title was created by writ, which means that it descends according to the male-preference cognatic...
; the Hon. (Thomas) Roland Cyril Lawrence Lytton, Lady Caroline Mary Noel Lytton, Lady Lucy Mary Frances Lytton and Lady Sarah Teresa Mary Lytton. On moving to Exmoor to farm, he dropped the '-Milbanke' from the family name and kept merely the 'Lytton'.
He went on to write several books , including a biography about his grandfather, Wilfred Blunt, and a military autobiography The Desert and the Green. Due to his family's continued interest in the Arabian horse
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
breed, he contributed from his private collection to the W.K. Kellogg
Will Keith Kellogg
Will Keith Kellogg, generally referred to as W.K. Kellogg was an American industrialist in food manufacturing, best known as the founder of the Kellogg Company, which to this day produces a wide variety of popular breakfast cereals...
Arabian Horse Library at Cal Poly Pomona.
Noel Lytton succeeded his father as the 4th Earl of Lytton
Earl of Lytton
Earl of Lytton, in the County of Derby, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1880 for the diplomat and poet Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Baron Lytton. He was Viceroy of India from 1876 to 1880 and British Ambassador to France from 1887 to 1891...
in 1951, and his mother as 17th Baron Wentworth
Baron Wentworth
Baron Wentworth is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1529 for Thomas Wentworth, who was also de jure sixth Baron le Despencer of the 1387 creation. The title was created by writ, which means that it descends according to the male-preference cognatic...
in 1957. Both titles passed to his son, John, upon his death in 1985.