Thomas Coke, 4th Earl of Leicester
Encyclopedia
Thomas William Coke, 4th Earl of Leicester (July 1880 – 21 August 1949) was a British peer, styled Viscount Coke from 1909 to 1941.
Coke was the son of Thomas William Coke, 3rd Earl of Leicester and Hon. Alice Emily White. Educated at Eton
and Sandhurst, he entered the Scots Guards
as a cadet, and was promoted to second lieutenant
on 21 February 1900. Seconded for service in the Boer War
on 26 November 1901, and was promoted to lieutenant
on 22 April 1902. He went on half-pay on 13 April 1905 due to illness, but returned to service on 8 November 1905.
Coke married Marion Gertrude Trefusis, the daughter of Col. Hon. Walter Trefusis and Lady Mary Montagu-Douglas-Scott on 2 December 1905. They had five children:
Coke was promoted to captain on 14 March 1906. He resigned his commission on 6 March 1909, after his father succeeded to the earldom and he became heir apparent; his uncle John, then a lieutenant in the Guards, was promoted captain in his place. On 1 October 1909, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the Norfolk Yeomanry
. Made a captain in the General Reserve of Officers on 4 June 1911, he surrendered his commission in the General Reserve on 10 July 1912 to return to the Scots Guards as a captain. He would serve with the Guards for the duration of World War I
. On 1 May 1917 he was appointed an aide-de-camp
.
Coke was also a Knight of the Order of St. John, and a Justice of the Peace
for Norfolk
. He was a talented violinist. He succeeded his father as Earl of Leicester
in 1941 and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk
in 1944. He died in 1949 and was succeeded by his elder son Thomas.
A recording that his daughter, Lady Silvia, made recounting the history of Holkham House was made at the age of 90, and is a British Library exemplar of the conservative received pronunciation
accent of English.
Coke was the son of Thomas William Coke, 3rd Earl of Leicester and Hon. Alice Emily White. 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"....
and Sandhurst, he entered the Scots Guards
Scots Guards
The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
as a cadet, and was promoted to second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on 21 February 1900. Seconded for service in the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
on 26 November 1901, and was promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
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...
on 22 April 1902. He went on half-pay on 13 April 1905 due to illness, but returned to service on 8 November 1905.
Coke married Marion Gertrude Trefusis, the daughter of Col. Hon. Walter Trefusis and Lady Mary Montagu-Douglas-Scott on 2 December 1905. They had five children:
- Hon. Angela Mary Coke (6 November 1906 – December 1906)
- Maj. Thomas William Edward Coke, 5th Earl of Leicester (16 May 1908 – 3 September 1976)
- Lady Silvia Beatrice Coke (19 October 1909 – October 2005)
- Hon. David Arthur CokeDavid CokeThe Honourable David Arthur Coke , DFC was a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force Reserve during the Second World War, and is considered a flying ace, being credited with 2 destroyed, 2 probables and 2 damaged...
(4 December 1915 – 9 December 1941) - Lady Katharine Mary Coke (7 March 1920 – 6 October 1993)
Coke was promoted to captain on 14 March 1906. He resigned his commission on 6 March 1909, after his father succeeded to the earldom and he became heir apparent; his uncle John, then a lieutenant in the Guards, was promoted captain in his place. On 1 October 1909, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the Norfolk Yeomanry
Norfolk Yeomanry
The Norfolk Yeomanry was a regiment of the British Army.In 1901, the Norfolk Yeomanry were raised at the express wish of King Edward VII, after a gap of 33 years, and titled the King's Own Royal Regiment with the Royal cipher as their badge.In September 1915, the regiment embarked on RMS Olympic...
. Made a captain in the General Reserve of Officers on 4 June 1911, he surrendered his commission in the General Reserve on 10 July 1912 to return to the Scots Guards as a captain. He would serve with the Guards for the duration 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...
. On 1 May 1917 he was appointed an 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...
.
Coke was also a Knight of the Order of St. John, and a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for 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...
. He was a talented violinist. He succeeded his father as Earl of Leicester
Earl of Leicester
The title Earl of Leicester was created in the 12th century in the Peerage of England , and is currently a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1837.-Early creations:...
in 1941 and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk
Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk
This is an incomplete list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk. Since 1689, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Norfolk.*Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex 1557–1559*Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk 1559–1572...
in 1944. He died in 1949 and was succeeded by his elder son Thomas.
A recording that his daughter, Lady Silvia, made recounting the history of Holkham House was made at the age of 90, and is a British Library exemplar of the conservative received pronunciation
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
accent of English.