Arthur Annesley, 11th Viscount Valentia
Encyclopedia
Arthur Annesley, 11th Viscount Valentia CB
, KCVO
, JP
(23 August 1843 – 20 January 1927) was a British
soldier, courtier and Conservative
politician. He notably served as Comptroller of the Household
between 1898 and 1905.
, the eldest son of the Honourable Arthur Annesley by his wife Flora Macdonald, daughter of Colonel Reginald George Macdonald of Clanranald. His father died when he was one year old. He was educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
in 1864 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1868. He served with the Yeomanry Cavalry, AAG, in South Africa
and was mentioned in despatches. He retired from the Army in 1872.
The viscountcy of Valentia was an Irish peerage
and did not entitle Annesley to an automatic seat in the House of Lords
. He was instead elected Member of Parliament
for Oxford
in 1895, a seat he held until 1917.
He served as Comptroller of the Household
under Lord Salisbury
from 1898 to 1902 and under Arthur Balfour
from 1902 to 1905. He was appointed a a Member of the Royal Victorian Order
(MVO) in July 1901 and a Companion of the Order of the Bath
(CB) in September 1900 (when Assistant Adjutant-General for Imperial Yeomanry). When the coalition government was formed in 1915, Lord Valentia was appointed a Lord in Waiting, a post he held until 1924.
In 1917 he was created Baron Annesley of Bletchington, in the County of Oxford, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
, which entitled him to a seat in the House of Lords. He was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
(KCVO) in 1923.
, and widow of Sir Algernon William Peyton, 4th Baronet, in 1878. They had two sons and six daughters. He died in January 1927, aged 83, and was succeeded by his younger son, the Honourable Caryl Arthur James Annesley, his elder son the Honourable Arthur Annesley having been killed in action in 1914.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, KCVO
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...
, JP
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...
(23 August 1843 – 20 January 1927) was a British
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...
soldier, courtier and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician. He notably served as Comptroller of the Household
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
between 1898 and 1905.
Background and education
Annesley was born in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the eldest son of the Honourable Arthur Annesley by his wife Flora Macdonald, daughter of Colonel Reginald George Macdonald of Clanranald. His father died when he was one year old. He was educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
Military career
Annesley succeeded his grandfather in the viscounty in 1863. He joined the 10th Hussars10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)
The 10th Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1715 to 1969.-Early history:In response to the Jacobite Rebellion, the regiment was raised in 1715 as Humphrey Gore's Regiment of Dragoons...
in 1864 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1868. He served with the Yeomanry Cavalry, AAG, in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and was mentioned in despatches. He retired from the Army in 1872.
Political career
He was appointed High Sheriff of Oxfordshire for 1875.The viscountcy of Valentia was an Irish peerage
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
and did not entitle Annesley to an automatic seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. He was instead elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Oxford
Oxford (UK Parliament constituency)
Oxford was a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom. It comprised the city of Oxford in the county of Oxfordshire, and elected two Members of Parliament from its creation in 1295 until 1881...
in 1895, a seat he held until 1917.
He served as Comptroller of the Household
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
under Lord Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC , styled Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and Viscount Cranborne from June 1865 until April 1868, was a British Conservative statesman and thrice Prime Minister, serving for a total of over 13 years...
from 1898 to 1902 and under Arthur Balfour
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
from 1902 to 1905. He was appointed a a Member 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...
(MVO) in July 1901 and a Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(CB) in September 1900 (when Assistant Adjutant-General for Imperial Yeomanry). When the coalition government was formed in 1915, Lord Valentia was appointed a Lord in Waiting, a post he held until 1924.
In 1917 he was created Baron Annesley of Bletchington, in the County of Oxford, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
, which entitled him to a seat in the House of Lords. He was made a Knight Commander 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...
(KCVO) in 1923.
Family
Lord Valentia married Laura Sarah Webb, daughter of Daniel Hale Webb, of Wykeham Park, OxfordshireOxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, and widow of Sir Algernon William Peyton, 4th Baronet, in 1878. They had two sons and six daughters. He died in January 1927, aged 83, and was succeeded by his younger son, the Honourable Caryl Arthur James Annesley, his elder son the Honourable Arthur Annesley having been killed in action in 1914.