Geoffrey Duke Coleridge, 3rd Baron Coleridge
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Duke Coleridge, 3rd Baron Coleridge of Ottery St Mary
(23 July, 1877–27 March, 1955) was responsible for making the archive of his ancestor the poet
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
available to researchers for the first time.
The only son of Bernard Coleridge
MP
, and grandson of John Coleridge
, a Lord Chief Justice of England
, Coleridge was educated at Eton College
in Berkshire
, England
. He graduated from Trinity College, Oxford
in 1900 with a BA
.
As a young man he often travelled the law circuits with his father, and went with him to the United States
, where he later claimed to have danced down Broadway
with Ellen Terry
. Coleridge served as a Lieutenant
in the 3rd Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment until resigning his commission in 1901. He served in World War I
in the 4th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment, and was promoted Acting Captain in April 1917. Coleridge left the Army
in 1919. He succeeded to the title of 3rd Baron Coleridge of Ottery St. Mary on 24 September 1927 after the death of his father.
In 1930 Coleridge and his wife were approached by Canadian
academic Kathleen Coburn
for permission to examine the family archive at The Chanter's House for material written by his great-great-great uncle, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
. The Coleridge's mistakenly thought Coburn was interested in the house and its furniture. She later wrote,
Coburn wrote that Coleridge
Realising that her intentions were serious, he gave her unlimited access to the Coleridge family archive, which he allowed her to have photographed and the copies placed in the British Museum
, and granted her permission to edit and publish the Notebooks. In 1949 Coburn was instrumental in negotiating the sale of this Chanter's House archive to the British Museum
for £10,200, with a donation from the Pilgrim Trust. The collection was eventually deposited with the British Museum in May 1951.
Coleridge held the office of Justice of the Peace
for Devon from 1929 to 1952. He married Jessie Alethea Mackarness (1880–1957), daughter of George Evelyn Mackarness, on 14 September 1904 at St. Michael's Church in Sandhurst
. They had three sons, the oldest, Richard Duke Coleridge
succeeding to the barony
on his father's death.
Coleridge died of a heart attack at the family home, The Chanter's House in Ottery St Mary
in 1955, aged 77.
Ottery St Mary
Ottery St Mary, known as "Ottery" , is a town in the East Devon district of Devon, England, on the River Otter, about ten miles east of Exeter on the B3174. It is part of a large civil parish of the same name, which also covers the villages of West Hill, Metcombe, Fairmile, Alfington, Tipton St...
(23 July, 1877–27 March, 1955) was responsible for making the archive of his ancestor the poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
available to researchers for the first time.
The only son of Bernard Coleridge
Bernard Coleridge, 2nd Baron Coleridge
Bernard John Seymour Coleridge, 2nd Baron Coleridge QC was a British lawyer and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 until 1894 when he inherited his peerage....
MP
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,...
, and grandson of John Coleridge
John Coleridge, 1st Baron Coleridge
John Duke Coleridge, 1st Baron Coleridge PC was a British lawyer, judge and Liberal politician. He held the posts, in turn, of Solicitor General for England and Wales, Attorney General for England and Wales, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and Lord Chief Justice of England.-Background and...
, a Lord Chief Justice of England
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
, Coleridge was 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"....
in 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...
, 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...
. He graduated from Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
in 1900 with a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
.
As a young man he often travelled the law circuits with his father, and went with him to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he later claimed to have danced down Broadway
Broadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
with Ellen Terry
Ellen Terry
Dame Ellen Terry, GBE was an English stage actress who became the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain. Among the members of her famous family is her great nephew, John Gielgud....
. Coleridge served as a 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...
in the 3rd Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment until resigning his commission in 1901. He served in 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...
in the 4th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment, and was promoted Acting Captain in April 1917. Coleridge left the Army
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...
in 1919. He succeeded to the title of 3rd Baron Coleridge of Ottery St. Mary on 24 September 1927 after the death of his father.
In 1930 Coleridge and his wife were approached by Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
academic Kathleen Coburn
Kathleen Coburn
Kathleen Hazel Coburn, OC, FRSC was a Canadian academic and a leading authority on the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge....
for permission to examine the family archive at The Chanter's House for material written by his great-great-great uncle, Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
. The Coleridge's mistakenly thought Coburn was interested in the house and its furniture. She later wrote,
`When I said it was chiefly in any manuscripts and annotated books of the poet in the library, I could see even [Lady Coleridge's] self-control quail. Not a word was said. Geoffrey Coleridge bantered: `Old Sam was only a poet, you know, never did anything practical that was any good to anybody, actually not thought much of in the family, a bit of a disgrace in fact ... why a young girl like you should spend your time on the old reprobate, I can't think! ... Now I at least know something about beef cattle ...'..
Coburn wrote that Coleridge
"...had a brusque, dry, caustic tongue which could be rude or frightening if intuition didn't tell one that the last thing to do was be offended or frightened. With Lady Coleridge's gentle encouragement I cheerfully returned his grapeshot."
Realising that her intentions were serious, he gave her unlimited access to the Coleridge family archive, which he allowed her to have photographed and the copies placed in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, and granted her permission to edit and publish the Notebooks. In 1949 Coburn was instrumental in negotiating the sale of this Chanter's House archive to the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
for £10,200, with a donation from the Pilgrim Trust. The collection was eventually deposited with the British Museum in May 1951.
Coleridge held the office of 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 Devon from 1929 to 1952. He married Jessie Alethea Mackarness (1880–1957), daughter of George Evelyn Mackarness, on 14 September 1904 at St. Michael's Church in Sandhurst
Sandhurst
Sandhurst is a small town and civil parish in England of 7,966 homes and 20,803 inhabitants , primarily domiciliary in nature with a few light industries...
. They had three sons, the oldest, Richard Duke Coleridge
Richard Duke Coleridge, 4th Baron Coleridge
Captain Sir Richard Duke Coleridge RN, 4th Baron Coleridge of Ottery St. Mary had a distinguished naval career and served as the first Executive Secretary of NATO from 1952-1970....
succeeding to the barony
Baron Coleridge
Baron Coleridge, of Ottery St Mary in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1874 for the prominent lawyer, judge and Liberal politician Sir John Coleridge. He served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 1880 to 1894...
on his father's death.
Coleridge died of a heart attack at the family home, The Chanter's House in Ottery St Mary
Ottery St Mary
Ottery St Mary, known as "Ottery" , is a town in the East Devon district of Devon, England, on the River Otter, about ten miles east of Exeter on the B3174. It is part of a large civil parish of the same name, which also covers the villages of West Hill, Metcombe, Fairmile, Alfington, Tipton St...
in 1955, aged 77.