Richard Byron, 12th Baron Byron
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Geoffrey Gordon Byron, 12th Baron Byron DSO
(3 November 1899 – 15 June 1989) was a British peer
and army officer. He was a descendant of a cousin of Romantic
poet
and writer, George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron
.
in Eton
, UK.
to the Governor of Bombay between 1921 and 1922, and Military Secretary
to the Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of New Zealand
in 1937. He fought in the Second World War. He was Lieutenant-Colonel of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
in 1941. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) in 1944.
Byron succeeded to the title of 12th Baron Byron
in 1983 upon the death of his fifth cousin Rupert Frederick George Byron
, in Australia. Lord Byron died on 15 June 1989 at age 89, whereupon his surviving son Robert became the 13th Baron.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(3 November 1899 – 15 June 1989) was a British peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
and army officer. He was a descendant of a cousin of Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
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...
and writer, George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron 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...
.
Early life and education
Byron was born to Colonel Richard Byron and Mabel Mackenzie Winter. He was educated at Eton CollegeEton 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 Eton
Eton, Berkshire
Eton is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor and connected to it by Windsor Bridge. The parish also includes the large village of Eton Wick, 2 miles west of the town, and has a population of 4,980. Eton was in Buckinghamshire until...
, UK.
Professional life
Byron was Aide-de-CampAide-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 Governor of Bombay between 1921 and 1922, and Military Secretary
Military Secretary
The Military Secretary is the British Army appointment of which the incumbent is responsible for policy direction on personnel management for members of the British Army. It is a senior British Army appointment, held by an officer holding the rank of Major-General. The Military Secretary's...
to the Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1937. He fought in the Second World War. He was Lieutenant-Colonel of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1922 to 1992.It was formed in India in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards and 7th Dragoon Guards , as the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards; it gained the distinction Royal in 1935...
in 1941. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO) in 1944.
Family life
Byron married Margaret Mary Steuart in 1926, but they were divorced in 1946. He married Dorigen Margaret Esdaile later in 1946, and this couple had two sons:- The Hon. Richard Noel Byron (1948–1985)
- The Hon. Robert James Byron (1950)
Byron succeeded to the title of 12th Baron Byron
Baron Byron
Baron Byron, of Rochdale in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1643, by letters patent, for Sir John Byron, a Cavalier general and former Member of Parliament...
in 1983 upon the death of his fifth cousin Rupert Frederick George Byron
Rupert Byron, 11th Baron Byron
Rupert Frederick George Byron, 11th Baron Byron was the eleventh Baron Byron, as a descendant of a cousin of Romantic poet and writer, George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron.-Life:...
, in Australia. Lord Byron died on 15 June 1989 at age 89, whereupon his surviving son Robert became the 13th Baron.