George Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry

George William Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry, PC, DL (9 May 1838 – 13 March 1930), styled Viscount Deerhurst until 1843, was a British Conservative politician. He was Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms between 1877 and 1880 and again between 1885 and 1886 as well as Master of the Buckhounds between 1886 and 1892 and again between 1895 and 1901.


The Earl of Coventry

Lord Coventry c.1920–1925
Master of the Buckhounds
In office
16 July 1895  1 November 1900
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded byThe Lord Ribblesdale
Succeeded byThe Lord Chesham
In office
16 August 1886  25 August 1892
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded byThe Lord Suffield
Succeeded byThe Lord Ribblesdale
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms
In office
6 July 1885  28 January 1886
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded byThe Lord Carrington
Succeeded byThe Lord Sudeley
In office
28 May 1877  21 April 1880
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Earl of Beaconsfield
Preceded byThe Earl of Shrewsbury
Succeeded byThe Earl Fife
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
9 May 1859  13 March 1930
Hereditary Peerage
Preceded by8th Earl of Coventry
Succeeded by10th Earl of Coventry
Personal details
Born(1838-05-09)9 May 1838
Wilton Crescent, London
Died13 March 1930(1930-03-13) (aged 91)
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
Spouse(s)Lady Blanche Craven (d. 1930)
Alma materChrist Church, Oxford

Background and education

Coventry was born at Wilton Crescent, London, the son of George William Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst, eldest son of George Coventry, 8th Earl of Coventry. His mother was Harriett Anne, daughter of Sir Charles Cockerell, 1st Baronet. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford.[1]

Political career

Coventry sat on the Conservative benches in the House of Lords and served as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms under the Earl of Beaconsfield from 1877 to 1880 and under Lord Salisbury from 1885 to 1886 and under Salisbury as Master of the Buckhounds from 1886 to 1892 and again from 1895 to 1900.[1] In 1877 he was admitted to the Privy Council.

Coventry was also Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire from 1891 to 1903,[1] and an Honorary Colonel of the 3rd and 4th (Militia) Battalions, the Worcestershire Regiment from 1900.[2] He was honoured as Lord High steward of Tewkesbury in December 1901,[3] and received the Honorary Freedom of the borough of Tewkesbury in January 1902.[4] During the First World War the Earl of Coventry, as Lord Lieutenant, was the figurehead of the county war effort. He chaired a number of committees and charities, and was President of the Worcestershire Volunteer Regiment (the WW1 Home Guard).[5] Apart from his political career he was also involved in horseracing. His racing colours were brown with blue cap and were carried to victory in consecutive Grand Nationals by the half sisters Emblem, 1863, and Emblematic, 1864.[6] In 1899 he was President of the Royal Agricultural Society.[1] The Earl was also interested in the development of agriculture and maintained a paternalistic attitude to his tenants. He established a jam factory in order to provide them with a local outlet for their fruit although this proved unable to compete with larger-scale commercial competitors and went into liquidation in 1908.[7]

Family

Memorial to the 9th Earl of Coventry in the church at Croome Court

Lord Coventry married Lady Blanche, daughter of William Craven, 2nd Earl of Craven, on 25 January 1865. They had six sons and three daughters. He died on 13 March 1930, aged 91, and was succeeded in the earldom by his grandson George, the son of George William Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst. His second son the Hon. Charles Coventry was a soldier and successful cricketer.[8] Lady Coventry survived her husband by only three days and died on 16 March 1930, aged 87. His daughter, Lady Anne Coventry, was married to Prince Victor Duleep Singh, the eldest son of Maharaja Duleep Singh.[1]

References

  1. thepeerage.com George William Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry
  2. "No. 27154". The London Gazette. 16 January 1900. p. 292.
  3. "Court Circular". The Times (36645). London. 23 December 1901. p. 7.
  4. "Court circular". The Times (36676). London. 28 January 1902. p. 7.
  5. Atkin, Susanne. "Croome Estate in WW1". Croome100.
  6. National horse racing museum profile
  7. Atkin, Susanne. "The Croome Jam Industry". Croome100.
  8. Atkin, Susanne (2016). "C.J. Coventry: Katia and Beyond". Friends of Croome Newsletter, No. 24.
Political offices
Preceded by
The Earl of Shrewsbury
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
1877–1880
Succeeded by
The Earl Fife
Preceded by
The Lord Carrington
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
1885–1886
Succeeded by
The Lord Sudeley
Preceded by
The Lord Suffield
Master of the Buckhounds
1886–1892
Succeeded by
The Lord Ribblesdale
Preceded by
The Lord Ribblesdale
Master of the Buckhounds
1895–1901
Succeeded by
The Lord Chesham
Honorary titles
Preceded by
The Earl Beauchamp
Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire
1891–1923
Succeeded by
The Viscount Cobham
Peerage of England
Preceded by
George Coventry
Earl of Coventry
1843–1930
Succeeded by
George Coventry

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