Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe

Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe,

Bathurst worked as a barrister and conveyancer. In 1910 he entered parliament representing the Conservative Party as MP for the South or Wilton division of Wiltshire. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food.

During the

His social conscience was much appreciated during the

Bledisloe was a freemason. During his term as governor-general, he was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand.^[3]

Later life

In 1935, Bledisloe was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal,^[4] honorary doctorate of civil laws (DCL) from Oxford, and honorary doctorate of Law (LLD) from Edinburgh. Upon returning to England he was elevated on 24 June 1935 to Viscount Bledisloe, of Lydney in the County of Gloucester.^[2] He continued to serve on a number of committees and councils, and was made a fellow of University College, Oxford and Pro-Vice Chancellor of Bristol. He received the King's Coronation Medal from George VI in 1937 and was admitted at the same time as Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

Bledisloe was a director of

Lord Bledisloe chaired the Bledisloe Commission, also known as the Rhodesia-Nyasaland Royal Commission, appointed in 1937–39 to examine the possible closer union of the three British territories in Central Africa: Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. These territories were to some degree economically inter-dependent, and it was suggested that an association would promote their rapid development. (The three territories would ultimately unite as the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1953.)

In 1943, he created the Empire Knowledge Trophies, a school competition to promote the British Empire to grammar and secondary technical schools.^[5] The competition was organized by the Gloucestershire Education Committee. Lord Blesdisloe himself often attended to present the prizes to the pupils.

On his 90th birthday he endowed the Bledisloe Gold Medal for Landowners of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, to be awarded annually for the application of science or technology to some branch of British husbandry.^[6]

Bledisloe died, aged 90, at Lydney on 3 July 1958, and was succeeded as Viscount Bledisloe by his eldest son,

Family

Charles Bathurst married Hon Bertha Susan, daughter of Henry Lopes, 1st Baron Ludlow by Cordelia Clark. They had two boys and a girl.

• Benjamin Ludlow, 2nd Viscount Bledisloe (1899–1979)
• Ursula Mary (1900–1975), married Horace Field Parshall Jr. (1903–1986) on 14 May 1929; divorced 1942.
• Hon. Henry Charles Hiley (1904–1969)

Bertha died in 1926 and Bathurst remarried in 1928 to Alina Kate Elaine Cooper-Smith (née Jenkins), the daughter of Lord Glantawe.^[7][8][9] Alina died in 1956.^[9]

Sports

Benjamin. The Australia – New Zealand Bledisloe Cup, and Bledisloe Park

sports ground in New Zealand, are named for Bledisloe.

Styles

• 1867–1910: Charles Bathurst
• 1910–1914: Charles Bathurst, MP
• 1914–1917:
  Captain
  Charles Bathurst, MP
• 1917 – 24 October 1918: Captain Sir Charles Bathurst,
  KBE
  , MP
• 24 October 1918 – 1926: The Right Honourable The Lord Bledisloe, KBE
• 1926–1930: The Right Honourable The Lord Bledisloe, KBE, PC
• 1930 – 1 January 1935:
  GCMG
  , KBE, PC
• 1 January – 28 June 1935: The Right Honourable The Lord Bledisloe, GCMG, KBE, PC,
  KStJ
• 28 June 1935 – 1958: The Right Honourable The Viscount Bledisloe, GCMG, KBE, PC, KStJ

Arms

Coat of arms of Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe

Notes The arms of Charles Bathurst consist of:[10][11] (Carved depiction) Crest A dexter arm in mail enbowed, holding in the hand all Proper, a club with spike Or. Escutcheon Sable two bars ermine, in chief three cross-patée Or. Supporters On either side a bull guardant Gules, ringed, and a line therefrom reflexed over the back Or. Motto Tien ta foy (Keep thy faith)

References

1. ^ "Sherborne and the Bledisloe Cup". The Old Shirburnian Society. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Marshall, Russell (1998). "Bledisloe, Charles Bathurst 1867 – 1958". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
3. ^ "VICE REGAL GRAND MASTERS – WHO AND WHY?". Kent Henderson Freemansonry. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013.
4. ^ "Official jubilee medals". The Evening Post. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
5. ^ Bledisloe trophy competition for more schools? Gloucester Journal 31 July 1956
6. ^ "Bledisloe Gold Medal for Landowners". RASE. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
7. ^ Marshall, Russell (1998). "Bledisloe, Charles Bathurst". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
8. ^ Wilson, James. "BLEDISLOE, Charles Bathurst, P.C., G.C.M.G., K.B.E., First Viscount". An encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, 1966. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
9. ^ ^{a b} "Lady Bledisloe". Birmingham Daily Post. 8 February 1956. p. 18 – via British Newspaper Archive.
10. ^ Cox, Noel. "THE ARMS OF VISCOUNT BLEDISLOE". www.geocities.ws. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
11. ^ Debrett's Peerage, and Titles of Courtesy. London, Dean. 1921. p. 121, BLEDISLOE, BARON. (Bathurst.). Retrieved 20 May 2022.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Viscount Bledisloe
• Lydney Rugby Football Club

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Levi Lapper Morse	Member of Parliament for Wilton 1910–1918	Succeeded by Hugh Morrison
Government offices
Preceded by Sir Charles Fergusson	Governor-General of New Zealand 1930–1935	Succeeded by The Viscount Galway
Sporting positions
New office	President of Lydney Rugby Football Club 1888–1958	Succeeded by Benjamin Bathurst
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Viscount Bledisloe 1935–1958	Succeeded by Benjamin Bathurst
	Baron Bledisloe 1918–1958