Joseph Laycock

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sir

Joseph Laycock
Born(1867-06-12)12 June 1867
East Retford, Nottinghamshire, England
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
RankBrigadier-General
Commands heldNottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery CRHA
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Distinguished Service Order
Territorial Decoration
Spouse(s)Katherine Mary Hare
RelationsRobert Laycock (son with Kitty Hare)
Maynard Greville (son with Daisy Greville)
Mercy Greville (daughter with Daisy Greville)
A formative photograph of 17 men. Eight stand, seven sit on chairs and two are on the floor.Sir Byron LeightonClaud GrenfelMajor Frederick Russell BurnhamCaptain Gordon ForbesAbe BaileyunidentifiedLord BrookeMajor Bobby WhiteLord DowneMajor-General Sir Henry Edward ColvilleMajor Harry WhiteMajor Joe LaycockSir Winston ChurchillSir Charles BentinckColonel Maurice Giffordunidentified
Returning from the Boer War on the
Joe Laycock, Winston Churchill, Sir Charles Bentinck. Sitting L-R: unidentified, Col. Maurice Gifford
(who had lost his arm in the Second Matabele War).

High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire.[3][4][5]

Early life

Laycock was the only son of Robert Laycock (1833–1881), barrister, and MP for North Lincolnshire in 1880–81, and Annie (née Allhusen), daughter to Christian Allhusen. He was born at Wiseton Hall Nottinghamshire, purchased by his grandfather c.1866 and demolished in 1960, which was Laycock's principal residence throughout his life.

Yachting

A member of the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, he had Ramage & Ferguson of Leith build for him a steel auxiliary 3-masted steam yacht, the Valhalla, to a design by Mr. W. C. Storey. She was launched from the Victoria Shipyard on 20 October 1892. Her complement was 100 hands, and she was the only steam yacht in the world to have a full ship rig. He sold her in October 1897.[6][7]

He had the publisher Howard Cox publish The Log of the Valhalla[8] in 1894

Laycock was friends with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster,[9] and they competed together in the 1908 Olympics at Water Motorsport.[10]

Military career

Laycock served with the

major on 7 December 1901, and resigned his commission the following year on 6 December 1902.[12]

He was the first commanding officer of the Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery when it was formed in 1908 as part of the new Territorial Force, and funded the founding of the battery himself.[9]

During the First World War he served with his battery in the

Senussi tribesmen.[13] Later he became the Commander Royal Artillery for the ANZAC Mounted Division.[14]

After World War I the Nottinghamshire RHA became a battery of the 60th Field Brigade, Royal Artillery, and Laycock was appointed Honorary Colonel of the whole unit on 22 November 1922.[15]

During the Second World War, Laycock commanded the Nottinghamshire Home Guard.[10]

Personal life

Laycock married, on 19 November 1902, Katherine Mary (Kitty) Hare (1872–1959), a granddaughter of William Hare, 2nd Earl of Listowel.[16] Kitty, the former Marchioness of Downshire, was married to Arthur Hill, 6th Marquess of Downshire (1871–1918), who had divorced her citing adultery with Laycock.[17] Laycock was also in an adulterous relationship with Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, issue occurring before and during his marriage with Kitty. Daisy's fourth child, Maynard (1898–1960), and fifth, Mercy (1904-1968), were fathered by Laycock.[18]

Laycock's son from his marriage to Kitty Hare, Robert Laycock, was knighted and awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his services in the Second World War.

References

  1. ^ "FinestHour" (pdf). Journal of the Churchill Center and Societies, Summer 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
  2. ^ "Joseph Laycock". Olympedia. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  3. ^ "No. 27890". The London Gazette. 27 February 1906. p. 1433.
  4. ^ Jacks, Leonard (1881), The Great Houses of Nottinghamshire and the County Families W. and A.S. Bradshaw. Nottingham, pp. 174-178
  5. ^ Joseph Frederick Laycock obituary, The Times, 11 January 1952
  6. ^ "Ownership of the Valhalla". clydeships.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  7. ^ Laycock, J. F. "Valhalla Seaman's discharge certificate 1897". eBay. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  8. ^ Laycock, J F. (1894). The Log of the Valhalla (ASIN: B000XSXDUI ed.). Horace Cox. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  9. ^ a b Nottingham Evening Post 20 May 1997
  10. ^ a b Burke, Sir Bernard (1969), Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry: Volume 2, Burke's Peerage (p. 390)
  11. ^ "No. 27359". The London Gazette. 27 September 1901. p. 6303.
  12. ^ "No. 27501". The London Gazette. 5 December 1902. p. 8444.
  13. ^ The Western Frontier Force Archived 13 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ Farndale, Martin (1988). The Forgotten Fronts and the Home Base, 1914-18. Henry Ling. p. 440.
  15. ^ Army List.
  16. ^ "Marriages". The Times. No. 36930. London. 20 November 1902. p. 1.
  17. ^ "The Downshire Divorce", The Star, Issue 7423, 9 June 1902
  18. ISBN 978-0-7499-5169-6
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_Laycock&oldid=1219527690"