Geoffrey Waldegrave, 12th Earl Waldegrave
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Geoffrey Noel Waldegrave, 12th Earl Waldegrave KG GCVO TD (21 November 1905–23 May 1995), known as Viscount Chewton from 1933 to 1936, was a British peer and agriculturist.
Waldegrave was the only son of the 11th Earl Waldegrave and was educated at Winchester and graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1928. In 1936, he succeeded to his father's titles and became a member of Somerset County Council in 1937. During World War II, he served with the Royal Artillery (Territorial Army) and was afterwards awarded the Legion of Merit and the Territorial Decoration.
Lord Waldegrave's career thereafter was as: chairman of the Agricultural Executive Council 1948–51; a member of the Prince's Council of the Duchy of Cornwall 1951–58; and 1965–76; a Liaison Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire 1952–57; a Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1958–62; chairman of the Forestry Commission 1963–65; a member of the BBC General Advisory Council 1963–66; a director of Lloyds Bank 1964–76; Lord Warden of the Stannaries 1965–76; chairman of the Advisory Committee on Meat Research 1969–73 and President of Somerset Trust Nature Conservation 1964–80.
In 1976, he was made an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Bristol and was awarded the Garter and the GCVO in 1971 and 1976, respectively. On 22 October 1930, he had married Mary Hermione Grenfell (a grandniece of the 1st Baron Grenfell) and they had seven children:
- Lady Sarah Wright (b. 1931)
- Lady Jane Howard (b. 1934)
- Elizabeth Dewar, Baroness Forteviot (1936–2003)
- Lady Anne Boles (b. 1937)
- Susan Hussey, Baroness Hussey of North Bradley (b. 1939)
- James Waldegrave, 13th Earl Waldegrave (b. 1940)
- William Waldegrave, Baron Waldegrave of North Hill (b. 1946)
Lord Waldegrave died in 1995, aged 89 and was succeeded by his eldest son.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Earl St Aldwyn and Joseph Godber |
Joint Parliamentary Secretary to MAFF with Joseph Godber 1957–60, William Fletcher-Vane 1960–62 1958–62 |
Succeeded by The Lord St Oswald and James Scott-Hopkins |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Earl of Radnor |
Lord Warden of the Stannaries 1965–76 |
Succeeded by The Marquess of Lothian |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by Henry Waldegrave |
Earl Waldegrave 1936–1995 |
Succeeded by James Waldegrave |
