James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster (8 December 1907–29 March 1983), known as Lord Willoughby de Eresby from 1910 to 1951, was a British Conservative politician.

Ancaster was the son of Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster and Eloise Lawrence Breese. He was educated at Eton and Magdalene College, Cambridge. In 1933 he was elected to the House of Commons for Rutland and Stamford, a seat he held until 1950. From 1933 to 1935 Ancaster was "Baby of the House", the youngest member of the House of Commons. He served in the Second World War as a Major in the Royal Artillery, and was mentioned in despatches.

In 1951 Ancaster was summoned to the House of Lords through a writ of acceleration in his father's junior title of Baron Willoughby de Eresby. He succeeded as third Earl of Ancaster later that year upon the death of his father. Apart from his political career he was also Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire from 1950 to 1975 and Joint Lord Great Chamberlain from 1951 to 1983.

Lord Ancaster married the Hon. Nancy Phyllis Louise Astor, daughter of Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor, in 1933. They had two children, one son and one daughter. His only son and heir apparent, Timothy, Lord Willoughby de Eresby, went missing at sea off Corsica in 1963, never to be seen again. Lord Ancaster died in March 1983, aged 75. On his death the earldom and barony of Aveland became extinct, while he was succeeded in the ancient barony of Willoughby de Eresby by his only daughter Nancy Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, who also succeeded him as joint Lord Great Chamberlain. Lord Ancaster's baronetcy also survived, and was inherited by his distant relative Gilbert Simon Heathcote.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Neville Smith-Carington	Member of Parliament for Rutland and Stamford 1933–1950	Succeeded by Sir Roger Conant
Preceded by Roland Robinson	Baby of The House 1933–1935	Succeeded by Charles Taylor
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Lord Brownlow	Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire 1950–1975	Succeeded by Sir Henry Nevile
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby	Earl of Ancaster 1951–1983	Extinct
Peerage of England
Preceded by Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby	Baron Willoughby de Eresby 1951–1983	Succeeded by Nancy Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby
Baronetage of Great Britain
Preceded by Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby	Baronet (of London) 1951–1983	Succeeded by Gilbert Simon Heathcote