Eric Thesiger

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Eric Richard Thesiger DSO, TD (17 February 1874 – 2 October 1961),[1] styled The Honourable from 1878, was a British soldier and page to Queen Victoria.

Contents

Background

He was the fourth son of Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford and his wife Adria Fanny Heath, daughter of Major-General John Coussamker Heath.[2] His older brothers were Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford and the diplomat Wilfred Gilbert Thesiger.[2] Thesiger was educated at Winchester College and in 1884, he was nominated Page of Honour to the Queen, a post he fulfilled for the following six years.[3] In 1893, he became a Staff Commissioner of Police.[3]

Career

Thesiger joined the Surrey Yeomanry as private during the Boer War.[4] In 1900, he was advanced to a lieutenant[5] and in 1902 he became a second lieutenant.[6] He was transferred as major from the Yeomanry into the Territorial Force in 1908.[7] In the First World War Thesiger was wounded twice and was mentioned in despatches as many times.[3]

He was appointed to the 10th Battalion, Royal West Surrey Regiment in 1917,[8] commanding it until 1918, and subsequently the 10th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment for another year.[9] In March of the latter year, he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)[10] and in August, he received the Territorial Decoration (TD).[11] He was awarded an Officer of the French Croix de guerre in October[12] and some days later, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel.[13]

Thesiger was further honoured with the Order of the Crown of Belgium.[3] He retired from the Territorial Army in 1929, having reached the age limit.[14]

Family

On 29 October 1904, he married firstly Pearl Marie Coupland, only daughter of John Coupland, and had by her a daughter and two sons.[1] She died in 1922, and Thesiger remarried Sydney Hilda Hutton-Croft, daughter of George Arthur Hutton-Croft on 3 October 1929, but she died only a year later.[1] He married thirdly Mary Pudsey, daughter of Reverend F. W. Pudsey, on 27 March 1953.[1] His third wife sadly also died the next year, and Thesiger survived her until 1961.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "ThePeerage — Lt-Col Eric Richard Thesiger". http://www.thepeerage.com/p21557.htm#i215563. Retrieved 25 March 2007. 
  2. ^ a b Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1929). Armorial Families. vol. II. London: Hurst & Blackett. pp. 1917. 
  3. ^ a b c d Who Is Who 1935. London: A. & C. Black Ltd.. 1935. pp. 3340. 
  4. ^ Whitaker's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Companioage. J. Whitaker & Sons. 1923. pp. 193. 
  5. ^ London Gazette: no. 27251. p. 7823. 27 November 1900. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  6. ^ London Gazette: no. 27513. p. 112. 6 September 1903. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  7. ^ London Gazette: no. 28159. p. 5222. 17 July 1908. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  8. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30584. p. 3449. 15 March 1918. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  9. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31428. p. 8314. 1 July 1919. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  10. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31435. p. 8505. 4 July 1919. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  11. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31511. p. 10551. 19 August 1919. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  12. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31615. p. 12996. 21 October 1919. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  13. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31626. p. 13406. 31 October 1919. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  14. ^ London Gazette: no. 33470. p. 1348. 26 February 1929. Retrieved 6 November 2009.

External links

Court offices
Preceded by
Percy Cust		 Page of Honour
1884 – 1890		 Succeeded by
Hon. Maurice Drummond