Hugh William Fortescue, 5th Earl Fortescue KG, PC (14 June 1888–14 June 1958) was a British peer and Conservative politician.
Fortescue was the eldest son of Hugh Fortescue, 4th Earl Fortescue, and his wife the Hon. Emily (née Ormsby-Gore), and succeeded his father in the earldom in 1932. He served under Stanley Baldwin, Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill as a Lord-in-Waiting (government whip in the House of Lords) from 1936 to 1945 and under Churchill as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (chief government whip in the House of Lords) in 1945. During the Labour stay in power from 1945 to 1951 Fortescue was Chief Opposition Whip in the House of Lords. He was again Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms under Churchill from 1951 to 1955 and under Sir Anthony Eden from 1955 to 1957. He was admitted to the Privy Council in 1952 and made a Knight of the Garter in 1951.
Lord Fortescue married the Hon. Margaret, daughter of Wentworth Beaumont, 1st Viscount Allendale, on 8 February 1917. They had four children:
Lord Fortescue died in June 1958, aged 70. As he had no surviving male issue he was succeeded by his younger brother, Denzil. Lady Fortescue also died in June 1958, only four days before her husband.
Although the title passed to his brother on his death, the 5th Earl left his principal seat, Castle Hill [1] in Devon, to his elder surviving daughter, Margaret. It is now the home of her daughter Eleanor, Countess of Arran. The other historic family residence, Ebrington Manor, Gloucestershire, remains the seat of the Earls Fortescue.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava |
Lord-in-Waiting 1937–1945 |
Succeeded by The Marquess of Normanby |
| Preceded by The Lord Snell |
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms 1945 |
Succeeded by The Lord Ammon |
| Preceded by The Lord Shepherd |
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms 1951–1957 |
Succeeded by The Earl St Aldwyn |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Templemore |
Conservative Chief Whip in the House of Lords 1945–1957 |
Succeeded by The Earl St Aldwyn |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Mildmay of Flete |
Lord Lieutenant of Devon 1936–1958 |
Succeeded by The Lord Roborough |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by Hugh Fortescue |
Earl Fortescue 1932–1958 |
Succeeded by Denzil Fortescue |