William Cornwallis Cornwallis-West VD JP (20 March 1835 – 4 July 1917), was a British politician.
Born William Cornwallis West, he was the son of Frederick Richard West, son of the Hon. Frederick West, younger son of John West, 2nd Earl De La Warr. His mother was Theresa, daughter of John Whitby. He was called to the Bar, Lincoln's Inn, in 1862.
Cornwallis-West was High Sheriff of Denbighshire in 1872[1], Lord-Lieutenant of Denbighshire from 1872 to 1917, a Justice of the Peace for Hampshire and Denbighshire and an Honorary Colonel in the 4th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. In 1885 he was returned to Parliament for Denbighshire West, a seat he held until 1892. In 1895 he assumed by deed poll the surname of Cornwallis-West. He lived at Ruthin Castle, Denbighshire, and at Newlands Manor, Milford, Hampshire.[2]
Cornwallis-West married Mary ("Patsy"), daughter of Reverend Frederick Fitzpatrick, in 1872. She was known as a great beauty and leading socialite. One of their daughters was Daisy, Princess of Pless; another daughter, Constance Edwina, married Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster. Cornwallis-West's son, George Cornwallis-West, was the second husband of Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston Churchill. Cornwallis-West died in July 1917, aged 82. Mrs Cornwallis-West died in July 1920, shortly after returning from Monaco, in Arnewood House, a family property a few miles North of Newlands.
| Honorary titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert Myddelton Biddulph |
Lord-Lieutenant of Denbighshire 1872–1917 |
Succeeded by The Lord Kenyon |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by New constituency |
Member of Parliament for Denbighshire West 1885–1892 |
Succeeded by John Roberts |