William Amherst, 3rd Earl Amherst
| William Archer Amherst 3rd Earl Amherst | |
|---|---|
|
The Earl Amherst by Leslie Ward, 1904. | |
| Born |
26 March 1836 Mayfair, London, England. |
| Died |
14 August 1910 (aged 74) Montreal Park, near Sevenoaks, Kent, England |
| Nationality |
 British |
| Education | Eton College |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Title | 3rd Earl Amherst |
| Predecessor | 2nd Earl Amherst |
| Successor | 4th Earl Amherst |
Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) |
Julia (née Mann) Alice (née Vaughan) |
William Archer Amherst, 3rd Earl Amherst (26 March 1836 – 14 August 1910) was a British peer, politician and notable Freemason, known as Viscount Holmesdale from 1857 to 1886.[1]
He was born in Mayfair, London, the son of Viscount Holmesdale (later 2nd Earl Amherst) and was baptised on 3 May 1836 in St. George's Church, Hanover Square, London. He was educated at Eton and went on to serve with the Coldstream Guards, rising to the rank of Captain and fighting in the Battle of Balaclava, the Battle of Inkerman (where he was severely wounded) and the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War.
On his return from the Crimea, Holmesdale became Member of Parliament (MP) for West Kent in 1859 and on 27 August 1862, he married Julia Mann (the only daughter of the 5th Earl Cornwallis) in Linton, Kent.
In 1868 Holmesdale became MP for Mid Kent until 1880. He served as Chairman of the National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations in 1868.[2] On the death of his father in 1886, he became Earl Amherst. Julia died in 1883 and on 25 April 1889, he married Alice Vaughan, the widow of the 5th Earl of Lisburne in London.
He died in 1910, aged 74, at his home of Montreal Park, near Sevenoaks, Kent as a result of an operation he received three months prior for a throat infection. He was cremated on 16 August 1910 and his ashes buried two days later in nearby Riverhead. Despite having married twice, the earl died childless and his titles passed to his brother, Hugh.
References
- ↑ The 3rd Earl Amherst 1836–1910
- ↑ Cook & Keith, 'British Historical Facts 1830–1900', 1975 P.93
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Viscount Holmesdale
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Whatman Charles Wykeham Martin |
Member of Parliament for West Kent 1859–1868 With: Sir Edmund Filmer to 1865 William Hart Dyke from 1865 |
Succeeded by Charles Mills John Gilbert Talbot |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Mid Kent 1868 – 1880 With: William Hart Dyke |
Succeeded by William Hart Dyke Edmund Filmer |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by John Eldon Gorst |
Chairman of the National Union of Conservative and Constitutional Associations 1868 |
Succeeded by Henry Cecil Raikes |
| Masonic offices | ||
| Preceded by The Earl of Lathom |
Pro Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England 1898–1908 |
Succeeded by The Lord Ampthill |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by William Amherst |
Earl Amherst 1886–1910 |
Succeeded by Hugh Amherst |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by William Amherst |
Baron Amherst (writ in acceleration) 1880–1910 |
Succeeded by Hugh Amherst |