Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Charles Churchman, 1st Baron Woodbridge, DL (7 September 1867 – 3 February 1949), known as Sir Arthur Churchman, Bt, between 1917 and 1932, was a British tobacco manufacturer, soldier and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician.

Background and education

Churchman was the son of Henry Charles Churchman, of Paget House,

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

, by Mary Anna Eade, daughter of Charles Eade. Sir William Churchman, 1st Baronet, was his elder brother. He was educated at

Ipswich School Ipswich School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school) for pupils aged 3 to 18 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. North of the town centre, Ipswich School has four parts on three adjacent sites. The Pre-Prep and Nur ...

.thepeerage.com Arthur Charles Churchman, 1st and last Baron Woodbridge
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Business and political career

Churchman went into partnership with his brother, William, in the family tobacco firm which had been founded by their great-grandfather in 1790. This was renamed W.A. & A.C. Churchman. It was later absorbed by the tobacco combines and Churchman became vice-chairman of the British American Tobacco Company. Churchman was elected Mayor of

in 1901, a post he held until the following year (his brother William had been mayor between 1899 and 1900). He was lieutenant-colonel of the Essex and Suffolk Royal Garrison Artillery between 1905 and 1909 and commanded a

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...

Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment as a temporary lieutenant-colonel in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. In 1917, he was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

, of Abbey Oaks in the Parish of

Sproughton Sproughton ( ) is a village in Suffolk, England, just to the west of Ipswich and is in the Babergh administrative district. It has a church, a primary school, a pub (the Wild Man, which has been closed since 2020), a community shop and various ...

in the County of Suffolk. In 1920, he was returned to Parliament for

Woodbridge Woodbridge may refer to: Places Australia *Woodbridge, Western Australia formerly called ''West Midland'' *Woodbridge, Tasmania Canada *Woodbridge, Ontario England *Woodbridge, Suffolk, the location of **Woodbridge (UK Parliament constituency ...

, which he remained until 1929. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of

in 1930 and served as High Sheriff of the county in 1931. In 1932, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Woodbridge, of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk. Between 1932 and 1949, he was

High Steward of Ipswich This is a list of people who have served as High Steward of Ipswich in Suffolk. * 1557-1580: Sir William Cordell * 1581-1590: Sir Francis Walsingham * 1590-1596: The Lord Hunsdon * 1596-1600: The Earl of Essex * 1600-1608: The Lord Buckhurst ...

. A major benefaction of his was to purchase

Orford Castle Orford Castle is a castle in Orford in the English county of Suffolk, northeast of Ipswich, with views over Orford Ness. It was built between 1165 and 1173 by Henry II of England to consolidate royal power in the region. The well-preserve ...

for preservation in 1928.

Family

Lord Woodbridge married Edith Harvey, daughter of J. A. Harvey, in 1891. They had three sons and two daughters, all of whom but one daughter predeceased him. Woodbridge died in February 1949, aged 81, when the baronetcy and barony became extinct.

References

External links

*
Portrait of Lord Woodbridge at thepeerage.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodbridge, Arthur Churchman, 1st Baron 1867 births 1949 deaths People educated at Ipswich School Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Churchman, Arthur Deputy lieutenants of Suffolk Churchman, Arthur Churchman, Arthur Churchman, Arthur Churchman, Arthur Churchman, Arthur UK MPs who were granted peerages Businesspeople from Ipswich Mayors of Ipswich, Suffolk Suffolk Regiment officers British Army personnel of World War I Barons created by George V Military personnel from Ipswich Territorial Force officers Volunteer Force officers Royal Garrison Artillery officers