The Bonham-Carter family is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

family that has included several prominent people active in various spheres in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Antecedents

The Bonham-Carter family are the descendants of John Bonham-Carter (1788–1838), who was the first to use the

double-barrelled surname A double-barrelled name is a type of compound surname, typically featuring two words (occasionally more), often joined by a hyphen. Examples of some notable people with double-barrelled names include Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Sacha Baron Co ...

. He was the son of Sir John Carter (born before 20 December 1741 – 18 May 1808, sometime Mayor of Portsmouth, himself a son of John Carter, a merchant). He assumed the additional surname Bonham by Royal Licence when he inherited the estates of his cousin Thomas Bonham. Most of the Bonham-Carters have belonged to Unitarian churches. The first John Bonham-Carter was a British

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

and

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...

. His wife Joanna Maria Smith was the daughter of William Smith, the

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

MP; her sister Frances was the mother of

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during t ...

, and her brother

Benjamin Benjamin ( he, ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's thir ...

was the father of Barbara Bodichon and

Benjamin Leigh Smith Benjamin Leigh Smith (12 March 1828 – 4 January 1913) was an English Arctic explorer and yachtsman. He is the grandson of the Radical abolitionist William Smith. Early life He was born in Whatlington, Sussex, the extramarital child ...

. John and Joanna had a daughter, (Joanna) Hilary Bonham-Carter (d. 1865), who was an artist and friend of political journalist

Harriet Martineau Harriet Martineau (; 12 June 1802 – 27 June 1876) was an English social theorist often seen as the first female sociologist, focusing on racism, race relations within much of her published material.Michael R. Hill (2002''Harriet Martineau: Th ...

. Hilary's portraits of her cousin Florence Nightingale are held in the National Portrait Gallery. John and Joanna had a son, the fourth generation named John (1817–1884), and also an MP. This John Bonham-Carter briefly served as a

Lord of the Treasury In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the ...

in 1866. His third son by his second wife, The Hon. Mary Baring (a daughter of The 1st Baron Northbrook), was Arthur Thomas Bonham-Carter, KC (1869–1916), who was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...

and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

. A.T. Bonham-Carter was a soldier and barrister, eventually serving as a Justice of the bench of His Majesty's High Court of

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

, which was based in

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

. Mr Justice Bonham-Carter was still a judge on the bench of this court when the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

broke out in 1914. He later resigned from the colonial bench in

British East Africa East Africa Protectorate (also known as British East Africa) was an area in the African Great Lakes occupying roughly the same terrain as present-day Kenya from the Indian Ocean inland to the border with Uganda in the west. Controlled by Britai ...

and joined, as an officer, The 1st Battalion,

The Hampshire Regiment The Hampshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot and the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot. The r ...

, eventually being promoted to the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. He was killed serving with this regiment on the first day of the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

, 1 July 1916, and was later buried in Serre Road Military Cemetery No. 2, near

Beaumont-Hamel Beaumont-Hamel () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. During the First World War, Beaumont-Hamel was close to the front line, near many attacks, especially during the Battle of the Somme, one of the larg ...

in northern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Bonham-Carter's name appears on the war memorial at the

Muthaiga Country Club The Muthaiga Country Club is a club in Nairobi, Kenya. It is located in the suburb of Muthaiga, about 15 minutes drive from the city centre. The Muthaiga Country Club opened on New Year's Eve in 1913, and became a gathering place for the coloni ...

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

. The Bonham Carter family, as descended from Sir Maurice Bonham Carter and The Baroness Asquith of Yarnbury, is the only example so far where three generations have received

Life Peerage In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages Ac ...

s under the

Life Peerages Act 1958 The Life Peerages Act 1958 established the modern standards for the creation of life peers by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Background This Act was made during the Conservative governments of 1957–1964, when Harold Macmillan was Prime M ...

:The titles of the three judges Baron Russell of Killowen were created under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act of 1876. Violet, Baroness Asquith of Yarnbury; her son, Mark Raymond Bonham Carter; and her granddaughter, Jane Bonham Carter, were all separately made life peers of Yarnbury in the

County of Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

. One of the most famous members of the Bonham Carter family is Hollywood actress

Helena Bonham Carter Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received various awards and nominations, including a British Academy Film Award a ...

, a two-time

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nominee and

British Academy Film Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...

winner.

Prominent members

''Living descendants are omitted, unless they are notable or have a separate Wikipedia entry. Each indentation indicates a generation.'' The family members include: * John Bonham-Carter (1788–1838), MP, married Joanna Maria Smith, daughter of

William Smith (abolitionist) William Smith (22 September 1756 – 31 May 1835) was a leading independent British politician, sitting as Member of Parliament (MP) for more than one constituency. He was an English Dissenter and was instrumental in bringing political rights to ...

John Bonham-Carter (1817–1884) John Bonham-Carter DL JP (13 October 1817 – 26 November 1884) was an English Liberal politician. Early life Jack Bonham-Carter was the son of Joanna Maria Smith (1792–1884) and the Portsmouth Member of Parliament John Bonham-Carter ( ...

, MP, married Mary Baring, daughter of Francis Thornhill Baring, 1st Baron Northbrook ::* Lothian George Bonham-Carter (1858–1927), married Emily Maud Sumner :::* Esme Mary Maud Bonham Carter (1884–1956), married (1) Basil Murray Tomlinson, married (2) John Selwyn :::* Algernon Bonham Carter (1888–1957), married Myra Foyle :::* Admiral Sir Stuart Sumner Bonham Carter (1889–1972), married Eve Lloyd :* Alfred Bonham Carter (1825–1910), married Mary Henrietta Norman ::* Guy Bonham Carter (1884–1915), married Kathleen Arkwright, one son, one daughter ::* Alfred Erskine Bonham Carter (1880–1921), married Margaret Emily Malcolm :::* Rear-Admiral Sir

Christopher Douglas Bonham-Carter Rear admiral (Royal Navy), Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Douglas Bonham-Carter, (3 November 1907 – 3 June 1975)"Sir Christopher Douglas Bonham-Carter, Obituary", ''The Times'', Thursday, 5 June 1975; pg. 16; Issue 59414; col F was a Royal Navy o ...

(1907–1975), married Marion MacIntyre Hutchinson Taylor :::* Dr Richard Erskine Bonham-Carter (1910-1994) ::::* Peter Malcolm Bonham-Carter (1936–2019), married Clodagh Greenwood :::::* Crispin Daniel Bonham-Carter (b. 1969), married Katherine Julian Dawnay, four sons :* Henry Bonham Carter (1827–1921), married Sibella Charlotte Norman ::* Walter Henry Bonham-Carter (1866-1947) ::* Sir

Edgar Bonham-Carter Sir Edgar Bonham-Carter (2 April 1870 – 24 April 1956) was a British barrister and administrator in Sudan and Iraq. In his younger days he was a rugby player of some note and represented England at international level. Early life and rugby ca ...

(1870–1956) ::* General Sir

Charles Bonham-Carter General Sir Charles Bonham-Carter, (25 February 1876 – 21 October 1955) was a British Army officer and later Governor of Malta. Early life Bonham-Carter was born on 25 February 1876 in Kensington, London, the ninth of eleven children of Henr ...

(1876–1955), married Gabriele Fisher :::* Victor Bonham-Carter (1913–2007) :::** Graeme Bonham-Carter (born 1939) ::* Sir

Maurice Bonham Carter Sir Maurice Bonham-Carter (11 October 1880 – 7 June 1960) was an English Liberal politician, civil servant and first-class cricketer. He was H. H. Asquith's Principal Private Secretary during Asquith's time as Prime Minister from 1910 to 191 ...

(1880–1960) married Violet Asquith, Baroness Asquith of Yarnbury, life peer. :::* Helen Cressida Bonham Carter (1917–1997), married Jasper Ridley (1913–1944) ::::* Sir Adam Nicholas Ridley (born 1942), married (1) Lady Katherine Asquith (divorced) and (2) Margaret Anne Passmore, three sons :::* Laura Miranda Bonham Carter (1918–1994), married the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

leader

Jo Grimond Joseph Grimond, Baron Grimond, (; 29 July 1913 – 24 October 1993), known as Jo Grimond, was a British politician, leader of the Liberal Party for eleven years from 1956 to 1967 and again briefly on an interim basis in 1976. Grimond was a lo ...

,Obituary: Laura Grimond, ''The Independent'', 17 February 1994
Retrieved on 19 July 2012. three sons, one daughter :::* Mark Raymond Bonham Carter, Baron Bonham-Carter (1922–1994), MP, life peer, married Leslie Nast, three daughters ::::*

Jane Bonham Carter, Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury Jane Bonham Carter, Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (born 20 October 1957) is a British Liberal Democrat politician, and member of the House of Lords. Background Family Bonham Carter hails from the Bonham Carter family. Her great-grandfathe ...

(b. 1957), life peer, partner of

Tim Razzall, Baron Razzall Edward Timothy Razzall, Lord Razzall, (born 12 June 1943) is a British Liberal Democrat politician and parliamentarian. Early life He was the son of Humphrey Razzall, a Liberal Party member who stood as Liberal Parliamentary Candidate for Sc ...

:::* Raymond Henry Bonham Carter (1929–2004), married Elena Propper de Callejón, two sons, one daughter ::::* Edward Henry Bonham Carter (b. 1960), married

Victoria Studd Victoria Studd is a British television presenter. Career Studd appeared as a presenter on the show '' Wish You Were Here?'', appearing in eight episodes from 1991 to 1996. Prior to that, she spent a brief time presenting ''Holiday'', a travel show ...

, two sons, one daughter ::::*

(b. 1966), has children with former partner

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...

, one son, one daughter :* Hugh Bonham Carter (1832–1896), married Jane Margaret MacDonald (1849–1911) ::* Air Commodore Ian Malcolm Bonham-Carter (1882–1953) ::* Francis Hugh Bonham-Carter, married in 1911 Gillian Margaret Hope Somerville (1890–1982, later wife of prince

Maximilian von Lobkowicz The House of Lobkowicz (''Lobkovicové'' in modern Czech, sg. ''z Lobkovic''; ''Lobkowitz'' in German) is a Czech noble family that dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest Bohemian noble families. The family also belong to the Ge ...

, 1888–1967) :* Philip Bonham-Carter (1891–1934)

Notes

References

External links

Bonham Carter Family Papers, The National Archives (UK)
* **{{cite web , title=Bonham Carter , url=http://www.thepeerage.com/i448.htm#s5815 , website=The Peerage , date=29 July 2020

English families Political families of the United Kingdom English gentry families

Antecedents

Prominent members

See also

Notes

References

External links