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 Nor ...

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 C ...

. 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 ofte ...

and barrister. 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 social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during the Crimean War, i ...

, and her brother Benjamin 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 race relations within much of her published material.Michael R. Hill (2002''Harriet Martineau: Theoreti ...

. 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 th ...

and

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

. 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 fighti ...

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, 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, 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.

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 colon ...

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 ...

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 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) :* John Bonham-Carter (1817–1884), 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 (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 (1870–1956) ::* General Sir Charles Bonham-Carter (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 (b. 1957), life peer, partner of Tim Razzall, Baron Razzall :::* 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, 1888–1967) :*

Philip Bonham-Carter Philip Herman Bonham-Carter (12 November 1891 – 7 January 1934) was an English first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer. Life and naval career The son of Herman Bonham-Carter and his wife, Margaret Louisa Wathen, he was born at Karach ...

(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