Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne, 2nd Baronet, DL (29 August 1835 – 22 February 1914) was a British industrialist and a member of the prominent Guest family.

Early life

Ivor Bertie Guest was born at

Dowlais Dowlais () is a village and Community (Wales), community of the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. At the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census the electoral ward had a population of 6,926, The populati ...

, near

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil () is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydfil, daughter of K ...

, the son of

Lady Charlotte Guest Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Guest (née Bertie; 19 May 1812 – 15 January 1895), later Lady Charlotte Schreiber, was an English aristocrat who is best known as the first publisher in modern print format of the ''Mabinogion'', the earliest prose li ...

, translator of the ''

Mabinogion The ''Mabinogion'' () is a collection of the earliest Welsh prose stories, compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, created –1410, as well as a few earlier frag ...

'', and Sir John Josiah Guest, 1st Baronet, owner of the world's largest iron foundry,

Dowlais Ironworks The Dowlais Ironworks was a major ironworks and steelworks located at Dowlais near Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. Founded in the 18th century, it operated until the end of the 20th, at one time in the 19th century being the largest steel producer ...

. His middle name (Bertie) was from his mother's family, the

Earls of Abingdon Earl of Abingdon is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created on 30 November 1682 for James Bertie, 5th Baron Norreys of Rycote. He was the eldest son of Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey by his second marriage to Bridget, 4th Barones ...

, descended from a Tudor courtier who married the Dowager Duchess of Suffolk (herself ''

suo jure ''Suo jure'' is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especi ...

'' Baroness Willoughby de Eresby). His siblings included Montague Guest, a Liberal politician, Arthur Edward Guest, a

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, Charlotte Maria Guest, Mary Enid Evelyn Guest, who married

Austen Henry Layard Sir Austen Henry Layard (; 5 March 18175 July 1894) was an English Assyriologist, traveller, cuneiformist, art historian, draughtsman, collector, politician and diplomat. He was born to a mostly English family in Paris and largely raised in It ...

, and Blanche Guest, who married

Edward Ponsonby, 8th Earl of Bessborough file:Chapel, Stansted Park- memorial (4) (geograph 1913346).jpg, Memorial in the chapel at Stansted Park Edward Ponsonby, 8th Earl of Bessborough, (1 March 1851 – 1 December 1920), known as Viscount Duncannon from 1895 until 1906, was a U ...

. Guest was educated at

Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...

in Middlesex, and he went on to gain a Master of Arts degree in 1856 from

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, 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 ...

Titles

Following his father's death in 1852, Guest succeeded to his father's

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 ...

cy. In 1880, he was elevated to the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...

as Baron Wimborne, of

Canford Magna Canford Magna is a village in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole district, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. The village is situated just south of the River Stour and lies between the towns of Wimborne Minster and Poole. The vi ...

in the County of Dorset, on

Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creat ...

's initiative.

Career

Guest was commissioned a

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...

in the

Dorsetshire Yeomanry The Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army founded in 1794 as the Dorsetshire Regiment of Volunteer Yeomanry Cavalry in response to the growing threat of invasion during the Napoleonic wars. It gained its first ro ...

on 20 April 1858 and was promoted to lieutenant on 11 March 1867. He held the office of

High Sheriff of Glamorgan This page is a list of High Sheriffs of Glamorgan. Sheriffs of Glamorgan served under and were answerable to the independent Lords of Glamorgan until that lordship was merged into the crown. This is in contrast to sheriffs of the English shires w ...

in 1862 and was the mayor of

Poole Poole () is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is east of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east ...

from 1896 to 1897. In 1879, he rebuilt the

real tennis Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis (also called "lawn tennis") is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United Sta ...

court at Canford. He was lampooned in '' Vanity Fair'' as "the paying Guest". From 1874 on, he stood unsuccessfully for election to the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

as a

, contesting

Glamorganshire Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the south of Wales. Originally an early medieval petty kingdom of varying bo ...

at the 1874 general election,

at a by-election in May 1874, and

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

at a by-election in 1878 and at the 1880 general election. However, following the tariff reform by Chamberlain, he seceded from the Conservative party and sat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

as a Liberal. He was President of the Dean Close Memorial School from 1902, and a Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset.

Marriage and issue

On 25 May 1868, Guest married Lady Cornelia Henrietta Maria Spencer-Churchill (1847–1927). She was the daughter of

John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough John Winston Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough, (2 June 18224 July 1883), styled Earl of Sunderland from 1822 to 1840 and Marquess of Blandford from 1840 to 1857, was a British Conservative cabinet minister, politician, peer, and noble ...

, thus making Guest an uncle-by-marriage of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

, later the

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...

. Their children included the following: * Frances Guest (1869–1957), later known as Lady Chelmsford, who married

Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford Frederic John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford (12 August 1868 – 1 April 1933), styled the Lord Chelmsford until 1921, was a British statesman. He served as Governor of Queensland from 1905 to 1909, Governor of New South Wales from 190 ...

, who served as

Viceroy of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the Emperor of ...

. * Ivor Churchill Guest (1873–1939), who married the Hon. Alice Grosvenor (1880–1948). *

Christian Henry Charles Guest Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Henry Charles Guest (15 February 1874 – 9 October 1957), usually known as Henry Guest, was a Liberal Party politician in the United Kingdom. Family He was the second son of Ivor Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne and his w ...

(1874–1957), who married the Hon. Frances Lyttelton (1885–1918). * Frederick "Freddie" Edward Guest (1875–1937), who married Amy Phipps (1873–1959), daughter of American industrialist Henry Phipps. *Lionel George William Guest (1880–1935), who married Flora Bigelow (former wife of Charles S.

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence, Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

), daughter of U.S. Ambassador

John Bigelow John Bigelow Sr. (November 25, 1817 – December 19, 1911) was an American lawyer, diplomat, and historian who edited the complete works of Benjamin Franklin and the first autobiography of Franklin taken from Franklin's previously lost original ...

. * Oscar Montague Guest (1888–1958), who married Kathleen Paterson (b. 1903). His wife Cornelia, helped oversee the philanthropic project of building estate cottages to improve the living conditions of workers in

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

. Although begun by his mother, Charlotte Guest, Cornelia was responsible for the building of the majority, which as a result are known as ' Lady Wimborne Cottages' after her role. He died on 22 February 1914 at Canford Manor in Dorset and was succeeded by his eldest son, Ivor Churchill Guest, 2nd Baron Wimborne, 1st Baron Ashby St Ledgers, who was later created Viscount Wimborne. His will was proved in April 1914, provisionally at £250,000.

Residences

In 1867, Guest bought at auction "Hamilton House", located at 22 Arlington Street in the

St. James's St James's is a district of Westminster, and a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. The area was once part of the northwestern gardens and parks of St. James's Palace and much of it is still owned ...

district of the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a London borough with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in Greater London, England. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It contains a large par ...

in central London, from the widow of

William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton William Alexander Archibald Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton and 8th Duke of Brandon (19 February 1811 – 8 July 1863) styled Earl of Angus and Arran before 1819 and Marquess of Douglas and Clydesdale between 1819 and 1852, was a Scottish noblem ...

. As the house had traditionally been renamed with the title of each peer who owned it, upon receiving his title in 1880, Guest renamed the house as "Wimborne House". Wimborne acquired the Highland sporting estate of Glencarron (Ross-shire) in the 1860s, building a Lodge (Alexander Ross / William Joass, c. 1868). He extended it with Glenuaig Estate, possibly 1871, together comprising 15,000 acres.Arthur Grimble Deer Forests of Scotland 1896, in https://archive.org/details/deerforestsofsco00grimrich/page/280/mode/2up?q=glencarron On the opening of the "Dingwall and Kyle Railway" in 1870, Glencarron Lodge was provided with a private platform.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wimborne, Ivor Bertie Guest, 1st Baron 1835 births 1914 deaths People from Merthyr Tydfil People educated at Harrow School Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Welsh industrialists 20th-century Welsh businesspeople 19th-century Welsh businesspeople Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Deputy lieutenants of Dorset High sheriffs of Glamorgan Ivor Bertie Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry officers Liberal Party (UK) hereditary peers Peers of the United Kingdom created by Queen Victoria