John Charles Compton Cavendish, 5th Baron Chesham, PC (18 June 1916 – 23 December 1989), was a British Conservative politician. A member of the Cavendish family headed by the

Duke of Devonshire Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This (now the senior) branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has be ...

he was the son of

John Compton Cavendish, 4th Baron Chesham Baron Chesham, of Chesham in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom created in 1858 for the Hon. Charles Cavendish, who had earlier represented Aylesbury, Newtown, East Sussex, Youghal and Buckinghamshire ...

and his first wife, Margot Mills. Cavendish was educated at Eton College, Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz in Switzerland, and Trinity College, Cambridge. He fought in the Second World War as a captain in the Army, also briefly serving as an Air Observation Post pilot with

No. 664 Squadron RCAF No. 664 "Air Observation Post" Squadron, RCAF was formed in England during the Second World War. It was manned principally by Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) personnel, with select British artillery pilots briefly ...

. Chesham took his seat in the House of Lords on his father's death in 1952, and later served in the Conservative administrations of

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was a British Conservative statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Caricatured as "Supermac", he ...

and Sir Alec Douglas-Home. He was Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport from 1959 to 1964. The latter year he was also admitted to the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

. Chesham was later Chairman of the International Road Federation, and President of the

British Road Federation The British Road Federation was a Trade association, business organisation representing stakeholders of the road industry in the United Kingdom. The organisation was active since 1932 and ceased to exist in 2000. It represented companies and trade a ...

from 1966 to 1972. A motoring enthusiast, Chesham first started motorcycling when he attended Cambridge University, riding Rex-Acme,

AJS A. J. Stevens & Co. Ltd was a British automobile and motorcycle manufacturer in operation from 1909 to 1931. The company was founded by Joe Stevens in Wolverhampton, England. After the firm was sold, the name continued to be used by Matchless, A ...

Rudge Rudge may refer to: Places *Rudge, Shropshire, England *Rudge, Somerset, England * Rugde (Kristiansand), a neighbourhood in Kristiansand, Norway People *Anne Rudge (1761–1836), English botanist *Antonietta Rudge (1885–1974), Brazilian pian ...

and competing on an Excelsior at Brooklands. He joined the Royal Automobile Club as Executive Vice-Chairman from April, 1966, ''Motor Cycle'' 21 April 1966 p.524 ''Lord Chesham joins RAC''. Accessed 28 June 2015 then a newly created salaried position, until 1970. Lord Chesham married Mary Edmunds Marshall, daughter of David Gregory Marshall, in 1937. He died in December 1989, aged 73, and was succeeded in the barony by his son Nicholas Charles Cavendish.

Notes

References

* Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, * *
British Army Officers 1939-1945
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chesham, John Charles Compton Cavendish, 5th Baron 1916 births 1989 deaths John Cavendish, 5th Baron Chesham 5 Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Conservative Party (UK) Baronesses- and Lords-in-Waiting British Army personnel of World War II Royal Artillery officers People educated at Eton College Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry officers Eldest sons of British hereditary barons Place of birth missing Place of death missing Ministers in the third Churchill government, 1951–1955 Ministers in the Eden government, 1955–1957 Ministers in the Macmillan and Douglas-Home governments, 1957–1964 British World War II pilots Alumni of Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge