John Stewart Gathorne-Hardy, 2nd Earl of Cranbrook (22 March 1839 – 13 July 1911), known as Lord Medway from 1892 to 1906, was a British peer and

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

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 ...

. Born John Stewart Hardy, Cranbrook was the eldest son of the Conservative politician

Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook, (born Gathorne Hardy; 1 October 1814 – 30 October 1906) was a prominent British statesman, Conservative politician and key ally of Benjamin Disraeli. He held cabinet office in every Conservati ...

, and Jane Orr. He assumed the additional surname of Gathorne by Royal licence in 1878 and when his father was elevated to the peerage as Earl of Cranbrook in 1892, he gained the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...

of Lord Medway. Cranbrook was elected to the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the 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 parliament. ...

for Rye in 1868, a seat he held until 1880, and later represented Mid Kent from 1884 to 1885 and

Medway Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to for ...

from 1885 to 1892. In 1906, he succeeded his father as second Earl of Cranbrook and took his seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

. Lord Cranbrook married Cicely Marguerite Wilhelmina Ridgway, daughter of Joseph Ridgway, in 1867. Their younger son, Hon. Sir

John Francis Gathorne-Hardy General Sir John Francis Gathorne-Hardy, (14 January 1874 – 21 August 1949) was a British First World War General officer who served in Italy and the Western Front. Background and early life Gathorne-Hardy was born in 1874, a younger son of ...

, was a

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

in the army. Their daughter, Lady Dorothy Milner Gathorne-Hardy, married

Rupert D'Oyly Carte Rupert D'Oyly Carte (3 November 1876 – 12 September 1948) was an English hotelier, theatre owner and impresario, best known as proprietor of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and Savoy Hotel from 1913 to 1948. Son of the impresario and hotelier R ...

. Lord Cranbrook died in July 1911, aged 72, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 3rd Earl of Cranbrook. Lady Cranbrook died in 1931.

Notes

Bibliography

* Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (106th edition) (New York: St Martin's Press 1990) * Williamson, D (ed.) ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (107th edition) (London 2002)

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gathorne-Hardy, John Stewart Cranbrook, John Stewart Gathorne-Hardy, 2nd Earl Cranbrook, John Stewart Gathorne-Hardy, 2nd Earl Cranbrook, John Stewart Gathorne-Hardy, 2nd Earl Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1868–1874 UK MPs 1874–1880 UK MPs 1880–1885 UK MPs 1885–1886 UK MPs 1886–1892 Cranbrook, John Stewart Gathorne-Hardy, 2nd Earl Rifle Brigade officers Gathorne-Hardy family