John Robert Warrender, 2nd Baron Bruntisfield, OBE MC TD (7 February 1921 – 14 July 2007) was a Scottish soldier, farmer 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 ...

politician. Warrender was born in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. He was the eldest son of Sir Victor Warrender, 8th Baronet, and his first wife, Dorothy Rawson. His father served as Conservative MP for

Grantham Grantham () is a market and industrial town in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road. It lies some 23 miles (37 km) south of the Lincoln and ...

from 1923 to 1942, when he was created 1st Baron Bruntisfield. Warrender studied at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

and then the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC), founded in 1801 and established in 1802 at Great Marlow and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, but moved in October 1812 to Sandhurst, Berkshire, was a British Army military academy for training infantry a ...

, from where he was commissioned into the

Royal Scots Greys The Royal Scots Greys was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) to form the Royal Scots Dragoon Guard ...

. He stood 6 ft 4 in high, and was powerfully built. He won the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

for his actions while serving at a lieutenant in Italy in November 1942. It was later rumoured that his actions could have merited a

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

. He served as

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

of the regiment, and was an Aide-de-camp to the

Governor of Madras This is a list of the governors, agents, and presidents of colonial Madras, initially of the English East India Company, up to the end of British colonial rule in 1947. English Agents In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized be ...

from 1946 to 1948. He became a farmer when he retired from the Army. He was lieutenant colonel of the newly amalgamated

North Somerset Yeomanry The North Somerset Yeomanry was a part-time cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1798 to 1967. It maintained order in Somerset in the days before organised police forces, and supplied volunteers to fight in the Second Boer War. It served on ...

and 44th Royal Tank Regiment from 1957 to 1962, and was awarded the

Territorial Decoration __NOTOC__ The Territorial Decoration (TD) was a military medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army. This award superseded the Volunteer Officer's Decoration when the Te ...

in 1967. He later joined the

Royal Company of Archers The Royal Company of Archers, The King's Bodyguard for Scotland is a ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign's bodyguard in Scotland—a role it has performed since 1822 during the reign of King George IV when the company provided a perso ...

, and was a Brigadier from 1973 to 1985. He received the OBE in 1963, and stood as the Conservative candidate for the safe Labour seat of

Pontypridd () (colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Geography comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng (Trallwn) and Treforest (). The ...

in the 1964 general election, losing to the incumbent, Labour's

Arthur Pearson Arthur Pearson may refer to: * Arthur Pearson (British politician) (1897–1980), British Labour Party Member of Parliament for Pontypridd, 1938–1970 * Sir Arthur Pearson, 1st Baronet (1866–1921), British newspaper magnate and publisher * Arthu ...

, by a wide margin. He became Deputy Lieutenant of Somerset in 1965. He inherited the barony on the death of his father in 1993, but was excluded from 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 ...

by the

House of Lords Act 1999 The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...

. He married three times. He was first married to (Ann) Moireen Campbell in 1948. They had two sons and two daughters. She died in 1976, and he remarried, to Shirley Crawley (née Ross), in 1977. His second wife died in 1981, and he remarried again, to Jan Graham (née Joanna Kathleen Chancellor), in 1985. He died in Edinburgh. His heir was his son, Michael (b. 9 January 1949), who became the 3rd Baron. He is married and has a son, John Michael Patrick Caspar Warrender (b. 1 June 1996).Darryl Landy. ''The Peerage'' database online. ''Ibid.''

References

External links

Obituary, ''The Independent'', 19 July 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruntisfield, John Warrender, 2nd Baron 1921 births 2007 deaths 2 British Army personnel of World War II People educated at Eton College Recipients of the Military Cross Royal Scots Greys officers Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Deputy Lieutenants of Somerset Officers of the Order of the British Empire North Somerset Yeomanry officers Members of the Royal Company of Archers Scottish farmers