Piers Anthony Weymouth Wedgwood, 4th Baron Wedgwood (20 September 1954 – 29 January 2014) was the fourth

Baron Wedgwood Baron Wedgwood, of Barlaston in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1942 for the soldier and politician Josiah Wedgwood. He was the great-great-grandson of Josiah Wedgwood, the founder of the ...

of the pottery dynasty. After initially following a military career, he later worked as an international ambassador for the

Wedgwood Wedgwood is an English fine china, porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on 1 May 1759 by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood and was first incorporated in 1895 as Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. It was rapid ...

company.

Biography

He was the son of Hugh Wedgwood, later 3rd Baron Wedgwood, and his wife Jane Weymouth (née Poulton), daughter of W. J. Poulton, of Kenjockety, Molo,

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

. He was a descendant of the potter

Josiah Wedgwood Josiah Wedgwood (12 July 1730 – 3 January 1795) was an English potter, entrepreneur and abolitionist. Founding the Wedgwood company in 1759, he developed improved pottery bodies by systematic experimentation, and was the leader in the indust ...

. He was educated at

Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...

. Upon the early death of his father, from a heart attack aged 45 in 1970, Wedgwood succeeded to the title of Baron Wedgwood as the fourth Baron, aged only 15. After military training at the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town of ...

, he was commissioned as a

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the

Royal Scots The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of Scotland. The regimen ...

in 1973 (personal no. 496342), was promoted to Lieutenant in 1975 and Captain in 1980, resigning his commission shortly thereafter. He received the General Service Medal for

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

in 1976. In 1985 he married Mary Regina Margaret Kavanagh Quinn, daughter of Judge Edward Thomas Quinn and of Helen Marie Buchanan Quinn of Philadelphia. They have one daughter, The Hon. Alexandra Mary Kavanagh Wedgwood, known as Sandra, (born 3 October 1987). Wedgwood was an active member of 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 ...

, with special interest in defence and heritage. In 1999, the House of Lords Bill proposed to remove the right of

hereditary peers The hereditary peers form part of the peerage in the United Kingdom. As of September 2022, there are 807 hereditary peers: 29 dukes (including five royal dukes), 34 marquesses, 190 earls, 111 viscounts, and 443 barons (disregarding subsidi ...

to sit in the House of Lords. Wedgwood spoke out against the Bill, and when it passed he was not elected as one of the 92 hereditary peers who remained. Wedgwood therefore left the House of Lords in November 1999. He became a

Freeman of the City of London The Freedom of the City of London started around 1237 as the status of a 'free man' or 'citizen', protected by the charter of the City of London and not under the jurisdiction of a feudal lord. In the Middle Ages, this developed into a freedom or ...

in 2006. Wedgwood died of cardiac failure, at the

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) is the flagship hospital of Penn Medicine and is located in the University City section of West Philadelphia. It is consistently ranked as one of the top hospitals in the United States. Histor ...

West Philadelphia West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of the city of Philadelphia. Alhough there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Avenue to the nort ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

on 29 January 2014. Until 2007, the

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

to the Barony was Wedgwood's uncle John Wedgwood. After John Wedgwood's death the heir presumptive became John Wedgwood's son, the 4th Baron's cousin,

Antony Wedgwood Antony may refer to: * Antony (name), a masculine given name and a surname * Antony, Belarus, a village in the Hrodna Voblast of Belarus * Antony, Cornwall, a village in Cornwall, United Kingdom ** Antony House, Cornwall, United Kingdom * Antony, ...

, who succeeded to the Barony as the 5th Baron.

Arms

References

Wedgewood, Piers Anthony, Weymouth Wedgewood, Piers Anthony, Weymouth Wedgwood, Piers Anthony Weymouth Wedgewood, 4th Baron Wedgwood, Piers Anthony, 4th Baron British military personnel of The Troubles (Northern Ireland) Royal Scots officers People educated at Marlborough College Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst {{UK-baron-stub