Robert Egerton Grosvenor, 5th Baron Ebury, DSO (8 February 1914 – 5 May 1957), was a

British peer The peerages in the United Kingdom are a legal system comprising both hereditary and lifetime titles, composed of various noble ranks, and forming a constituent part of the British honours system. The term ''peerage'' can be used both collec ...

, military officer and

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

Life and family

He was the elder son of Francis Egerton Grosvenor, 4th

Baron Ebury Baron Ebury, of Ebury Manor in the County of Middlesex, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that dates from 1857. In 1999, it became a subsidiary title of the earldom of Wilton after the 6th Baron Ebury inherited the earldom from ...

, and his wife Mary Adela Glasson, and a member of the extended Grosvenor family headed by the

Duke of Westminster Duke of Westminster is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. It is the most recent dukedom conferred on someone not related to the ...

.Mosley, Charles (editor). ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage'', 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. Volume 3, page 4209. The 1st Baron Ebury had been a younger son of the 1st Marquess of Westminster, and the latter's grandson became the

1st Duke of Westminster Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster, (13 October 1825 – 22 December 1899), styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845, Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869, and known as The Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an ...

in 1874. He was educated at

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

, succeeded his father in the barony in 1932, and served as a

Lord-in-waiting Lords-in-waiting (male) or baronesses-in-waiting (female) are peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (without ...

(government whip 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 ...

) under

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician of the Conservative Party who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. He is best known for his foreign policy of appeasemen ...

from 1939 to 1940. Lord Ebury served in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War, and he was awarded the DSO for his bravery under fire during the siege at Cassino in 1944. Lord Ebury married firstly Anne Acland-Troyte, daughter of Herbert Walter Acland-Troyte, in 1933. They had two sons but were divorced in 1941 (she died in 1982). He married secondly the Hon. Denise Margaret Yarde-Buller, daughter of the 3rd Baron Churston, in 1941. They had two sons and two daughters but were divorced in 1954 (she died in 2005). He married thirdly Sheila Winifred Dashfield, daughter of Arthur Edward Dashfield, in 1954. A keen racing driver, Lord Ebury died on 5 May 1957 after an accident at Prescott, Gloucestershire, aged 43, while driving a Jaguar C-type. He was cremated at Oxford Crematorium, where there is a plaque to him and his third wife Sheila, who died in 2010. He was succeeded in the barony by his elder son from his first marriage,

Francis Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places * Rural M ...

, who in 1999 succeeded a kinsman as 8th

Earl of Wilton Earl of Wilton, of Wilton Castle in the County of Herefordshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1801 for Thomas Egerton, 1st Baron Grey de Wilton, along with the subsidiary title of Viscount Grey de Wilton, ...

. The art historian, writer and television presenter Bendor Grosvenor is a grandson of Lord Ebury through the latter's fourth son, the Hon. Richard Alexander Grosvenor (b. 1946).

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ebury, Robert Grosvenor, 5th Baron 1914 births 1957 deaths People educated at Harrow School Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Robert Grosvenor, 5th Baron Ebury Racing drivers who died while racing Sport deaths in England Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Royal Artillery officers British Army personnel of World War II Ministers in the Chamberlain wartime government, 1939–1940 Ministers in the Chamberlain peacetime government, 1937–1939