Walter Francis David Long, 2nd Viscount Long (14 September 1911 – 23 September 1944), 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 ...
and soldier.
Early life
The eldest son of
Brigadier-General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
Walter Long (d. 1917) and Sibell Vanden Bempde-Johnstone, granddaughter of
Baron Derwent
Baron Derwent, of Hackness in the North Riding of the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 10 October 1881 for the former Liberal Member of Parliament for Scarborough, Sir Harcourt Vanden-Bempde-Joh ...
.
Long was educated at St David's School,
Reigate
Reigate ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town in Surrey, England, around south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book in 1086 as ''Cherchefelle'' and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The earlie ...
, and later at
Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England.
Eton may also refer to:
Places
*Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England
* Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States
* Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...
on the insistence of his mother, who had remarried in 1921 to
Lord Glyn. Traditionally the Longs were educated at
Harrow. After his father's death in 1917, there was tension between his grandfather,
Walter Long, 1st Viscount Long
Walter Hume Long, 1st Viscount Long, (13 July 1854 – 26 September 1924), was a British Unionist politician. In a political career spanning over 40 years, he held office as President of the Board of Agriculture, President of the Local Govern ...
and his mother, who refused to allow her son to spend any of his school holidays with him at
Rood Ashton House
Rood Ashton House was a country house in Wiltshire, England, standing in parkland northeast of the village of West Ashton, near Trowbridge. Built in 1808 for Richard Godolphin Long, it was later the home of the 1st Viscount Long (1854–1924).
...
. Lord Long was afraid that she had not instilled any affection for Rood Ashton in his grandson, and he consequently believed he might eventually sell the estate, which had been in the family for hundreds of years.
Military career
Long's father had been
killed in action in 1917, during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and so on the demise of his grandfather in 1924, Long aged just 13, inherited the latter's title. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Lord Long fought as a
Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
with the
Coldstream Guards
The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...
and he himself was killed in action at
Uden
Uden () is a town and former municipality in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands. Since 2022 it has been part of the new municipality of Maashorst.
History
Uden was first recorded around 1190 as "Uthen". However, earlier settlements h ...
,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in 1944. Having no sons, he was succeeded by his uncle,
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...
. Long is buried at the
Uden War Cemetery.
Personal life
On 14 November 1933, Long married
(Frances) Laura Charteris (sister of novelist
Hugo Charteris
Hugo Francis Guy Charteris MC (11 December 1922 – 20 December 1970) was a noted British novelist and screenwriter, the author of nine novels, 17 television screenplays and numerous children's books and short stories.
Early life
Charteris wa ...
and granddaughter of Hugo Charteris, 11th
Earl of Wemyss
Earl of Wemyss ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1633. The Scottish Wemyss family had possessed the lands of Wemyss in Fife since the 12th century. Since 1823 the earldom has been held with the Earldom of March, created in ...
). In 1933, directly after his marriage, Long and his new wife travelled to
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
to take up an appointment as
Aide de Camp to
Lord Bledisloe. They had one daughter:
*
The Honourable
''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...
Antoinette Frances Sibell Long (b. 1934), who married
Charles Morrison
Sir Charles Andrew Morrison (25 June 1932 – 9 May 2005) was a British landowner and Conservative politician. He sat as Member of Parliament for Devizes from 1964 until 1992.
Early life
Morrison was the son of John Morrison, a Wiltshire ...
(1932–2005), second son of the
1st Baron Margadale.
Long and his wife divorced in 1942. The former Lady Long subsequently married three more times, in 1943 to the
3rd Earl of Dudley, in 1960 to
Michael Temple Canfield
Michael Temple Canfield (August 20, 1926 – December 20, 1969) was an American diplomatic aide and secretary at the US Embassy in London during the Eisenhower administration who later worked in London as an editorial representative of Harper & R ...
, and lastly in 1972 to the
10th Duke of Marlborough.
[Laughter from a Cloud. The Autobiography of Laura, Duchess of Marlborough – 1980]
Further reading
Inheriting the Earth: The Long Family's 500 Year Reign in Wiltshire; Cheryl Nicol
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Long, Walter Long, 2nd Viscount
1911 births
1944 deaths
Coldstream Guards officers
People educated at Eton College
Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom
British Army personnel killed in World War II
Walter
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
People from Wiltshire
Burials at Uden War Cemetery