Sir Walter Thomas William Spencer-Stanhope (21 December 1827 – 17 November 1911) was a British

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 in ...

politician and

Volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

officer.

Background

He was the eldest son of John Spencer-Stanhope and grandson of Walter Spencer-Stanhope (see Spencer-Stanhope family). His mother was Lady Elizabeth Wilhelmina, daughter of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester.

John Roddam Spencer Stanhope John Roddam Spencer Stanhope (20 January 1829 – 2 August 1908) was an English artist associated with Edward Burne-Jones and George Frederic Watts and often regarded as a second-wave pre-Raphaelite. His work is also studied within the context ...

was his younger brother.

Military career

Spencer-Stanhope was a captain in the part-time 2nd West Riding Yeomanry and raised the 36th (Rotherham) Yorkshire West Riding Rifle Volunteer Corps during the invasion scare of 1859–60. When the Rifle Volunteers in

Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...

and

Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...

were brought together into an administrative battalion he was appointed

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...

in command; this later became the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment.''Army List''. Lieutenant-Colonel Stanhope was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

on 1 July 1881, was awarded a CB for his Volunteer work in 1887, and received the

Volunteer Decoration The Volunteer Officers' Decoration, post-nominal letters VD, was instituted in 1892 as an award for long and meritorious service by officers of the United Kingdom's Volunteer Force. Award of the decoration was discontinued in the United Kingdom ...

(VD) in 1892. He finally retired from the command in 1895 and became Honorary Colonel of the battalion. He was knighted ( KCB) in 1904.''London Gazette'', 21 June 1904.
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Political career

Spencer-Stanhope was returned to Parliament as one of two representatives for the southern division of the West Riding of Yorkshire in an 1872 by-election, a seat he held until 1880.

Family

Spencer-Stanhope married Elizabeth Julia, daughter of

Sir John Buxton, 2nd Baronet Sir John Jacob Buxton, 2nd Baronet (13 August 1788 – 13 October 1842) was a politician from Shadwell Court in Brettenham, Norfolk who sat in the House of Commons from 1818 to 1832. Buxton was the eldest son of Sir Robert Buxton, 1st Baronet ...

, in 1856. They had eleven children: John Montague (b. 1860), Walter (b. 1861), Edward Collingwood (b. 1863), Hugh (b. 1864), Philip Bertie (b. 1868), Mary Gertrude, Cecily Winifrid (who helped her father design the ballroom at the family seat of

Cannon Hall Cannon Hall is a country house museum located between the villages of Cawthorne and High Hoyland some 5 miles (8 km) west of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. Originally the home of the Spencer and later the Spencer-Stanhope family, it ...

and "Fairyland" in the pleasure grounds of the estate), Margaret Isabella, Alice Mildred, Winifrid Julia, and an infant daughter who did not survive. Elizabeth Julia died in September 1880. Spencer-Stanhope survived her by over 30 years and died in November 1911, aged 83.

Notes

References

External links

*
Spencer Stanhope Mausoleum.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer-Stanhope, Walter 1827 births 1911 deaths Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1868–1874 UK MPs 1874–1880