George Cecil Weld-Forester, 3rd Baron Forester PC (10 May 1807 – 14 February 1886), styled The Honourable George Weld-Forester between 1821 and 1874, 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 army officer. He notably served as Comptroller of the Household in 1852 and from 1858 to 1859. A long-standing MP, he was

Father of the House of Commons Father of the House is a title that has been traditionally bestowed, unofficially, on certain members of some legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the title refers to the longest continuously- ...

from 1873 to 1874, when he succeeded his elder brother in the barony and took a seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

Background

Weld-Forester, born at Sackville Street, London was the second son of Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester, and Lady Katherine Mary Manners, daughter of

Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland, KG, PC (15 March 175424 October 1787) was a British politician and nobleman, the eldest legitimate son of John Manners, Marquess of Granby. He was styled Lord Roos from 1760 until 1770, and Marquess of Gr ...

. His elder brother John Weld-Forester, 2nd Baron Forester, was also a Tory politician.thepeerage.com General George Cecil Weld Forester, 3rd Baron Forester of Willey Park
/ref> Both the brothers had, as godfather at the same christening, the Prince of Wales, later King

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

, a personal friend of their father.Obituary of the 2nd Baron. He was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

Military career

Weld-Forester entered the British Army on commission in 1824, and became Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal Horse Guards in 1853. He was promoted to staff rank as Major-General in 1863 and Lieutenant-General in 1871, retiring, aged seventy, as full General in 1877 but he saw no campaign service.

Political career

Weld-Forester succeeded his brother as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for Wenlock in 1828, a seat he would hold for 46 years. He had been Groom of the Bedchamber to

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...

from 1830 to 1831 and served in the first two Conservative administrations of the

Earl of Derby Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the en ...

as Comptroller of the Household between February and December 1852 and from 1858 to 1859. He was admitted to the Privy Council in 1852. In 1873 he became

as the longest-serving member (then 45 years) of the House. The following year he succeeded his elder brother as third Baron Forester and entered the

. In 1878 he served as treasurer of the Salop Infirmary in Shrewsbury.

Personal life

Lord Forester married the Honourable Mary Anne Jervis, daughter of Edward Jervis, 2nd Viscount St Vincent, and widow of David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre, in 1862. They had no children. He died at 3 Carlton Gardens, London, in February 1886, aged 78, and was buried at Willey parish church. He was succeeded in the barony by his younger brother, Reverend Orlando Weld-Forester. Lady Forester died in March 1893. The Lady Foresters Convalescent Home in Llandudno was opened in Lord Forester's honour in 1902.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Forester, George Weld-Forester, 3rd Baron 1807 births 1886 deaths Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Younger sons of barons Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom UK MPs 1826–1830 UK MPs 1830–1831 UK MPs 1831–1832 UK MPs 1832–1835 UK MPs 1835–1837 UK MPs 1837–1841 UK MPs 1841–1847 UK MPs 1847–1852 UK MPs 1852–1857 UK MPs 1857–1859 UK MPs 1859–1865 UK MPs 1865–1868 UK MPs 1868–1874 Forester, B3 People educated at Westminster School, London British Army generals Royal Horse Guards officers