Bertram Francis Gurdon, 2nd Baron Cranworth (13 June 1877 – 4 January 1964) was a British peer and soldier. Gurdon was the eldest son of

Robert Gurdon, 1st Baron Cranworth Robert Thornhagh Gurdon, 1st Baron Cranworth, (18 June 1829 – 13 October 1902) was a British Member of Parliament. Gurdon was the eldest son of Brampton Gurdon (1797–1881), of Letton Hall in Norfolk and of Grundisburgh Hall in Suffolk, ...

and was educated at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Norfolk Artillery Militia on 7 March 1900, and volunteered for active service in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. He was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 25 August 1900. Two years into the war, he was wounded, but was discharged from hospital to duty in May 1902, shortly before the end of hostilities. He left

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

on board the the following month, and arrived at

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

in early July. He inherited his father's title in October 1902 and later became a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. On 18 July 1903, he married Vera Ridley (a cousin of Matthew Ridley, 1st Viscount Ridley). In 1937, he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 358th (Suffolk) Medium Regiment and on retiring in 1948, was made a

Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

. Lord Cranworth died in 1964 and his title passed to his grandson,

Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...

(his only son Robert having been

killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

in 1942). He wrote ''A Colony in the Making, or Sport and Profit in British East Africa'' (1912; 2nd edition 1919) and ''Kenya Chronicles'' (1939).

Arms

References

Burke's Peerage & Gentry

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cranworth, Bertram Gurdon, 2nd Baron 1877 births 1964 deaths Norfolk Militia officers Royal Artillery officers British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Knights of the Garter Recipients of the Military Cross Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge British Militia officers Deputy lieutenants of Suffolk

Bertram Bertram may refer to: Places *Bertram, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth, Australia *Bertram, Iowa, United States, a city *Bertram, Texas, United States, a city *Bertram Glacier, Palmer Land, Antarctica Other uses *Bertram (name), a list of peo ...