Charles Sackville Pelham, Lord Worsley (14 August 1887 – 30 October 1914) was a British soldier. He was the son of Charles Pelham, 4th Earl of Yarborough and

Marcia Pelham, Countess of Yarborough Marcia Amelia Mary Pelham, Countess of Yarborough and 13th Baroness Conyers, 7th Baroness Fauconberg and 9th Countess of Mértola, OBE (18 October 1863 – 17 November 1926) was a British peer who worked in politics for the Conservative Part ...

. On 31 January 1911, Lord Worsley married Alexandra Mary Freesia Vivian, daughter of

Hussey Vivian, 3rd Baron Vivian Hussey Crespigny Vivian, 3rd Baron Vivian, (19 June 1834 – 21 October 1893) was a British diplomat from the Vivian family. Background Born at Connaught Place, London, Vivian was the eldest son of Charles Vivian, 2nd Baron Vivian, and was edu ...

and the former Louisa Alice Duff, and sister-in-law of General Haig. Worsley was killed in action during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, aged 27. Due to Charles Worsley's death at a relatively young age, the title of

Earl of Yarborough Earl of Yarborough is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1837 for Charles Anderson-Pelham, 2nd Baron Yarborough. History The Anderson-Pelham family descends from Francis Anderson of Manby, Lincolnshire. He married ...

later passed directly from his father to his younger brother, Sackville George Pelham, who also assumed Charles's

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but is rather used by custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some context ...

of Lord Worsley.

Death in Flanders

In World War I, Charles Worsley served as a

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 ...

in C Squadron of the

Royal Horse Guards The Royal Regiment of Horse Guards, also known as the Blues, or abbreviated as RHG, was one of the cavalry regiments of the British Army and part of the Household Cavalry. In 1969, it was amalgamated with the 1st The Royal Dragoons to form the ...

during hostilities in Flanders, commanding a machine gun section. On 30 October 1914, Worsley's section was cut off at Zandvoorde,

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, by a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

attack and he was killed at the age of 27. Lord Worsley was first listed as "missing in action", but was officially recorded as dead early in 1915. Worsley's body was buried by German soldiers, and a map of his burial location was later passed on via diplomatic channels to the British, which enabled them to relocate his grave in December 1918. It was marked with an upright wooden

cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

which had been placed there by the Germans. In January 1919 a replacement wooden cross was erected, and Lord Worsley's widow subsequently purchased the plot of land.

Memorials

Lord Worsley's body was exhumed in 1921 and reburied in

Ypres Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...

at the Town Cemetery Military Extension. The inscription on his gravestone reads: HE DIED FIGHTING FOR GOD AND RIGHT AND LIBERTY AND SUCH A DEATH IS IMMORTALITY. On the spot where Lord Worsley's body was originally buried by the Germans now stands the Household Cavalry Memorial in the centre of Zandvoorde. Lord Worsley's name can be seen on the memorial very near the bottom. A memorial to Lord Worsley was erected in Britain, in All Saints Church,

Brocklesby Brocklesby is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the West Lindsey Non-metropolitan district, district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated south of Habrough, south-west of Immingham, it is located close to the borde ...

, Lincolnshire; it is a marble relief in a 17th-century style (to complement the adjacent Pelham family tomb of 1629), depicting Worsley dressed in military uniform, kneeling at prayer, and was carved by the sculptor

Charles Sargeant Jagger Charles Sargeant Jagger (17 December 1885 – 16 November 1934) was a British sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically prese ...

. The memorial is inscribed with the legend:

References

External links

''Charles Sackville Pelham, Lord Worsley ... An Appreciation''
(1924)
Entry in ''The Bond of Sacrifice''
(1917) {{DEFAULTSORT:Worsley, Charles Pelham, Lord 1887 births 1914 deaths British Army personnel of World War I British courtesy barons and lords of Parliament British military personnel killed in World War I Heirs apparent who never acceded Royal Horse Guards officers Missing in action of World War I