George Richard James Hennessy, 1st Baron Windlesham,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(23 March 1877 – 8 October 1953) was a British soldier and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician. Hennessy, a Franco-Irish

aristocrat The aristocracy (''from Greek'' ''ἀριστοκρατία'' ''aristokratía'', "rule of the best"; ''Latin: aristocratia'') is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the ...

, served in 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 ...

as a Major in the

King's Royal Rifle Corps The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United Sta ...

and on the Staff of the 8th Division. In 1918 he was elected to parliament for

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

, a seat he held until 1931, and served under

Bonar Law Andrew Bonar Law (; 16 September 1858 – 30 October 1923) was a British statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1922 to May 1923. Law was born in the British colony of New Brunswick (now a Canadi ...

and

Baldwin Baldwin may refer to: People * Baldwin (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname Places Canada * Baldwin, York Regional Municipality, Ontario * Baldwin, Ontario, in Sudbury District * Baldwin's Mills, ...

as a Junior

Lord of the Treasury In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords (or Ladies) Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second L ...

from 1922 to 1924 and from 1924 to 1925, as

Vice-Chamberlain of the Household The Vice-Chamberlain of the Household is a member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The officeholder is usually a senior government whip in the British House of Commons ranking third or fourth after the Chief Whip and ...

from 1925 to 1928 and as

Treasurer of the Household The Treasurer of the Household is a member of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The position is usually held by one of the government deputy Chief ...

from 1928 to 1929. Hennessy held the latter position also from September to November 1931 in the National Government of

Ramsay MacDonald James Ramsay MacDonald (; 12 October 18669 November 1937) was a British statesman and politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The first two of his governments belonged to the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, where he led ...

. From 1931 to 1941 he was Vice-Chairman of the

Conservative and Unionist Party The Conservative and Unionist Party, commonly the Conservative Party and colloquially known as the Tories, is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party. The party sits on the Cent ...

. Hennessy was created a Baronet, of Windlesham in the County of Surrey, in 1927, and on 22 February 1937 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Windlesham, of

Windlesham Windlesham is a geographically-large village in the Surrey Heath borough of Surrey, England, approximately south west of central London. Its name derives from the Windle Brook, which runs south of the village into Chobham, and the common suffi ...

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

. Windlesham was born in France, the son of Richard Hennessy and Marthe (née Hennessy). His parents were first cousins, both from the Franco-Irish family of Cognac fame. His parents separated and his mother moved to England with her children. Marthe Hennessy eventually remarried in 1888 with Lord James Sholto Douglas (1855–1891), youngest brother of the

Marquess of Queensberry Marquess of Queensberry is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. The title has been held since its creation in 1682 by a member of the Douglas family. The Marquesses also held the title of Duke of Queensberry from 1684 to 1810, when it was i ...

. Family ties with the French branches were maintained but economic interests in the cognac business were discontinued by family arrangement. Windlesham married Ethel Mary Wynter, daughter of Charles Reginald Wynter, in 1898. He died in October 1953, aged 76, and was succeeded in the baronetcy and barony by his eldest son, James Hennessy, a brigadier in the Grenadier Guards. The latter's son,

David Hennessy, 3rd Baron Windlesham David James George Hennessy, 3rd Baron Windlesham, Baron Hennessy, (28 January 1932 – 21 December 2010) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who held visiting professorships at various universities. Early life Henness ...

, was also a

politician.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Windlesham, George Hennessy, 1st Baron Windlesham, George Richard James Hennessy, 1st Baron Windlesham, George Richard James Hennessy, 1st Baron Barons Windlesham Officers of the Order of the British Empire Barons created by George VI King's Royal Rifle Corps officers Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1918–1922 UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs who were granted peerages Treasurers of the Household British Army personnel of World War I 20th-century Anglo-Irish people

George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

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