James Edward Harris, 5th Earl of Malmesbury DL (18 December 1872 – 12 June 1950), styled Viscount FitzHarris from 1889 to 1899, was a British peer 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. Malmesbury was the eldest son of

Edward Harris, 4th Earl of Malmesbury Edward James Harris, 4th Earl of Malmesbury DL (12 April 1842 – 19 May 1899), was a British peer, the son of Admiral the Honourable Sir Edward Harris and the grandson of James Harris, 2nd Earl of Malmesbury. His maternal grandparents we ...

, and succeeded to the earldom in 1899.''Burke's'': 'Malmesbury'. Through his grandmother Emma Wylly Chambers he was a descendant of

David Mathews David Mathews ( – July 28, 1800) was an American born British lawyer and politician from New York City. He was a Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War and was the 43rd and last Colonial Mayor of New York City from 1776 until 1783. As N ...

, the Loyalist Mayor of New York City during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

and a descendant of the American Dutch

Schuyler family The Schuyler family (Help:IPA/English, /ˈskaɪlər/; Dutch pronunciation: Help:IPA/Dutch, xœylər was a prominent Dutch family in New York and New Jersey in the 18th and 19th centuries, whose descendants played a critical role in the forma ...

. He was commissioned 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 the part-time

3rd (Hampshire Militia) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment The North Hampshire Militia (or colloquially the 'North Hants Militia') was an auxiliary military regiment in the county of Hampshire on England's South Coast. First organised during the Seven Years' War it carried out internal security and ho ...

, on 18 December 1895 and was promoted to

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 3 May 1899, before resigning on 24 December 1902; He was Assistant Private Secretary (unpaid) to the

Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and, from 1948, also to a Minister of State. Under-Secretaries of State for the Col ...

, the

Earl of Onslow Earl of Onslow, of Onslow in the County of Shropshire and of Clandon Park in the County of Surrey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1801 for George Onslow, 4th Baron Onslow. History The Onslow family descends ...

, in 1901, and a member of the

London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...

from 1904 to 1905. He had retained his links with the 3rd Hampshires, and the battalion was carrying out its annual training on his estate at

Christchurch, Dorset Christchurch () is a town and civil parish on the south coast of Dorset, England. The parish had a population of 31,372 in 2021. It adjoins Bournemouth to the west, with the New Forest to the east. Part of the Historic counties of England, hist ...

, when

World War I 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 ...

broke out in August 1914. He rejoined on 5 September 1914, and served during the war, being seconded to the General Staff in 1916''London Gazette'', 6 March 1916.
/ref> and ended the war as a

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

. Between 1922 and 1924 he served as a

Lord-in-waiting Lords-in-waiting (male) or baronesses-in-waiting (female) are peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (without ...

(government whip in the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

) 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 then

Stanley Baldwin Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley (3 August 186714 December 1947), was a British statesman and Conservative politician who was prominent in the political leadership of the United Kingdom between the world wars. He was prime ministe ...

. He then returned to local politics and was Chairman of the

Hampshire County Council Hampshire County Council (HCC) is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hampshire in England. The council was created in 1889. The county council provides county-level services to eleven of the thirteen districts geo ...

from 1927 to 1937. Lord Malmesbury married Dorothy Gough-Calthorpe, daughter of

Augustus Gough-Calthorpe, 6th Baron Calthorpe Augustus Cholmondeley Gough-Calthorpe, 6th Baron Calthorpe (8 November 1829 – 22 July 1910) was a British peer, agriculturist, and philanthropist. Early life and education Calthorpe was born at Elvetham Hall, Hampshire. He was the third son ...

, on 27 April 1905. They had two children: *Lady Elizabeth Harris (b. 8 January 1906), married John Fremantle, 4th Baron Cottesloe and had issue. *

William James Harris, 6th Earl of Malmesbury William James Harris, 6th Earl of Malmesbury Territorial Decoration, TD (18 November 1907 – 11 November 2000), styled Viscount FitzHarris until 1950, was a British peerage, British peer. The son of James Harris, 5th Earl of Malmesbury, Harris w ...

(1907–2000) Lord Malmesbury died in June 1950, aged 77, and was succeeded in the earldom by his only son William.

Notes

References

* C.T. Atkinson, ''The Royal Hampshire Regiment'', Vol II, ''1914–1918'', Glasgow: For the Regiment by Robert Maclehose & Co, 1952. * ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage,'' 100th Edn, London, 1953. * ''Hart's Army List'', 1902. *
James Edward Harris, 5th Earl of Malmesbury
thePeerage.com 1872 births 1950 deaths Hampshire and Isle of Wight Militia officers British people of Dutch descent Conservative Party (UK) Baronesses- and Lords-in-Waiting Deputy lieutenants of Hampshire 5 Members of London County Council Schuyler family {{GB-earl-stub