John Henry Crichton, 4th Earl Erne, (16 October 1839 – 2 December 1914), styled Viscount Crichton from 1842 to 1885, was an

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

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.

Early life

Erne was the eldest son of Selina Griselda, Countess Erne (''

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

'' Beresford), and

John Crichton, 3rd Earl Erne John Crichton, 3rd Earl Erne, KP (30 July 1802 – 3 October 1885), was an Anglo-Irish peer and politician. Early life He was the eldest son of Lt.-Col. Hon. John Creighton, Governor of Hurst Castle and the former Jane Weldon (a daughter of ...

. His younger siblings included Col. Hon. Charles Frederick Crichton (who married Lady Madeline Taylour, eldest daughter of

Thomas Taylour, 3rd Marquess of Headfort Thomas Taylour, 3rd Marquess of Headfort Order of St Patrick, KP Privy Council of Ireland, PC (I) (1 November 1822 – 22 July 1894) was an Irish peer, styled Lord Kenlis until 1829 and Earl of Bective from 1829 to 1870. He was High Sheriff ...

), Lt.-Col. Hon. Sir Henry George Louis Crichton, the '' aide de camp'' to King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

, and Lady Louisa Anne Catherine Crichton. His paternal grandparents were Lt.-Col. Hon. John Crichton, Governor of Hurst Castle, and the former Jane Weldon (a daughter of Walter Weldon). His father had succeeded to the earldom upon the death of his grand-uncle,

Abraham Creighton, 2nd Earl Erne Abraham Creighton, 2nd Earl Erne (10 May 1765 – 10 June 1842), was an Irish peer and politician. He was the elder son of The 1st Earl Erne, by his first wife, Catherine Howard. Between 1790 and 1798, he represented Lifford in the Irish ...

(MP for

Lifford Lifford (, historically anglicised as ''Liffer'') is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland, the administrative centre of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken as holding this ...

from 1790 to 1797 who was declared insane in 1798 and then incarcerated at Brooke House, London, for the next forty years). His maternal grandparents were the former Amelia Montgomery (a daughter of

Sir William Montgomery, 1st Baronet Sir William Montgomery, 1st Baronet (9 November 1717 – 25 December 1788) was a Scottish-born politician in Ireland. Biography Montgomery was born in Scotland, the son of William Montgomery of Magbie Hill in Peeblesshire. His family was a cadet b ...

of Magbie Hill) and the Rev. Charles Cobbe Beresford, Rector of

Termonmaguirk Termonmaguirk is a civil parish in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated in the historic barony of Omagh East, with a small portion in Strabane Upper. The Parish contains the following towns and villages: *Carrickmore * Drumnakilly * L ...

. His aunt, Anna Beresford, was the wife of

Lord John Thynne The Rev. Lord John Thynne (7 November 1798 – 9 February 1881) was an English aristocrat and Anglican cleric, who served for 45 years as Deputy Dean of Westminster. Career Lord John was born in 1798, the third son of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marq ...

(third son of

Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath (25 January 1765 – 27 March 1837), styled Viscount Weymouth from 1789 until 1796, was a British peer. Life Early life Thynne was the eldest son of Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath, and Elizabeth Thy ...

). There is an 1860 Camille Silvy studio photo of him in the National Portrait Gallery archives: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw142315/John-Henry-Crichton-4th-Earl-of-Erne?LinkID=mp19479&role=sit&rNo=1

Career

He was appointed

High Sheriff of Donegal The High Sheriff of Donegal was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland, from the late 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Irish Free State and replaced by the office of Donega ...

for 1867. He was then elected to the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

for

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 14,086 at the 2011 censu ...

in 1868, a seat he held until 1880, and then represented

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh (), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of alleged Laigin or ...

from 1880 to 1885. Between 1876 and 1880 he served as a

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 ...

in the Conservative administration of

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

. In October 1885 he succeeded his father as fourth Earl Erne and entered 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 ...

, and served as Lord Lieutenant of County Fermanagh from 1885 to 1914. He was made a

Knight of the Order of St Patrick The Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick is a dormant British order of chivalry associated with Ireland. The Order was created in 1783 by King George III at the request of the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the 3rd Earl Temple (later cre ...

in 1889; and was appointed to the

Privy Council of Ireland His or Her Majesty's Privy Council in Ireland, commonly called the Privy Council of Ireland, Irish Privy Council, or in earlier centuries the Irish Council, was the institution within the Dublin Castle administration which exercised formal executi ...

in the

1902 Coronation Honours The 1902 Coronation Honours were announced on 26 June 1902, the date originally set for the coronation of King Edward VII. The coronation was postponed because the King had been taken ill two days before, but he ordered that the honours list shou ...

list published on 26 June 1902, being sworn in by the

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the K ...

Earl Cadogan Earl Cadogan is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Great Britain for the Cadogan family. The second creation, in 1800, was for Charles Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan, Charles Cadogan, 3rd Baron Cadogan. History Of Welsh origin ...

, at

Dublin Castle Dublin Castle () is a major Government of Ireland, Irish government complex, conference centre, and tourist attraction. It is located off Dame Street in central Dublin. It is a former motte-and-bailey castle and was chosen for its position at ...

on 11 August 1902.

Personal life

On 28 December 1870, Lord Erne was married to Lady Florence Mary Cole, daughter of

William Willoughby Cole, 3rd Earl of Enniskillen William Willoughby Cole, 3rd Earl of Enniskillen, (25 January 180712 November 1886) styled by the courtesy title Viscount Cole until 1840, was an Irish palaeontologist and Conservative Member of Parliament. He also served as the first Imper ...

, and the former Jane Casamaijor (daughter of James Casamaijor). Together, they were the parents of: * Hon. Henry William Crichton (1872–1914), styled Viscount Crichton, who married Lady Mary Cavendish Grosvenor, a daughter of

Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster, (13 October 1825 – 22 December 1899), styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845, Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869, and known as The Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an ...

and Hon. Katherine Cavendish (third daughter of the 2nd Baron Chesham). After his death in 1914, Lady Mary married Col. the Hon. Algernon Francis Stanley (a son of

Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby (15 January 1841 – 14 June 1908), known as Hon. Frederick Stanley until 1886 and Lord Stanley of Preston between 1886–1893, was a Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician in the Un ...

). * Hon. Sir George Arthur Charles Crichton (1874–1952), who married Lady Mary Augusta Dawson, second daughter of

Vesey Dawson, 2nd Earl of Dartrey Vesey Dawson, 2nd Earl of Dartrey (22 April 1842 – 14 June 1920), styled Viscount Cremorne between 1866 and 1897, was an Irish Liberal politician. Family and early life Dawson was the eldest child of Richard Dawson, 1st Earl of Dartrey (th ...

, and Julia Wombwell (eldest daughter of Sir George Wombwell, 4th Baronet) in 1913. He served as Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's Office, Extra Equerry to King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

, and

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...

, and Registrar and Secretary

Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood The Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood, or simply the Central Chancery, is an office of the Lord Chamberlain's department within the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the administration of orde ...

. * Hon. Arthur Owen Crichton (1876–1970), who married Katherine Helen Elizabeth Trefusis, third daughter of Col. Hon. Walter Rodolph Trefusis (a son of

Charles Trefusis, 19th Baron Clinton Charles Rodolph Trefusis, 19th Baron Clinton (9 November 1791 – 10 April 1866), styled The Honourable Charles Trefusis between 1794 and 1832, was a British peer and Tory (political faction), Tory politician. He succeeded to the barony followin ...

) and Lady Mary Montagu-Douglas-Scott (a daughter of

Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, 7th Duke of Queensberry (25 November 1806 – 16 April 1884), styled Lord Eskdail between 1808 and 1812 and Earl of Dalkeith between 1812 and 1819, was a prominent Scottish nobleman ...

), in 1906. * Hon. James Archibald Crichton (1877–1956) * Lady Evelyn Selina Louisa Crichton (1879–1955), who married the Hon. Gerald Ernest Francis Ward (1877–1914), the sixth son of the 1st Earl of Dudley. * Lady Mabel Florence Mary Crichton (1882–1944), who married Lord Hugh William Grosvenor (1884–1914), the sixth son of the 1st Duke of Westminster. After Lord Hugh was killed during the First World War, she remarried to Maj. Robert Hamilton Stubber, a son of Robert Hamilton Stubber, in 1920. On 30 October 1914, Lord Erne's sons-in-law, Gerald Ward and Lord Hugh Grosvenor, were both killed in action, serving with the 1st Life Guards during the

First Battle of Ypres The First Battle of Ypres (, , – was a battle of the First World War, fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front around Ypres, in West Flanders, Belgium. The battle was part of the First Battle of Flanders, in which German A ...

at Zandvoorde. The next day, 31 October 1914, his eldest son Henry, a Major ( Brevet Lt.-Col.) in 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 ...

, was also killed in action, aged 42, during the

Great 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 ...

, and was is buried at

Zantvoorde British Cemetery Zantvoorde British Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of the World War I, First World War located in the Ypres Salient in Belgium on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front. It also contains the rema ...

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

. Only a month later, Lord Erne himself died on 2 December 1914, aged 75, and was succeeded in his titles by his seven-year-old grandson

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, his eldest son having predeceased him.

Descendants

His grandson, and heir,

John Crichton, 5th Earl Erne John Henry George Crichton, 5th Earl Erne (22 November 1907 – 23 May 1940), briefly styled Viscount Crichton in 1914, was an Anglo-Irish peer, soldier and politician. Early life Erne was the only son of Henry William Crichton, Viscount Cr ...

, was also killed in action, with the 5th Earl's death occurring on 23 May 1940 during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was a grandfather of Lady Mary Kathleen Crichton,

Mistress of the Robes The mistress of the robes was the senior lady in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, who would, by appointment, attend on the Queen (whether queen regnant or a queen consort). Queens dowager retained their own mistresses of the robes. In ...

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...

, who married

James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn (29 February 1904 – 4 June 1979), styled Viscount Strabane until 1913 and Marquess of Hamilton between 1913 and 1953, was a British peer. Early life and education Abercorn was born in 1904 at 15 ...

, in 1928. Through his daughter, Lady Mabel, he was a grandfather of

Gerald Gerald is a masculine given name derived from the Germanic languages prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Gerald is a Norman French variant of the Germanic name. An Old English equivalent name was Garweald, the likely original ...

and

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

, the 4th and 5th

Dukes of Westminster Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ...

References

External links

* *
www.thepeerage.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Erne, John Crichton, 4th Earl 1839 births 1914 deaths High sheriffs of County Fermanagh Knights of St Patrick Lord-lieutenants of Fermanagh Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Crichton, John Crichton, John Crichton, John Crichton, John UK MPs who inherited peerages High sheriffs of Donegal Grand masters of the Orange Order Earls Erne