HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

John de Vere Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst, (5 February 1895 – 30 October 1970) was a
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
officer, politician and colonial administrator. After serving in the army, the Foreign Office, and as a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) in 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 ...
, Wakehurst was appointed as the last British
Governor of New South Wales The governor of New South Wales is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia, Governor-General of Australia at the national level, the governor ...
, which he held from 1937 to 1946. Upon returning to Britain he was appointed
Governor of Northern Ireland The governor of Northern Ireland was the principal officer and representative in Northern Ireland of the British monarch. The office was established on 9 December 1922 and abolished on 18 July 1973. Overview The office of Governor of Northern I ...
from 1952 to 1964. He was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter in 1962 and died in 1970.


Early years

Loder was born in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
in February 1895, the only son of Conservative MP Gerald Loder, the fourth son of Sir Robert Loder, 1st Baronet and member of a prominent Sussex family, and Lady Louise de Vere Beauclerk, the daughter of the 10th Duke of St Albans and personal friend of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
, who permitted Loder to be christened in the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace. Through his mother's family, he was descended from an illegitimate royal line of King Charles II. Loder was educated at
Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
, where he excelled in history and languages, with a particular interest in drama. Although originally intending to go to Trinity College,
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
, with the outbreak of 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 ...
, Loder was instead commissioned into the 4th Battalion of the
Royal Sussex Regiment The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foo ...
, and later joined the Intelligence Corps, seeing service throughout the war in
Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
, Egypt and Palestine. For his services, he was
Mentioned in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...
, and left the British Army in 1919 with the rank of
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 ...
. Loder worked as a clerk in the
Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...
from 1919 to 1922 and then for two years at the
League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
in
Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
. On 3 June 1920, he married Margaret "Peggy" Tennant, the daughter of prominent Liberal politician and businessman, Sir Charles Tennant, 1st Baronet. Together they had four children: three sons, Christopher, David 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 ...
, and a daughter, Henrietta. Indulging in his interest in
Egyptology Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Ancient Greek, Greek , ''wiktionary:-logia, -logia''; ) is the scientific study of ancient Egypt. The topics studied include ancient Egyptian History of Egypt, history, Egyptian language, language, Ancient Egypt ...
, Loder wrote his first book: ''The Truth about Mesopotamia, Syria and Palestine.'' (1923).Clune, ''The Governors of New South Wales: 1788–2010'', p. 514 John and Peggy Loder travelled on a world tour in 1924, including a visit to Australia. Although initially unimpressed, describing
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
as "afflicted with so much Victorian architecture of the worst kind", by the end he had warmed to the country, writing that Australia was "a splendid country with splendid people" possessing a "democratic spirit". Returning to England, Loder was narrowly elected as the
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 ...
Member of Parliament for Leicester East in 1924, a seat he held until being defeated in the 1929 General Election. Loder then made several visits to Bolshevik Russia, writing another book entitled: ''Bolshevism in Perspective'' (1931). In 1931 he returned 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 ...
as member for
Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. The town is the administrative centre of the wider Lewes (district), district of the same name. It lies on the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse at the point where the river cuts through the Sou ...
, and represented this constituency until succeeding his father on his death as the second Baron Wakehurst in 1936, who had been raised to peerage in 1934. Loder then 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 ...
.


Governor of New South Wales

The following year, Wakehurst was appointed as
Governor of New South Wales The governor of New South Wales is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the state of New South Wales. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia, Governor-General of Australia at the national level, the governor ...
to succeed Sir David Anderson, who had died in office. He was recommended by the Dominions Secretary,
Malcolm MacDonald Malcolm John MacDonald (17 August 1901 – 11 January 1981) was a British politician and diplomat. He was initially a Labour Party (UK), Labour Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP), but in 1931 followed his father ...
, to the
Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales actin ...
, Bertram Stevens, who promptly accepted.
King 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 his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...
then formally approved and Wakehurst's appointment was officially announced on 7 January 1937. Before he left, Wakehurst was appointed as a
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...
(KCMG) and later a Knight of Justice of the Order of St John of Jerusalem (KStJ) in June 1937. He was to be the last non-Australian governor of the State. The Wakehursts, accompanied by their three sons (Henrietta, at school at the time, would join them three months later), arrived in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
,
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
on 8 April 1937 and the six-foot, red-haired Wakehurst was sworn in at Government House on the same day.Clune, ''The Governors of New South Wales: 1788–2010'', p. 515 Wakehurst, aware of any potential criticism over his British Conservative background, arranged for their children to be schooled in Australia: Christopher Loder who attended Tudor House School, then left to attend a year at
Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
before returning to attend The King's School, Parramatta; David Loder to Tudor House before attending
Geelong Grammar School Geelong Grammar School is a private Anglican co-educational boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located in Corio on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay. Establ ...
; Robert Loder attended Cranbrook School, and Henrietta Loder returned to obtain a Diploma in Social Studies at the
University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
. Early on in their term, the Wakehursts engaged themselves in the typical Vice-regal duties, becoming involved in various sporting and community organisations, touring the state and fulfilling the social responsibilities required of the Vice-Regal Couple. They officiated at the celebrations for the coronation of
King 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 his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...
in 1937 and at the Sesquicentenary of Australian settlement celebrations in January 1938. In August 1939, he handled a major political crisis brought about when the former Deputy Leader of the governing United Australia Party, Eric Spooner brought down
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
Stevens in a
motion of no confidence A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fi ...
. Wakehurst successfully asked the Treasurer, Alexander Mair, to form a government. While Wakehurst was well within his rights to exercise his discretion, the Leader of the Opposition, Jack Lang, criticised him for being biased towards the government. However, on 5 September Lang was deposed by his party and replaced by the more moderate William McKell, who became Premier at the May 1941 election and got on well with Wakehurst, extending his term past 1942. In January 1940 the Wakehursts helped fight bushfires near Moss Vale and heavily involved themselves towards the war effort following Australia's entry into 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 ...
, giving regular speeches and rallying people to contribute towards the war effort. In 1945, the Wakehursts accompanied General Sir Thomas Blamey and his wife on a visit to troops in the South-West Pacific Area. Wakehurst's extended appointment ended on 8 January 1946, then the longest term for a New South Wales Governor, and returned to England, marking the end of 158 years of British Governors in New South Wales. His portrait, commissioned by the Sydney City Council and painted by Sir William Dobell in 1944, was presented to Wakehurst by the
Lord Mayor of Sydney The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Sydney is the head of the Council of the City of Sydney, which is the local government area covering the central business district of Sydney in the State of New South Wales, Australia. The Lord Mayor has b ...
Alderman Reg Bartley and is held in Government House, Sydney.


Later life and legacy

Upon returning to Britain, Lord and Lady Wakehurst worked with community organisations including the Order of St John of Jerusalem, of which Wakehurst was Lord Prior from 1948 to 1969, subsequently also a Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order (GCStJ), and for the English-Speaking Union. An avid theatre-lover Wakehurst was a trustee of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and a governor of the Royal Ballet. Lady Wakehurst also served on the executive committee of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. Lord Wakehurst succeeded Earl Granville as the
Governor of Northern Ireland The governor of Northern Ireland was the principal officer and representative in Northern Ireland of the British monarch. The office was established on 9 December 1922 and abolished on 18 July 1973. Overview The office of Governor of Northern I ...
on 3 December 1952. Wakehurst was a keen amateur filmmaker and dozens of reels of his films survive in the National Film Archive including his colour recordings of the Coronation in 1953. In May 1962,
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
appointed Wakehurst as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter (KG). Reappointed for a second term in 1958, Wakehurst retired from office in 1964 and died on 30 October 1970 at his home at
Chelsea, London Chelsea is an area in West London, England, due south-west of Kilometre zero#Great Britain, Charing Cross by approximately . It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the SW postcode area, south-western p ...
. To commemorate their service as Viceroys of NSW, the trustees of the
Royal National Park The Royal National Park is a state park, protected national park that is located in the Sutherland Shire local government area in Southern Sydney and in the City of Wollongong local government area in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Au ...
named a major road through the park as "Lady Wakehurst Drive", which was dedicated by Lord Wakehurst and then Minister for Works, Joseph Cahill, at a ceremony on 14 May 1945. On 22 March 1946, to commemorate his service as Governor a major new road through Sydney's
Northern Beaches The Northern Beaches is a region within Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, near the Pacific coast. This area extends south to the entrance of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), west to Middle Harbour and north to the ...
was named as the "Wakehurst Parkway" by Premier McKell. This led to many other local locations being named for Wakehurst including the local soccer club in 1968, the Golf Club and the
New South Wales Legislative Assembly The New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the lower of the two houses of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The upper house is the New South Wales Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House ...
Electoral district of Wakehurst. In January 1952 the new section of the Crown Street Women's Hospital was named the "Lady Wakehurst Annexe" in their honour, which lasted until the hospital was closed in 1983. In July 1966, Belrose South Public School in
Belrose Belrose is a suburb of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia 19 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council. Belrose is also considered to be part of ...
on the Northern Beaches was renamed in his honour as Wakehurst Public School. In 1974, the Public Transport Commission named a ferry '' Lady Wakehurst''.


Family

Lord Wakehurst married Margaret "Peggy" Tennant (4 November 189919 August 1994), the daughter of prominent Liberal politician and businessman, Sir Charles Tennant, 1st Baronet and Marguerite Agaranthe Miles, on 3 June 1920. Her great grandfather was the Scottish chemist and industrialist,
Charles Tennant Charles Tennant (3 May 1768 – 1 October 1838) was a Scottish chemist and industrialist. He discovered Calcium hypochlorite, bleaching powder and founded an industrial dynasty. Biography Charles Tennant was born at Laigh Corton, Alloway, Ayrs ...
and her half-sister was Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith, the English socialite and wife of Prime Minister H. H. Asquith. They had four children: * Hon. Henrietta Marguerite Jean Loder (Mrs John Reader-Harris) (5 February 1922 – 16 December 1995) * John Christopher Loder, 3rd Baron Wakehurst (23 September 1925 - 29 July 2022) * Hon. James David Gerald Loder (24 March 1928 – 19 July 2001) * Hon. Robert Beauclerk Loder (24 April 1934 – 22 July 2017) Lady Wakehurst was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1965. She was also a Dame of the Order of St John of Jerusalem (DStJ) from 1960 and received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Queen's University, Belfast (1957). Survived by their daughter and three sons, she died on 19 August 1994, aged 94. Their youngest son
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 ...
became a patron of the arts, particularly in Africa.


Arms


Honours


Honorary military appointments

* 11 May 1939 – 22 October 1956: Honorary Colonel of the Sydney University Regiment. * 29 July 1937 – 15 August 1946: Honorary
Air Commodore Air commodore (Air Cdre or Air Cmde) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes ...
of No. 22 Squadron,
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
.


References


External links

*
Parliamentary Archives, Papers of John de Vere Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wakehurst, John Loder, 2nd Baron 1895 births 1970 deaths Territorial Force officers Military personnel from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea People from Chelsea, London 2 British Army personnel of World War I Governors of New South Wales Honorary air commodores of the Royal Australian Air Force Loder, John de Vere Loder, John de Vere Loder, John de Vere Loder, John de Vere Royal Sussex Regiment officers Intelligence Corps officers People educated at Eton College Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order of St John Knights of the Garter Politicians from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea John Tennant family