Ralph John Assheton, 2nd Baron Clitheroe (born 3 November 1929), is an English aristocrat, businessman and public official, and a former member of 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 ...

Biography

Lord Clitheroe was born on 3 November 1929. His father was

Ralph Assheton, 1st Baron Clitheroe Ralph Assheton, 1st Baron Clitheroe (24 February 1901 – 18 September 1984), was an English aristocrat and politician. Biography Assheton was born on 24 February 1901. His father was Sir Ralph Assheton, 1st Baronet (1860–1955), and his moth ...

(1901–1984), a

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 who served as

Chairman of the Conservative Party The chairman of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom is responsible for party administration and overseeing the Conservative Campaign Headquarters, formerly Conservative Central Office. When the Conservative Party (UK), Conservatives are ...

from 1944 to 1946, and his mother was

the Hon. ''The Honourable'' (Commonwealth English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of cert ...

Sylvia Benita Frances Hotham. His paternal grandfather was

Sir Ralph Assheton, 1st Baronet Sir Ralph Cockayne Assheton, 1st Baronet, (13 September 1860 – 21 September 1955), was an English public official. Early life Ralph Cockayne Assheton was born in 1860 in Downham, Lancashire. His father was Ralph Assheton (1830–1907), who ...

(1860–1955), and his maternal grandfather was Frederick Hotham, 6th Baron Hotham (1863–1923). Clitheroe attended

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 ...

, and served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Life Guards from 1948 to 1949. In 1956 he received the degree of

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

(BA) (later converted to

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

(MA)) from

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

. He served as Deputy Chief Executive of the

Rio Tinto Group Rio Tinto Group is a British-Australian multinational company that is the world's second largest metals and mining corporation (behind BHP). It was founded in 1873 when a group of investors purchased a mine complex on the Río Tinto, in Hu ...

, and as Chairman of RTZ Chemicals, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto. He also served as Chairman of the

Yorkshire Bank Yorkshire Bank was a trading name used by Clydesdale Bank plc for its retail banking operations in England. The Yorkshire Bank was founded in 1859 as the West Riding of Yorkshire Provident Society and Penny Savings Society but the Provident ...

from 1990 to 1999. He became the 2nd

Baron Clitheroe Baron Clitheroe of Downham, Lancashire, Downham in the County of Lancaster is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in the 1955 Birthday Honours for the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician Ralph Assheton, 1st B ...

and 3rd Baronet on the death of his father in 1984. He was appointed to be a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire in 1986. He became a Liveryman of the

Worshipful Company of Skinners The Worshipful Company of Skinners (also known as the Skinners' Company) is one of the Livery company, Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London. Originally formed as an association of those engaged in the Skinner (profession), trade ...

in 1955. He also served as Vice-Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire from 1995 to 1999.

Family

Clitheroe married Juliet Hanbury on 2 May 1961. They have three children: * Lt Col.

The Hon. ''The Honourable'' (Commonwealth English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of cert ...

Ralph Christopher Assheton (born 19 March 1962),

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

to the barony and baronetcy. * Hon. John Hotham Assheton (born 12 July 1964) * Hon. Elizabeth Jane Assheton (born 6 October 1968) Clitheroe resides at

Downham Hall Downham Hall is an English country house in Downham, Lancashire, England. Overview Downham Hall was designed by George Webster (1797–1864) in 1835, though it was built on remains from the sixteenth century. It has two storeys and an attic. ...

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clitheroe, Ralph Assheton, 2nd Baron Living people 1929 births People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford 2 Deputy lieutenants of Lancashire English businesspeople Rio Tinto (corporation) people

Clitheroe Clitheroe () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Ribble Valley, Borough of Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England; it is located north-west of Manchester. It is near the Forest of Bowland and is often used as a base for to ...

British Life Guards officers