Brigadier-General Reginald Le Normand Brabazon, 13th Earl of Meath

CBE 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 ...

, DL (24 November 1869 – 10 March 1949), known as Lord Ardee from 1887 to 1929, 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 ...

soldier. Brabazon was the eldest son of

Reginald Brabazon, 12th Earl of Meath Reginald Brabazon, 12th Earl of Meath (31 July 1841 – 11 October 1929) was an Irish politician and philanthropist. Life Reginald Brabazon was born into an old Anglo-Irish family in London, the second son of William Brabazon, 11th Earl of M ...

, and Lady Mary Jane Maitland. He married Lady Aileen May Wyndham-Quin, daughter of Wyndham Thomas Wyndham-Quin, 4th Earl of Dunraven, and Florence Elizabeth Kerr, on 12 February 1908 at the

Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks The Royal Military Chapel, commonly known as the Guards' Chapel, is a British Army place of worship that serves as the religious home of the Household Division at the Wellington Barracks in Westminster, Greater London. Completed in 1838 in the st ...

. Educated at Wellington College, he was commissioned into the

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

in 1889. He served in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

from 1899–1902 and was decorated with the Queen's Medal, three clasps, and the King's Medal, two clasps. It was during this period that he conceived his version of a

water clock A water clock, or clepsydra (; ; ), is a timepiece by which time is measured by the regulated flow of liquid into (inflow type) or out from (outflow type) a vessel, and where the amount of liquid can then be measured. Water clocks are some of ...

. He served again 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 ...

, and was gassed in 1918 while commanding the 4th Guards Brigade. At the conclusion of his service, he had attained the rank of brigadier general. His other vocation was gardening, and indeed the gardens at Killruddery House, the Meath family estate, now figure more highly in tourist books than the house itself. He was made a

in 1919 and died on 10 March 1949 aged 79 at Killruddery.

References

Reginald Reginald is a masculine given name in the English language meaning "king". Etymology and history The name Reginald comes from Latin meaning "king" and "ruler" symbolizing authority and leadership. It comes from combining Latin “ rex” meaning ...