Hugh Fortescue, 5th Earl Fortescue

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Hugh William Fortescue, 5th Earl Fortescue KG, PC (June 14, 1888–June 14, 1958) was a British peer and Conservative politician.

Fortescue was the eldest son of Hugh Fortescue, 4th Earl Fortescue, and his wife the Hon. Emily (née Ormsby-Gore), and succeeded his father in the earldom in 1932. He served under Stanley Baldwin, Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill as a Lord-in-Waiting (government whip in the House of Lords) from 1936 to 1945 and under Churchill as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (chief government whip in the House of Lords) in 1945. During the Labour stay in power from 1945 to 1951 Fortescue was Chief Opposition Whip in the House of Lords. He was again Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms under Churchill from 1951 to 1955 and under Sir Anthony Eden from 1955 to 1957. He was admitted to the Privy Council in 1952 and made a Knight of the Garter in 1951.

Lord Fortescue married the Hon. Margaret, daughter of Wentworth Beaumont, 1st Viscount Allendale, on 8 February 1917. They had four children:

• Hon. Diana Margaret Fortescue (1919–1920), died young.
• Hugh Peter Fortescue, Viscount Ebrington (1920–1942), killed in action at El Alamein, unmarried.
• Lady Margaret Fortescue (b. 13 December 1923), married Bernard Henry Richard van Cutsem and had issue.
• Lady Elizabeth Fortescue (b. 1 October 1926), married William Lloyd Baxendale and had issue.

Lord Fortescue died in June 1958, aged 70. As he had no surviving male issue he was succeeded by his younger brother, Denzil. Lady Fortescue also died in June 1958, only four days before her husband.

Although the title passed to his brother on his death, the 5th Earl left his principal seat, Castle Hill [1] in Devon, to his elder surviving daughter, Margaret. It is now the home of her daughter Eleanor, Countess of Arran. The other historic family residence, Ebrington Manor, Gloucestershire, remains the seat of the Earls Fortescue.

[edit] References

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page
• www.thepeerage.com

Honorary titles
Preceded by The Lord Mildmay of Flete	Lord Lieutenant of Devon 1936–1958	Succeeded by The Lord Roborough
Political offices
Preceded by The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava	Lord-in-Waiting 1937–1945	Succeeded by The Marquess of Normanby
Preceded by The Lord Snell	Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms 1945	Succeeded by The Lord Ammon
Preceded by The Lord Shepherd	Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms 1951–1957	Succeeded by The Earl St Aldwyn
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by Hugh Fortescue	Earl Fortescue 1932–1958	Succeeded by Denzil Fortescue