Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom

The Right Honourable The Earl of Lathom GCB PC
Lord Skelmersdale caricatured in Vanity Fair magazine, 1871.
Lord Chamberlain of the Household
In office 27 June 1885 – 28 January 1886
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	The Earl of Kenmare
Succeeded by	The Earl of Kenmare
In office 5 August 1886 – 11 August 1892
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	The Earl of Kenmare
Succeeded by	The Lord Carrington
In office 16 July 1895 – 19 November 1898
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	The Lord Carrington
Succeeded by	The Earl of Hopetoun
Personal details
Born	12 December 1837
Died	19 November 1898 (aged 60)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Lady Alice Villiers (1841–1897)
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford

Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom GCB PC (12 December 1837 – 19 November 1898), known as The Lord Skelmersdale between 1853 and 1880, was a British Conservative politician. He was a member of every Conservative administration between 1866 and 1898, and notably served three times as Lord Chamberlain of the Household under Lord Salisbury. Having succeeded his grandfather as Baron Skelmersdale in 1853, he was created Earl of Lathom in 1880.

Background and education

Bootle-Wilbraham was born at Blythe Hall, Lathom, Lancashire the son of Hon. Richard Bootle-Wilbraham, MP, eldest son of Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Baron Skelmersdale. His mother was Jessy, daughter of Sir Richard Brooke, 6th Baronet. His father died when Edward was only 7 years old and he was brought up by his grandparents at nearby Lathom House. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford.^[1] Whilst a student at Oxford he was initiated into the Apollo University Lodge No 357, and became an active Freemason.^[2]

Political career

Bootle-Wilbraham succeeded his grandfather as second Baron Skelmersdale in 1853 and was entitled to take a seat in the House of Lords on his 21st birthday in 1858. He served under the Earl of Derby and then Benjamin Disraeli as a Lord-in-Waiting from 1866^[3] to 1868.^[4] In 1870 he became Conservative Chief Whip in the House of Lords. He once again held office under Disraeli as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard from 1874^[5] to 1880^[6] and was admitted to the Privy Council in 1874.^[7] In 1880 he was created Earl of Lathom, in the County Palatine of Lancaster.^[8] Lord Lathom later held office under Lord Salisbury as Lord Chamberlain of the Household from 1885^[9] to 1886,^[10] from 1886^[11] to 1892^[12] and from 1895^[13] to 1898.^[14] In 1892 he was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.^[15]

Family

Lord Lathom married Lady Alice Villiers, daughter of George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon, on 16 August 1860.^[1] They had nine children:

• Edward George Bootle-Wilbraham, 2nd Earl of Lathom (1864–1910), married 1889 Lady Wilma Pleydell-Bouverie, daughter of William Pleydell-Bouverie, 5th Earl of Radnor.^[1]
• Hon. Villiers Richard Bootle-Wilbraham, born abt. 1867, married 1900 to Violet Inez de Romero.( In May 1895, a Mr Romero aged 19 and a Miss Romero aged 21 arrived in southampton on the SS Abato, also on that journey was The Earl of Lathom aged 63, Lady E.B. Wilbraham aged 28 and Lady M.B. Wilbraham aged 23 plus a maid and a man servant.)
• Hon. Randle Arthur Bootle-Wilbraham, born abt. 1868
• Hon. Reginald Francis Bootle-Wilbraham, born abt. 1875, married 1903 to Lilian Mary Holt, daughter of Major William Lyster Holt
• Lady Alice Maud Bootle-Wilbraham, O.B.E.
• Lady Constance Adela Bootle-Wilbraham, married Onorato Caetani, Duke of Sermoneta
• Lady Bertha Mabel Bootle-Wilbraham, married 1903 to Maj. Arthur Frederick Dawkins, son of Clinton G. A. Dawkins, and has issue
• Lady Edith C. Bootle-Wilbraham.
• Lady Florence Mary Bootle-Wilbraham (d. 1944), married the Right Reverend Lord William Cecil, Bishop of Exeter, son of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury and had issue.

The Countess of Lathom died in a carriage accident in November 1897, aged 56. Lord Lathom survived her by a year and died in November 1898, aged 60. He was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son, Edward, Lord Skelmersdale.^[1]

References

1. thepeerage.com Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom
2. http://www.apollo357.com/index.php/history/1870-1914
3. The London Gazette: no. 23139. p. 4035. 17 July 1866.
4. The London Gazette: no. 23452. p. 6775. 22 December 1868.
5. The London Gazette: no. 24071. p. 1452. 3 March 1874.
6. The London Gazette: no. 24842. p. 2915. 7 May 1880.
7. The London Gazette: no. 24071. p. 1449. 3 March 1874.
8. The London Gazette: no. 24840. p. 2786. 30 April 1880.
9. The London Gazette: no. 25485. p. 3000. 30 June 1885.
10. The London Gazette: no. 25558. p. 683. 12 February 1886.
11. The London Gazette: no. 25615. p. 3853. 10 August 1886.
12. The London Gazette: no. 26321. p. 4958. 30 August 1892.
13. The London Gazette: no. 26644. p. 4022. 16 July 1895.
14. The London Gazette: no. 27031. p. 7970. 9 December 1898.
15. The London Gazette: no. 26312. p. 4375. 2 August 1892.