Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury
Encyclopedia
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury, KP, PC
, GCVO
, CBE
, (31 August 1869 – 25 March 1961) was the son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of Shaftesbury
and Lady Harriet Augusta Anna Seymourina Chichester (1836 – 14 Apr 1898), the daughter of George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall
and Lady Harriet Anne Butler.
) and his wife, Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, daughter of Richard George Lumley, 9th Earl of Scarbrough
. Lady Grosvenor was invested as a Dame of Justice of Order of St. John of Jerusalem (DJStJ
) and served as a Lady and Extra Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary.
The 9th Earl of Shaftesbury and his wife, Lady Constance had five children:
Lord Ashley was heir apparent
to the earldom, scheduled to inherit upon the death of his father. However, at age 46, Ashley died unexpectedly of heart disease before succession
. At that time, his son, Anthony Ashley-Cooper
, became heir apparent, inheriting the earldom in 1961 upon the death of his grandfather.
in Blandford, north Dorset
, England
, near the village of Bryanston
. The 9th Earl served the school as the first Chairman of the Governors.
Bryanston School was founded by a young schoolmaster from Australia named J. G. Jeffreys
. He used his confidence and enthusiasm to gain financial support for the school during a period of severe economic instability. With financial backing from the earl, he paid £35,000 for the Bryanston House and its 450 acres (1.8 km²) of immediate grounds.
The school occupies a palatial country house designed and built in 1889-1894 by Richard Norman Shaw
and modelled on the chateau at Menars in the Loire valley. Shaw designed the house for Viscount Portman
to replace an earlier one. The building and estate was the biggest in Dorset and the last of the grand stately homes to be built in England. The home had been occupied by the Portman family for 30 years at the time of its sale, however, death duties made it impossible for the 4th Lord Portman to hold on to his family estate.
There were just seven teachers and 23 boys of various ages in the first term. Jeffreys was a natural innovator but one who respected good traditions, reflected in his choice of school motto, Et Nova Et Vetera. His was the first English school to adopt the Dalton Plan
, its combination of the new and the old being of particular appeal. The system was flexible enough to offer a combination of lessons in the classroom and time for assignment work in subject rooms, which gave the students freedom to decide which pieces of academic work to focus their attention. Students were required to keep a daily record on a chart showing their use of working and leisure time, meeting with their tutors on a weekly basis to ensure effective monitoring of their progress.
Bryanston is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
and the Eton Group
. It has a reputation as a liberal
and artistic school. The principles of the Dalton Plan
are still in place today and remain central to the school’s success.
from 1904 to 1911, Lord Lieutenant of Antrim
from 1911 to 1916, Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
from 1916 to 1952, and Lord Steward
from 1922 to 1936.
.
The 9th Earl had carefully arranged financial matters on the Shaftesbury Estate so that his heirs would avoid death duties. When the earl died in 1961, his grandson inherited the family's 17th-century home and large estate in Dorset, several other properties and a collection of art, antiques, and other valuables. By the 1990s the 10th Earl's wealth was said to be in the "low millions".
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, (31 August 1869 – 25 March 1961) was the son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 8th Earl of Shaftesbury , styled Lord Ashley between 1851 and 1885, was a British peer, the son of the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury....
and Lady Harriet Augusta Anna Seymourina Chichester (1836 – 14 Apr 1898), the daughter of George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall
George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall
George Hamilton Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall KP, GCH, PC , styled Viscount Chichester until 1799 and Earl of Belfast between 1799 and 1844, was an Anglo-Irish landowner, courtier and politician...
and Lady Harriet Anne Butler.
Family life
On 15 July 1899, the 9th Earl of Shaftesbury married Lady Constance Sibell Grosvenor (22 August 1875 – 8 July 1957), the daughter of Victor Alexander Grosvenor, styled Earl Grosvenor (son and heir of Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of WestminsterHugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG, PC, JP , styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.He inherited the estate of...
) and his wife, Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, daughter of Richard George Lumley, 9th Earl of Scarbrough
Earl of Scarbrough
Earl of Scarbrough is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1690 for Richard Lumley, 2nd Viscount Lumley. He is best remembered as one of the Immortal Seven who invited William of Orange to invade England and depose his father-in-law James II...
. Lady Grosvenor was invested as a Dame of Justice of Order of St. John of Jerusalem (DJStJ
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
) and served as a Lady and Extra Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Mary.
The 9th Earl of Shaftesbury and his wife, Lady Constance had five children:
- Major Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord AshleyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord AshleyAnthony Ashley-Cooper, Lord Ashley was an English nobleman, descended from the Earls of Shaftesbury. He was the eldest son of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 9th Earl of Shaftesbury and Lady Constance Sibell Grosvenor. His courtesy title "Lord Ashley", was used as the eldest son of the Earl of...
(4 October 1900 – 8 March 1947). - Lady Mary Sibell Ashley-Cooper (3 October 1902 – 2 August 1936) was married to Napier Sturt, 3rd Baron Alington of CrichelNapier Sturt, 3rd Baron AlingtonCaptain Napier George Henry Sturt, 3rd Baron Alington was a British peer, the son of Humphrey Sturt, 2nd Baron Alington....
. - Lady Dorothea Louise Ashley-Cooper (born 29 April 1907) was married to Anthony Head, 1st Viscount Head.
- Lady Lettice Mildred Mary Ashley-Cooper (born 12 February 1911) Flight Officer W.A.A.F ; European War 1939-45 (despatches)
- Major Hon. Anthony John Percy Hugh Michael Ashley-Cooper (5 October 1915 – 1986) was married to Julian Petherick.
Lord Ashley was heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
to the earldom, scheduled to inherit upon the death of his father. However, at age 46, Ashley died unexpectedly of heart disease before succession
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
. At that time, his son, Anthony Ashley-Cooper
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of Shaftesbury styled Lord Ashley between 1947 and 1961, and Earl of Shaftesbury from 1961 until his death, was a British peer from Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, located in South West England on the coast of the English Channel...
, became heir apparent, inheriting the earldom in 1961 upon the death of his grandfather.
Bryanston School
In 1928, the 9th Earl provided a financial grant to establish a co-educational independent boarding schoolIndependent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in Blandford, north Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, near the village of Bryanston
Bryanston
Bryanston is a village and civil parish in north Dorset, England, situated on the River Stour one mile west of Blandford Forum. The parish has a population of 968 . The village is adjacent to the grounds of Bryanston School, an independent school.The village was named after Brian de Lisle, a...
. The 9th Earl served the school as the first Chairman of the Governors.
Bryanston School was founded by a young schoolmaster from Australia named J. G. Jeffreys
J. G. Jeffreys
J. G. Jeffreys was an Australian schoolteacher who moved to England and founded Bryanston School in Dorset.Jeffreys first taught in Australia. He came to England in 1921 to teach chemistry at Westminster School in London. The headmaster of the school encouraged him to take a second degree at...
. He used his confidence and enthusiasm to gain financial support for the school during a period of severe economic instability. With financial backing from the earl, he paid £35,000 for the Bryanston House and its 450 acres (1.8 km²) of immediate grounds.
The school occupies a palatial country house designed and built in 1889-1894 by Richard Norman Shaw
Richard Norman Shaw
Richard Norman Shaw RA , was an influential Scottish architect from the 1870s to the 1900s, known for his country houses and for commercial buildings.-Life:...
and modelled on the chateau at Menars in the Loire valley. Shaw designed the house for Viscount Portman
Viscount Portman
Viscount Portman, of Bryanston in the County of Dorset, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1873 for the former Lord Lieutenant of Somerset and Liberal Member of Parliament Edward Portman, 1st Baron Portman. He had already been created Baron Portman, of Orchard...
to replace an earlier one. The building and estate was the biggest in Dorset and the last of the grand stately homes to be built in England. The home had been occupied by the Portman family for 30 years at the time of its sale, however, death duties made it impossible for the 4th Lord Portman to hold on to his family estate.
There were just seven teachers and 23 boys of various ages in the first term. Jeffreys was a natural innovator but one who respected good traditions, reflected in his choice of school motto, Et Nova Et Vetera. His was the first English school to adopt the Dalton Plan
Dalton Plan
The Dalton Plan is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst.Inspired by the intellectual ferment at the turn of the 19th century, educational thinkers such as Maria Montessori and John Dewey began to cast a bold vision of a new progressive approach to education...
, its combination of the new and the old being of particular appeal. The system was flexible enough to offer a combination of lessons in the classroom and time for assignment work in subject rooms, which gave the students freedom to decide which pieces of academic work to focus their attention. Students were required to keep a daily record on a chart showing their use of working and leisure time, meeting with their tutors on a weekly basis to ensure effective monitoring of their progress.
Bryanston is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
and the Eton Group
Eton Group
The Eton Group is an association of 12 leading English independent schools within the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference including some of the most elite academic schools in the country...
. It has a reputation as a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and artistic school. The principles of the Dalton Plan
Dalton Plan
The Dalton Plan is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst.Inspired by the intellectual ferment at the turn of the 19th century, educational thinkers such as Maria Montessori and John Dewey began to cast a bold vision of a new progressive approach to education...
are still in place today and remain central to the school’s success.
Offices and honours
Lord Shaftesbury was Lord Lieutenant of BelfastLord Lieutenant of Belfast
The Lord Lieutenant of Belfast is the official representative of the Queen for the 'County Borough of Belfast', Northern Ireland. The current Lord Lieutenant is Dame Mary Peters who was appointed in August 2009. The position was first created in 1900 and was held by the Marquess of Londonderry...
from 1904 to 1911, Lord Lieutenant of Antrim
Lord Lieutenant of Antrim
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Antrim. The office was created on 23 August 1831.*Charles O'Neill, 1st Earl O'Neill 17 October 1831 – 25 March 1841*George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall 24 April 1841 – 20 October 1883...
from 1911 to 1916, Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
Lord Lieutenant of Dorset
The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII, taking over the military duties of the Sheriff and control of the military forces of the Crown. From 1569, there was provision for the appointment of Deputies, and in 1662 the Lord-Lieutenant was given entire control of...
from 1916 to 1952, and Lord Steward
Lord Steward
The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household, in England, is an important official of the Royal Household. He is always a peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government...
from 1922 to 1936.
- 2nd Lieut, 10th Hussars 1890, Lieut 1591, Capt 1898 and retired 1899;
- ADC to the Governor of Victoria, Australia 1895-99;
- Chamberlain to Queen Mary as Princess of Wales 1901-10 and as Queen Consort 1910-22;
- Provincial Grand Master of Freemasons in Dorset 1902;
- Lord Lieutenant for the City of Belfast 1904-11, of County Antrim 1911-16 and of Dorset 1916;
- KCVO 1906;
- Lord Mayor of Belfast 1907;
- Chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast 1909-23;
- Knight of St Patrick 1911;
- Brig General 1914;
- served in the First World War 1914-18;
- CBE 1919;
- Younger Brother of the Trinity House 1920;
- Privy Councillor 1922;
- Lord Steward of the Household 1922-36;
- GCVO 1924;
- GCStJ
Death and burial
The 9th Earl of Shaftesbury died in 1961. He was buried in the Parish Church at Wimborne St Giles near the family estate. The earl's titles passed to his 22-year-old grandson, Anthony Ashley-CooperAnthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 10th Earl of Shaftesbury styled Lord Ashley between 1947 and 1961, and Earl of Shaftesbury from 1961 until his death, was a British peer from Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, located in South West England on the coast of the English Channel...
.
The 9th Earl had carefully arranged financial matters on the Shaftesbury Estate so that his heirs would avoid death duties. When the earl died in 1961, his grandson inherited the family's 17th-century home and large estate in Dorset, several other properties and a collection of art, antiques, and other valuables. By the 1990s the 10th Earl's wealth was said to be in the "low millions".