Dashwood Baronets
Encyclopedia
The Dashwood Baronetcy, of Kirtlington Park in the County of Oxford, was created in the Baronetage of England on 16 September 1684 for Robert Dashwood, later Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Banbury
Banbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Banbury is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a strongly Conservative seat.The constituency was created January 26, 1554 through the efforts of Henry Stafford and Thomas Denton...
and Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Oxfordshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Members of Parliament. In 1832 this was increased to three...
, with remainder, in default of male issue of his own, to the heirs male of his father. He was the son of George Dashwood, an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of London and Commissioner of Revenue. George Dashwood was offered a baronetcy but did not take up the patent, and consequently a new patent was granted to his son. At the same time the widow of George Dashwood was granted the rank of a Baronet's widow. He was succeeded by his grandson, James, the second Baronet. He also represented Oxfordshire in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. On his death in 1779 the title passed to his eldest son, Henry, the third Baronet. He was Member of Parliament for Woodstock
Woodstock (UK Parliament constituency)
Woodstock, sometimes called New Woodstock, was a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom. It comprised the town of Woodstock in the county of Oxfordshire and the surrounding countryside and villages, and elected two Members of Parliament from its re-enfranchisement in 1553 until 1832...
for 36 years. His eldest son, George, the fourth Baronet, sat as Member of Parliament for Truro. When he died in 1861 the title passed to his son, Henry, the fifth Baronet. He served as Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire. As of 2008 the baronetcy is held by his great-great-grandson (the title having descended from father to son), Richard, who succeeded in 1972. See also the Dashwood Baronetcy of West Wycombe below.
Several other members of the family may also be mentioned. Arthur Paul Dashwood (1882–1964), third son of the sixth Baronet, was an engineer and the husband of the novelist E. M. Delafield
E. M. Delafield
Edmée Elizabeth Monica Dashwood, née de la Pasture , commonly known as E. M. Delafield, was a prolific English author. She is best-known for her largely autobiographical Diary of a Provincial Lady, which took the form of a journal of the life of an upper-middle class Englishwoman living mostly in a...
. Henry Dashwood, brother of the first Baronet, assumed the surname of Peyton in lieu of Dashwood. He was a Member of Parliament and the ancestor of Henry Peyton, who was created a Baronet in 1776 (see Peyton Baronets
Peyton Baronets
There have been five Baronetcies created for members of the old established family of Peyton of Peyton Hall, all of whom were descended from Sir Robert Peyton of Isleham who died in 1518. All the Baronetcies are extinct....
for more information on this branch of the family). The Peyton Baronets were in special remainder to the Baronetcy of Kirtlington Park until the extinction of the title in 1962.
The Dashwood Baronetcy, of West Wycombe in the County of Buckingham, was created in the Baronetage of Great Britain on 28 June 1707 for Francis Dashwood
Sir Francis Dashwood, 1st Baronet
Sir Francis Dashwood, 1st Baronet was a British merchant.A son of Francis Dashwood, Alderman of London, he and his brother Samuel Dashwood early joined their father's business and became leading silk importers. They were also members of the British East India Company and the Worshipful Company of...
, a merchant and subsequently Member of Parliament for Winchelsea
Winchelsea (UK Parliament constituency)
Winchelsea was a parliamentary constituency in Sussex, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1366 until 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-Boundaries:...
. He was the son of Alderman Francis Dashwood, brother of George Dashwood, father of the first Baronet of Kirtlington Park. He married Lady Mary, daughter of Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland and 11th Baron Le Despencer. Dashwood was succeeded by his son from his first marriage, Francis, the second Baronet. He was a prominent politician and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
from 1762 to 1763, but is probably best remembered as the founder of the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club
The Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century, and was more formally or cautiously known as the "Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe"...
. In 1762 Dashwood succeeded his uncle as fifteenth Baron Le Despencer
Baron le Despencer
The title Baron le Despencer has been created several times by writ in the Peerage of England.-Creation:The first creation was in 1295, when Hugh the elder Despenser was summoned to the Model Parliament. He was the eldest son of the sometime Justiciar Hugh le Despenser , who was summoned in 1264 to...
. He died without male issue in 1781 when the barony fell into abeyance (see Baron Le Despencer for further history of this title). The baronetcy was inherited by his half-brother, John, the third Baronet. He assumed the additional surname of King. For further history of the title, see the list of holders below. The Dashwood Baronetcy of West Wycombe is the Premier Baronetcy in the Baronetage of Great Britain. The family seat is West Wycombe Park
West Wycombe Park
West Wycombe Park is a country house near the village of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, built between 1740 and 1800. It was conceived as a pleasure palace for the 18th century libertine and dilettante Sir Francis Dashwood, 2nd Baronet. The house is a long rectangle with four façades that...
, West Wycombe
West Wycombe
West Wycombe is a small village situated along the A40 road, due three miles west of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England.The historic village is largely a National Trust property and receives a large annual influx of tourists - being the site of West Wycombe Park, West Wycombe Caves and the...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
.
Dashwood Baronets, of Kirtlington Park (1684)
- Sir Robert Dashwood, 1st Baronet (1662–1734)
- Sir James Dashwood, 2nd Baronet (1715–1779)
- Sir Henry Watkin Dashwood, 3rd Baronet (1745–1828)
- Sir George Dashwood, 4th Baronet (1786–1861)
- Sir Henry William Dashwood, 5th Baronet (1816–1889)
- Sir George John Egerton Dashwood, 6th Baronet (1851–1933)
- Sir Robert Henry Seymour Dashwood, 7th Baronet (1876–1947)
- Sir Henry George Massy Dashwood, 8th Baronet (1908–1972)
- Sir Richard James Dashwood, 9th Baronet (b. 1950)
The 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....
is the present holder's son Frederick George Mahon Dashwood (b.1988).
Dashwood, later Dashwood-King, later Dashwood Baronets, of West Wycombe (1707)
- Sir Francis Dashwood, 1st BaronetSir Francis Dashwood, 1st BaronetSir Francis Dashwood, 1st Baronet was a British merchant.A son of Francis Dashwood, Alderman of London, he and his brother Samuel Dashwood early joined their father's business and became leading silk importers. They were also members of the British East India Company and the Worshipful Company of...
(c. 1658 – 4 November 1724) was a LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
merchant who made his fortune trading with the Far EastFar EastThe Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. Francis used part of his wealth to buy the estate of West Wycombe ParkWest Wycombe ParkWest Wycombe Park is a country house near the village of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, built between 1740 and 1800. It was conceived as a pleasure palace for the 18th century libertine and dilettante Sir Francis Dashwood, 2nd Baronet. The house is a long rectangle with four façades that...
, BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, and was created a baronet in 1707.
- Sir Francis Dashwood, 2nd Baronet, 15th Baron Le DespencerFrancis Dashwood, 15th Baron le DespencerFrancis Dashwood, 15th Baron le Despencer was an English rake and politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer and founder of the Hellfire Club.-Early life:...
(December 1708 – 11 December 1781) was an English rake famous as the founder of the Hellfire ClubHellfire ClubThe Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century, and was more formally or cautiously known as the "Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe"...
. He succeeded to the baronetcy in 1724. The height of his political career was his service as Chancellor of the ExchequerChancellor of the ExchequerThe Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
under Lord ButeJohn Stuart, 3rd Earl of ButeJohn Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
. After leaving that post, the Barony of le DespencerBaron le DespencerThe title Baron le Despencer has been created several times by writ in the Peerage of England.-Creation:The first creation was in 1295, when Hugh the elder Despenser was summoned to the Model Parliament. He was the eldest son of the sometime Justiciar Hugh le Despenser , who was summoned in 1264 to...
was called out of abeyance for him (in right of his mother). However, he died in 1781 and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his half-brother John.
- Sir John Dashwood-King, 3rd BaronetSir John Dashwood-King, 3rd BaronetSir John Dashwood-King, 3rd Baronet was an English country gentleman. Born John Dashwood, he adopted the additional surname of King by the terms of his uncle Dr. John King's will....
(4 August 1716 – 6 December 1793) was an English landowner. He was the second son of Sir Francis Dashwood, 1st Baronet, but the eldest by his third wife, and inherited lands in LincolnshireLincolnshireLincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
and WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
from his maternal uncles, whose surname he adopted. John's interests lay largely in these lands, even after inheriting West Wycombe and the baronetcy in 1781.
- Sir John Dashwood-King, 4th BaronetSir John Dashwood-King, 4th BaronetSir John Dashwood-King, 4th Baronet was a British Tory politician and country gentleman.The son of Sir John Dashwood-King, 3rd Baronet and half-nephew of Francis Dashwood, 15th Baron le Despencer, he shared little of their cultured and hedonistic ways and was a pious churchgoer.On 29 August 1789,...
(1765 – 22 October 1849) was an English landowner, who succeeded his father in the baronetcy and inherited West Wycombe in 1793. Returned as Member of Parliament for WycombeWycombe (UK Parliament constituency)Wycombe is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It currently elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of elections....
in 1796, he held that seat as a ToryToryToryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
until 1831. Bitterly opposed to electoral reformReform Act 1832The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
, he declined to contest the seat thereafter. Due to over-investment in local land, he died impoverished and left a heavily indebted estate.
- Sir George Henry Dashwood, 5th BaronetSir George Dashwood, 5th BaronetSir George Henry Dashwood, 5th Baronet was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1832 and 1865....
(c.1790 – 4 March 1862) was an English landowner and politician. A liberal Whig, he represented BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency)Buckinghamshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885.Its most prominent member was...
and subsequently Wycombe, as had his father Sir John. He liquidated his grandfather's estates in Lincolnshire and Wales in 1851, and used the money so raised to overhaul the estate at West Wycombe. He was succeeded by his brother John upon his death in 1862.
- Sir John Richard Dashwood, 6th Baronet (c.1792 – 24 September 1863), an English landowner, was the third son of Sir John Dashwood-King, 4th Baronet. He inherited the baronetcy from his brother in 1862, but died, unmarried and without issue, the following year.
- Sir Edwin Hare Dashwood, 7th Baronet (7 September 1825 – 8 May 1882) was an English soldier and landowner. Raised to a military career, he served with distinction at the Battle of SobraonBattle of SobraonThe Battle of Sobraon was fought on 10 February 1846, between the forces of the British East India Company and the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab...
, and subsequently became a sheepfarmer in New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He was the son of Capt. Edwin Sandys Dashwood (fourth son of the 4th Baronet) and Emily Hare. His father died of delirium tremensDelirium tremensDelirium tremens is an acute episode of delirium that is usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol, first described in 1813...
in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1835, and the younger Edwin was educated at a military school in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He obtained an ensignEnsign (rank)Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
cy in the 10th (the North Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot10th Regiment of FootThe 10th Regiment of Foot was raised on 20 June 1685 as the Earl of Bath's Regiment for its first Colonel John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath...
, and went with them to IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. There, he showed great gallantry at the Battle of SobraonBattle of SobraonThe Battle of Sobraon was fought on 10 February 1846, between the forces of the British East India Company and the Sikh Khalsa Army, the army of the Sikh Empire of the Punjab...
, planting the regimental colors in the SikhSikhA Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
trench-line. He shortly after left for England and exchanged into an English regiment. In 1848, Dashwood resigned his commission and emigrated to New Zealand, and bought a farm at MotuekaMotuekaThe town of Motueka in the South Island of New Zealand lies close to the mouth of the Motueka River, on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is, after Nelson and Richmond, the third largest centre in the Tasman Region, with a population of 7125...
and a sheep station near BlenheimBlenheim, New ZealandBlenheim is the most populous town in the region of Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the regional council. It has a population of The area which surrounds the town is well known as a centre of New Zealand's wine industry...
on the Awatere RiverAwatere RiverThe Awatere River is a large river flowing through Marlborough, New Zealand. Flowing along the trace of the active Awatere Fault, it runs northeast through a straight valley to the west of the Inland Kaikoura mountains...
. In 1850, he and Captain E.M. Mitchell reconnoitered a route from Blenheim to ChristchurchChristchurchChristchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
along the Waihopai RiverWaihopai RiverThe Waihopai River is the name of two rivers in the South Island of New Zealand.-Waihopai River, Marlborough:The Waihopai River in Marlborough drains the Waihopai Valley and runs northeast for 70 kilometres before flowing into the Wairau River....
, which, however, proved unsuitable for sheep driving. Dashwood Pass, which he discovered during this expedition, now bears his name. During his time in New Zealand, Dashwood, like his father and uncle, became an alcoholic, perhaps in part because of the death of his beloved sister Amelia Caroline in 1847. In 1852, he visited England again and on 25 October 1853, married Roberta Henrietta (d. 11 November 1901), daughter of Sir Robert Abercromby, 5th BaronetSir Robert Abercromby, 5th BaronetSir Robert Abercromby, 5th Baronet was a Scottish politician, the 5th Baronet of Birkenbog.He was the son of Sir George Abercromby, 4th Baronet, and Jane Ogilvie, the daughter of Alexander Ogilvie, 7th Lord Banff...
and the couple had four sons:- Sir Edwin Dashwood, 8th Baronet
- George Julius Hare Dashwood (19 August 1856 - 30 November 1878)
- Sir Robert Dashwood, 9th Baronet
- Francis Dashwood (18 August 1863 - 12 August 1932)
- They returned to New Zealand, where his sheep farming proved quite prosperous. In 1859, due to the illness of his uncle Sir George Dashwood, 5th Baronet, he sold off his New Zealand property and returned with his family to West Wycombe. He inherited that estate and the baronetcy in 1863 upon the death of his uncle, Sir John Dashwood, 6th Baronet. West Wycombe was to cause a great deal of trouble for Dashwood: Lady Elizabeth Dashwood, Sir George's widow, had been given life tenancy of the property and inherited most of his personal effects. Agricultural depression in the 1870s made the estates still less renumerative, and Sir Edwin found himself financially strapped for the remainder of his life. He died in 1882 and was succeeded by his son Edwin in the baronetcy.
- Sir Edwin Abercromby Dashwood, 8th Baronet (28 October 1854–7 April 1893) was an English landowner. Born in New Zealand, he went to England with his father, Sir Edwin Dashwood, 7th Baronet, in 1859, but returned to New Zealand as a kauri gum buyer in 1874. On the death of his father, he inherited the baronetcy and the decaying West Wycombe estate, but did not return to England until after he had married Florence Norton in New Zealand on 24 August 1889. The couple had one daughter, Florence Emily (11 August 1890 - 17 April 1969). He mortgaged the estate, but died suddenly in 1893.
- Sir Robert John Dashwood, 9th Baronet (3 June 1859–9 July 1908) was an English landowner. Born in New Zealand, the second son of Sir Edwin Dashwood, 7th Baronet, he returned to England in infancy. In 1893, he unexpectedly succeeded to West Wycombe and the baronetcy on the death of his brother. The estate was then in a ruinous state, and he was forced to sell off more property and lease the family's London house. He married Clara Adelaide Ida Conyers Lindsay (d. 20 April 1945) on 25 July 1893 and they had four sons (the eldest and youngest died in infancy) and one daughter. He died unexpectedly in 1908.
- Sir John Lindsay Dashwood, 10th Baronet (25 April 1896–9 July 1966) was an English landowner and soldier, the second son of Sir Robert Dashwood, 9th Baronet, whom he succeeded at the age of twelve. He served in the First World War, initially with 10th Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1915, and then was attached to the Heavy Section Machine Gun Corps. He was one of the first tank crews, commanding tank C13 during the first tank action near Combles on 15 September 1916. He continued to serve with the Tank Corps, ending the war as an acting major. He married Helen Moira Eaton on 20 December 1922 and they had one daughter and two sons. He worked for the Foreign Office until 1927. After a brief stint as a stockbroker, he largely retired to his West Wycombe estate in 1930, although he served as Assistant Marshal of the Diplomatic CorpsDiplomatic corpsThe diplomatic corps or corps diplomatique is the collective body of foreign diplomats accredited to a particular country or body.The diplomatic corps may, in certain contexts, refer to the collection of accredited heads of mission who represent their countries in another state or country...
from 1933 until his death. When World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out, he first served as a flight lieutenant with Balloon Command, but returned to the Foreign Office in 1942. Appreciating the historical importance of the house at West Wycombe ParkWest Wycombe ParkWest Wycombe Park is a country house near the village of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, built between 1740 and 1800. It was conceived as a pleasure palace for the 18th century libertine and dilettante Sir Francis Dashwood, 2nd Baronet. The house is a long rectangle with four façades that...
(the family seat), if not the house itself, he gave the property to the National TrustNational Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural BeautyThe National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in 1943, together with an endowment of £2,000. In 1944, he helped to investigate the CICEROElyesa BaznaElyesa Bazna was a famous World War II secret agent. An Albanian from Kosovo who spied for the Germans during the Second World War, and was widely known by his code name Cicero...
espionage scandal. Dashwood was made a CVORoyal Victorian OrderThe 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...
in 1952, and appointed an Extra Gentleman UsherGentleman UsherGentleman Usher is a title for some officers of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. See List of Gentlemen Ushers for a list of office-holders.-Historical:...
to the Queen in 1958.
- Sir Francis John Vernon Hereward Dashwood, 11th Baronet (7 August 1925 – 9 March 2000) was an English landowner, known for his activities in restoring the family estate at West Wycombe. Like his father, Sir John Dashwood, 10th Baronet, he served with the Foreign Office during the Second World War and was posted to MauritiusMauritiusMauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
. He briefly embarked upon a political career, contesting West BromwichWest Bromwich (UK Parliament constituency)West Bromwich was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1974. It was based around West Bromwich, in the West Midlands...
in 1955 and GloucesterGloucester (UK Parliament constituency)Gloucester is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was established in 1295 to return two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons but in 1885 representation was reduced to one member under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885...
in 1957 as a ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, but lost both times. On 3 May of that year, he married his first wife, Victoria Ann Elizabeth Gwynne Foley (1933 - 26 Jun 1976) and they had three daughters and one son. He took over the management of West Wycombe from his father in 1963, and attempted to build a model village at DownleyDownleyDownley is a village and civil parish in the Wycombe district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is high in the Chiltern Hills, overlooking the town of High Wycombe. Although today it is almost indistinguishable from the urban spread of the latter town....
, but it proved financially unsuccessful. On 24 September 1977, he married his second wife, Marcella Teresa Scarafina (she had been married twice before). Through a variety of investments, Sir Francis was ultimately able to restore much of the estate and re-purchase many of the original furnishings before his death in 2000.
- Sir Edward John Francis Dashwood, 12th Baronet (b. 25 September 1964) is an English landowner, the only son of Sir Francis Dashwood, 11th Baronet. On 10 April 1989, he married Lucinda Nell Miesegaes and they have one daughter and two sons. He is the current occupant of West Wycombe Park, now in the ownership of the National Trust, the maintenance of which is supported by opening to the public and leasing the estate as a venue for filmmaking and entertainment.
- The heir apparentHeir apparentAn 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....
is the present holder's eldest son, George Francis Dashwood (b. 17 June 1992).
See also
- West Wycombe ParkWest Wycombe ParkWest Wycombe Park is a country house near the village of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, built between 1740 and 1800. It was conceived as a pleasure palace for the 18th century libertine and dilettante Sir Francis Dashwood, 2nd Baronet. The house is a long rectangle with four façades that...
- Stanford Hall
- Baron Le DespencerBaron le DespencerThe title Baron le Despencer has been created several times by writ in the Peerage of England.-Creation:The first creation was in 1295, when Hugh the elder Despenser was summoned to the Model Parliament. He was the eldest son of the sometime Justiciar Hugh le Despenser , who was summoned in 1264 to...
- Peyton BaronetsPeyton BaronetsThere have been five Baronetcies created for members of the old established family of Peyton of Peyton Hall, all of whom were descended from Sir Robert Peyton of Isleham who died in 1518. All the Baronetcies are extinct....