Francis Whitmore
Encyclopedia
Colonel Sir Francis Henry Douglas Charlton Whitmore, 1st Baronet, KCB
, CMG
, DSO
, TD
, JP
(20 April 1872 – 12 June 1962) was a British military officer and landowner, the son of Thomas Whitmore, an officer in the Royal Horse Guards
. Thomas had inherited Orsett Hall
(in Orsett
, Essex) as a result of a gambling debt incurred by the previous owner, Digby Wingfield. The estate passed to Francis on the death of his father in 1907.
Whitmore was educated at Eton and in 1892 he was commissioned into the 1st Essex Artillery Volunteers. He later transferred to the Essex Yeomanry
and served in the Boer War
with the Imperial Yeomanry
. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1915 and served in the First World War, eventually commanding the 10th Royal Hussars. He was mentioned in despatches four times, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
in 1917. After the war he wrote The 10th (P.W.O.) Royal Hussars and the Essex Yeomanry during the European War, 1914-1918 which was published in 1920.
Sir Francis became a Justice of the Peace
in 1898 and was High Sheriff of Essex
in 1922. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Essex
from 1936 to 1958 and was created a Baronet, of Orsett, in the County of Essex in 1954.
He was married twice, first to Violet Houldsworth (d. 1927) and subsequently to Ellis Johnsen (d. 2001). He had a son and a daughter by his second wife.
Orsett church contains hatchment
s to his father and his first wife — the latter was painted by Sir Francis himself. The other hatchments in the church were restored at the expense of Sir Francis following a fire.
Sir Francis died in 1962 and was buried with full military honours at Orsett parish church. The baronetcy and estate were inherited by his son, Sir John Whitmore. He is commemorated in the name of a local pub, The Whitmore Arms. His portrait from W.W.1 hangs in the headquarters of the 70th (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron. A later portrait in Lord Lieutenant's uniform hangs in the Shire Hall in Chelmsford.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
, JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(20 April 1872 – 12 June 1962) was a British military officer and landowner, the son of Thomas Whitmore, an officer in the Royal Horse Guards
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
. Thomas had inherited Orsett Hall
Orsett Hall
Orsett Hall was a 17th century grade 2 listed building in Orsett, Essex . It was set in of parkland and was the centre of the Orsett Hall agricultural estate. The house was destroyed by fire on 11 May 2007 and rebuilt in the same style and on the same footprint as the original building in 2009...
(in Orsett
Orsett
Orsett is a village and ecclesiastical parish located within Thurrock unitary district in Essex, England, situated around 5 km north-east of Grays...
, Essex) as a result of a gambling debt incurred by the previous owner, Digby Wingfield. The estate passed to Francis on the death of his father in 1907.
Whitmore was educated at Eton and in 1892 he was commissioned into the 1st Essex Artillery Volunteers. He later transferred to the Essex Yeomanry
Essex Yeomanry
The Essex Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army raised in 1797. The regiment recruited volunteers from the county of Essex in the East of England.-Origins:...
and served in the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
with the Imperial Yeomanry
Imperial Yeomanry
The Imperial Yeomanry was a British volunteer cavalry regiment that mainly saw action during the Second Boer War. Officially created on 24 December 1899, the regiment was based on members of standing Yeomanry regiments, but also contained a large contingent of mid-upper class English volunteers. In...
. He was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1915 and served in the First World War, eventually commanding the 10th Royal Hussars. He was mentioned in despatches four times, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
in 1917. After the war he wrote The 10th (P.W.O.) Royal Hussars and the Essex Yeomanry during the European War, 1914-1918 which was published in 1920.
Sir Francis became a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in 1898 and was High Sheriff of Essex
High Sheriff of Essex
The High Sheriff of Essex was an ancient High Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the invasion of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around a thousand years...
in 1922. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Essex
Lord Lieutenant of Essex
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Essex. Since 1688, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Essex.*John Petre, 1st Baron Petre*John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford 1558–?...
from 1936 to 1958 and was created a Baronet, of Orsett, in the County of Essex in 1954.
He was married twice, first to Violet Houldsworth (d. 1927) and subsequently to Ellis Johnsen (d. 2001). He had a son and a daughter by his second wife.
Orsett church contains hatchment
Hatchment
A hatchment is a funeral demonstration of the lifetime "achievement" of the arms and any other honours displayed on a black lozenge-shaped frame which used to be suspended against the wall of a deceased person's house...
s to his father and his first wife — the latter was painted by Sir Francis himself. The other hatchments in the church were restored at the expense of Sir Francis following a fire.
Sir Francis died in 1962 and was buried with full military honours at Orsett parish church. The baronetcy and estate were inherited by his son, Sir John Whitmore. He is commemorated in the name of a local pub, The Whitmore Arms. His portrait from W.W.1 hangs in the headquarters of the 70th (Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron. A later portrait in Lord Lieutenant's uniform hangs in the Shire Hall in Chelmsford.