John Hampden Mercer-Henderson, 8th Earl of Buckinghamshire
Encyclopedia
John Hampden Mercer-Henderson, 8th Earl of Buckinghamshire was born on 16 April 1906. He was the son of Sir Sidney Carr Hobart-Hampden-Mercer-Henderson, 7th Earl of Buckinghamshire
and Georgiana Wilhelmina Haldane-Duncan-Mercer-Henderson. He died a chronic alcoholic
on 2 January 1963 at King Edward VII’s Royal Hospital, aged 56, unmarried and without legitimate heirs to inherit his titles.
, Eton, Berkshire
, England, from September 1919 to March 1924; his house master was Mr Lubbock.
He succeeded to the titles of 12th Baronet Hobart, of Intwood
, Norfolk
(1611), 8th Baron Hobart of Blickling
, Norfolk (1728) and 8th Earl of Buckinghamshire (1746) on 15 January 1930. On 5 April 1938 his name was legally changed to John Hampden Mercer-Henderson by Royal Licence.
He gained the rank of Captain in the service of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
. He held the office of Justice of the Peace
(J.P.) for Buckinghamshire in 1952. He held the office of Deputy Chairman of the Committees of the House of Lords
between 1952 and 1963. He held the office of Deputy Speaker
of the House of Lords between 1954 and 1963.
Known affectionately to his friends and family as “Bertie Bucks”, he never married and suffered from alcoholism later in life. He died suddenly at King Edward VII’s Royal Hospital, St Marylebone
in London on 2 January 1963. He was marred by the whiff of a scandal in his youth but the press did not publish the story and the full details of the “scandal”, allegedly involving a young woman.
Bertie was a committed Conservative politician in the House of Lords
and campaigned passionately on law and order matters to benefit the nation. He was highly regarded by his fellow members of the House who missed his lively speeches on a wide-range of socio-political issues. He was a dedicated campaigner on juvenile issues and social justice
for the lower classes
and respected for his work as a J.P. in Buckinghamshire.
In his youth he was regarded as a very handsome and dashing young man, much sought after by his female contemporaries who thought him adorable, but Bertie, an adventurous young man, eschewed marriage in favour of exploration and foreign travel. In 1926 he boarded a freighter bound for Australia
and worked on farms in the outback as a cowboy
herding cattle.
But with his father's health worsening he was called back to England
. He landed at Hull
docks on 21 April 1928 after a six-week voyage from Brisbane
via Sydney
to Hull. On the Incoming Passenger Register his occupation was listed as ‘Gentleman Farmer’. Despite his love of the countryside he continued to set hearts racing in society London but much preferred the open spaces to bustling city life. He was on excellent terms with his Hobart
cousins; the Baronets of Langdown and often visited his cousins on the Isle of Wight
and Hythe
in Hampshire
.
He served in World War II, seeing action against the Japanese in Burma. He followed in the footsteps of his Hobart ancestors and cousins, many of whom were also military men of some distinction. Bertie Bucks is buried at the Hampden Estate in Buckinghamshire
, although for the last years of his life he lived at Little Hampden Lodge.
Earl of Buckinghamshire
Earl of Buckinghamshire is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1746 for John Hobart, 1st Baron Hobart. The Hobart family descends from Henry Hobart, who served as Attorney General and Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. In 1611 he was created a Baronet, of Intwood in the...
and Georgiana Wilhelmina Haldane-Duncan-Mercer-Henderson. He died a chronic alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
on 2 January 1963 at King Edward VII’s Royal Hospital, aged 56, unmarried and without legitimate heirs to inherit his titles.
Biography
Sir John Hampden Mercer-Henderson, 8th Earl of Buckinghamshire was baptised with the name of John Hampden Hobart-Hampden-Mercer-Henderson. He was educated at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, Eton, Berkshire
Eton, Berkshire
Eton is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor and connected to it by Windsor Bridge. The parish also includes the large village of Eton Wick, 2 miles west of the town, and has a population of 4,980. Eton was in Buckinghamshire until...
, England, from September 1919 to March 1924; his house master was Mr Lubbock.
He succeeded to the titles of 12th Baronet Hobart, of Intwood
Intwood
Intwood is a small village in Norfolk, England, south west of Norwich. Its church, All Saints, is one of 124 extant round-tower churches in Norfolk.-External links:*, a round-tower church...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
(1611), 8th Baron Hobart of Blickling
Blickling
Blickling is a village and civil parish in the Broadland district of Norfolk, England, about north-west of Aylsham on the B1354 road. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 136 and covers . Since the 17th century the village has been concentrated in two areas, around the church and...
, Norfolk (1728) and 8th Earl of Buckinghamshire (1746) on 15 January 1930. On 5 April 1938 his name was legally changed to John Hampden Mercer-Henderson by Royal Licence.
He gained the rank of Captain in the service of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army.The regiment was formed as a consequence of Childers reforms, a continuation of the Cardwell reforms, by the amalgamation of the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 52nd Regiment of Foot , forming the 1st...
. He held the office of 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...
(J.P.) for Buckinghamshire in 1952. He held the office of Deputy Chairman of the Committees of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
between 1952 and 1963. He held the office of Deputy Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the House of Lords between 1954 and 1963.
Known affectionately to his friends and family as “Bertie Bucks”, he never married and suffered from alcoholism later in life. He died suddenly at King Edward VII’s Royal Hospital, St Marylebone
Marylebone
Marylebone is an affluent inner-city area of central London, located within the City of Westminster. It is sometimes written as St. Marylebone or Mary-le-bone....
in London on 2 January 1963. He was marred by the whiff of a scandal in his youth but the press did not publish the story and the full details of the “scandal”, allegedly involving a young woman.
Bertie was a committed Conservative politician in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and campaigned passionately on law and order matters to benefit the nation. He was highly regarded by his fellow members of the House who missed his lively speeches on a wide-range of socio-political issues. He was a dedicated campaigner on juvenile issues and social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
for the lower classes
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
and respected for his work as a J.P. in Buckinghamshire.
In his youth he was regarded as a very handsome and dashing young man, much sought after by his female contemporaries who thought him adorable, but Bertie, an adventurous young man, eschewed marriage in favour of exploration and foreign travel. In 1926 he boarded a freighter bound for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and worked on farms in the outback as a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
herding cattle.
But with his father's health worsening he was called back to 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...
. He landed at Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
docks on 21 April 1928 after a six-week voyage from Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
via Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to Hull. On the Incoming Passenger Register his occupation was listed as ‘Gentleman Farmer’. Despite his love of the countryside he continued to set hearts racing in society London but much preferred the open spaces to bustling city life. He was on excellent terms with his Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
cousins; the Baronets of Langdown and often visited his cousins on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
and Hythe
Hythe, Hampshire
Hythe is a village near Southampton, Hampshire, England. It is located by the shore of Southampton Water, and has a ferry service connecting it to Southampton...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
He served in World War II, seeing action against the Japanese in Burma. He followed in the footsteps of his Hobart ancestors and cousins, many of whom were also military men of some distinction. Bertie Bucks is buried at the Hampden Estate in 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....
, although for the last years of his life he lived at Little Hampden Lodge.