Wellington Stapleton-Cotton, 2nd Viscount Combermere
Encyclopedia
Colonel
Wellington Henry Stapleton-Cotton, 2nd Viscount Combermere (24 November 1818 – 1 December 1891) was a British soldier and Conservative
politician.
, Bedfordshire
, the son of Field Marshal Stapleton Stapleton-Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere, and Caroline, daughter of William Greville.
and achieved the rank of colonel. In 1847 was returned to Parliament for Carrickfergus
, a seat he held until 1857. In 1865 he succeeded his father in the viscountcy and entered the House of Lords
.
(1797-1853). They had two sons and two daughters. She died in August 1869. Lord Combermere survived her by 22 years and died in December 1891, aged 73, after being run over by a horse-drawn carriage. He was succeeded in the viscountcy by his eldest son, Robert.
Library while the entire staff were out, attending Lord Combermere's funeral some four miles away. When the plate was developed, the transparent image of a man sitting in one of the library chairs was noticed. Many of the staff said that the image looked like the late 2nd Viscount, and the apparition happened to be sitting in Lord Combermere's favorite chair. It is thought by some that a servant might have come into the room and sat briefly in the chair, thus creating the image. This idea was refuted by members of Lord Combermere's household. Lord Combermere's father, the 1st Viscount
, had been involved in a mysterious incident himself several years earlier while serving as Governor of Barbados
when he had the Chase Vault
opened and carefully examined in search of an explanation for the "moving coffins" there.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Wellington Henry Stapleton-Cotton, 2nd Viscount Combermere (24 November 1818 – 1 December 1891) was a British soldier and Conservative
Conservative 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...
politician.
Background
Combermere was born at BedfordBedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, the son of Field Marshal Stapleton Stapleton-Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere, and Caroline, daughter of William Greville.
Military and political career
Combermere served in the 1st Life Guards1st Regiment of Life Guards
The 1st Regiment of Life Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry. It was formed in 1788 by the union of the 1st Troop of Horse Guards and 1st Troop of Horse Grenadier Guards. In 1922, it was amalgamated with the 2nd Regiment of Life Guards to form the Life...
and achieved the rank of colonel. In 1847 was returned to Parliament for Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus (UK Parliament constituency)
Carrickfergus is a 19th century United Kingdom Parliament constituency, in Northern Ireland, represented, between 1801 and 1885, by one MP.-Boundaries:This constituency was the Parliamentary borough of Carrickfergus in County Antrim....
, a seat he held until 1857. In 1865 he succeeded his father in the viscountcy and entered 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....
.
Family
In 1844 Lord Combermere married Susan Alice, daughter of Sir George Sitwell, 2nd BaronetSitwell Baronets
The Sitwell Baronetcy, of Renishaw in the County of Derby, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 3 October 1808 for Sitwell Sitwell, Member of Parliament for West Looe...
(1797-1853). They had two sons and two daughters. She died in August 1869. Lord Combermere survived her by 22 years and died in December 1891, aged 73, after being run over by a horse-drawn carriage. He was succeeded in the viscountcy by his eldest son, Robert.
Lord Combermere's ghost photo
The 2nd Viscount Combermere became a posthumous celebrity in connection with "Lord Combermere's Ghost Photo", taken in 1891 by Sybell Corbett. She was Lady Combermere's sister and staying at the Abbey at that time. She set up her camera with its shutter open for one hour in the Combermere Abbey
Combermere Abbey
Combermere Abbey is a former monastery in Combermere Park, between Nantwich and Whitchurch in Cheshire, England, near the border with Shropshire.-Topomony:...
Library while the entire staff were out, attending Lord Combermere's funeral some four miles away. When the plate was developed, the transparent image of a man sitting in one of the library chairs was noticed. Many of the staff said that the image looked like the late 2nd Viscount, and the apparition happened to be sitting in Lord Combermere's favorite chair. It is thought by some that a servant might have come into the room and sat briefly in the chair, thus creating the image. This idea was refuted by members of Lord Combermere's household. Lord Combermere's father, the 1st Viscount
Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere
Field Marshal Stapleton Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere GCB, GCH, KSI, PC , was a British military leader, diplomat and politician...
, had been involved in a mysterious incident himself several years earlier while serving as Governor of Barbados
Colonial heads of the Windward Islands
This is a list of viceroys in the British Windward Islands. The colony of the Windward Islands was created in 1833 and consisted of Grenada, Barbados , Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tobago , St. Lucia , and Dominica . The Governor of Barbados was also the Governor of the Windward Islands,...
when he had the Chase Vault
Chase Vault
The Chase Vault is a burial vault in the cemetery of the Christ Church Parish Church in Oistins, Christ Church, Barbados. It is best known for a widespread but unverified story of "unexplained incidents" in the early 19th century involving the coffins within the vault...
opened and carefully examined in search of an explanation for the "moving coffins" there.