William Weigall
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Colonel Sir William Ernest George Archibald Weigall, 1st Baronet KCMG
(8 December 1874 – 3 June 1952) was a British Conservative politician who was Governor of South Australia from 9 June 1920 until 30 May 1922.
. Through his mother, he was connected to several powerful aristocratic dynasties. One of his older brothers was the cricketer Gerry Weigall
(born Gerald John Villiers Weigall).
He married 16 August 1910 in Metheringham
, Lincolnshire, a divorcee, Grace Emily, Baroness von Echardstein, née Grace Emily Blundell Maple (1876–1950), only surviving child of the deceased furniture magnate Sir John Blundell Maple (1845–1903) who had left a fortune of £2,153,000. She was the former wife of Baron Hermann von Eckardstein (1864–1933) of the German Embassy (whom she had married in 1896). By his wife, Weigall had one daughter; his wife also suffered several miscarriages, including in Australia.
Their country residence was 'Englemere' at Ascot
in Berkshire
.
His daughter Priscilla married 1935 Edward Curzon
, C.B.E. (1908–1984), son and heir of Francis Richard Henry Penn Curzon, 5th Earl Howe
. They had two daughters before they divorced in 1943.
Weigall's great-grandson is British actor Jake Weber
.
, and the Royal Agricultural College
, Cirencester, Weigall became an estate manager.
Joining the Northampton and Rutland Militia
, he served in the Second Boer War
and was promoted major. In World War I, he served with the Northamptonshire Regiment
and on the staff, finishing with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
for the Conservatives
at the December 1910 general election.
He stood successfully in a by-election at Horncastle
in Lincolnshire
in 16 February 1911. The by-election was caused by the sitting Conservative MP Lord Willoughby d’ Eresby
, who had held Horncastle at each election since 1895 succeeding to the peerage on the death of his father, Earl Ancaster. He received 4,955 votes, with a majority of 107 over the Liberal, Frederick Caesar Linfield
.
He remained a MP until he resigned in 1920 to become governor.
Weigall sought leave to resign in December 1921, citing "personal and financial" reasons. The Colonial Office
had wrongly informed him that the State Government would pay the wages of his staff. This was not the case, and this left Weigall a wage of merely ₤300. His departure prompted Premier Henry Barwell
to raise the Governor's salary.
Due to the times, many of the war memorial
s in country towns around South Australia
were opened by him as he travelled around the state, it being only a few years after the end of World War I
. These include laying the foundation stone at Burra
, unveiling the memorial at Hallett
, and opening the new tennis court
s at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre in Adelaide
.
Weigall Oval in the suburb of Plympton
, and Weigall (formerly Woolshed Flat) along the River Murray were both named in his honour.
for 1926.
Weigall was created a baronet, Weigall of Woodhall Spa, in 1938, and was made King of Arms
of the Order of St Michael and St George
also in 1938.
Since he had no sons, his baronetcy died with him.
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....
(8 December 1874 – 3 June 1952) was a British Conservative politician who was Governor of South Australia from 9 June 1920 until 30 May 1922.
Family
Weigall was the fifth son of a Victorian artist, Henry Weigall (best known for his portrait of Disraeli in 1878–1879), and his wife Lady Rose Fane, daughter of John Fane, 11th Earl of WestmorlandJohn Fane, 11th Earl of Westmorland
General John Fane, 11th Earl of Westmorland GCB, GCH, PC , styled Lord Burghersh until 1841, was a British soldier, politician, diplomat and musician.-Background:...
. Through his mother, he was connected to several powerful aristocratic dynasties. One of his older brothers was the cricketer Gerry Weigall
Gerry Weigall
Gerald John Villiers Weigall was an English cricketer.-Family:Born in Wimbledon, Weigall was the son of a Victorian artist Henry Weigall and his wife Lady Rose Fane, daughter of John Fane, 11th Earl of Westmorland...
(born Gerald John Villiers Weigall).
He married 16 August 1910 in Metheringham
Metheringham
Metheringham is a medium sized village in Lincolnshire approximately ten miles south of the English city of Lincoln...
, Lincolnshire, a divorcee, Grace Emily, Baroness von Echardstein, née Grace Emily Blundell Maple (1876–1950), only surviving child of the deceased furniture magnate Sir John Blundell Maple (1845–1903) who had left a fortune of £2,153,000. She was the former wife of Baron Hermann von Eckardstein (1864–1933) of the German Embassy (whom she had married in 1896). By his wife, Weigall had one daughter; his wife also suffered several miscarriages, including in Australia.
Their country residence was 'Englemere' at Ascot
Ascot, Berkshire
Ascot is a village within the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
His daughter Priscilla married 1935 Edward Curzon
Edward Curzon, 6th Earl Howe
Edward Richard Assheton Penn Curzon, 6th Earl Howe, CBE was a British peer, known as Viscount Curzon from 1929-1964....
, C.B.E. (1908–1984), son and heir of Francis Richard Henry Penn Curzon, 5th Earl Howe
Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe
Francis Richard Henry Penn Curzon, 5th Earl Howe, CBE, PC, VD was a British naval officer, Member of Parliament, motor racing driver and promotor. In the 1918 UK General Election he won the Battersea South seat as the candidate of the Conservative Party, which he held until 1929...
. They had two daughters before they divorced in 1943.
Weigall's great-grandson is British actor Jake Weber
Jake Weber
Jake Weber is an English actor, known in film for his role as Michael in Dawn of the Dead and for his role as Drew in Meet Joe Black...
.
Early career
Educated at Wellington College, BerkshireWellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
, and the Royal Agricultural College
Royal Agricultural College
The Royal Agricultural College is a higher education institution located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK. Established in 1845, it was the first agricultural college in the English speaking world...
, Cirencester, Weigall became an estate manager.
Joining the Northampton and Rutland Militia
Northampton and Rutland Militia
The Northampton and Rutland Militia was a militia regiment in the United Kingdom from 1860 to 1881, when it was transferred into the Northamptonshire Regiment....
, he served in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
and was promoted major. In World War I, he served with the Northamptonshire Regiment
Northamptonshire Regiment
The Northamptonshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1960. Its lineage is now continued by The Royal Anglian Regiment.-Formation:The regiment was formed as part of the reorganisation of the infantry by the Childers reforms...
and on the staff, finishing with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Political career
Captain Archibald G Weigall unsuccessfully fought the seat of GainsboroughGainsborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Gainsborough is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
for the Conservatives
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...
at the December 1910 general election.
He stood successfully in a by-election at Horncastle
Horncastle (UK Parliament constituency)
Horncastle was a county constituency in Lincolnshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. MPs were elected by the first past the post system of voting....
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire 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...
in 16 February 1911. The by-election was caused by the sitting Conservative MP Lord Willoughby d’ Eresby
Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster
Sir Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 7th Baronet, 2nd Earl of Ancaster, 3rd Baron Aveland, 26th Baron Willoughby de Eresby , known as Lord Willoughby de Eresby from 1892 to 1910, was a British Conservative politician....
, who had held Horncastle at each election since 1895 succeeding to the peerage on the death of his father, Earl Ancaster. He received 4,955 votes, with a majority of 107 over the Liberal, Frederick Caesar Linfield
Frederick Caesar Linfield
Frederick Caesar Linfield was a British Liberal politician. He was originally in trade as a corn-merchant.-Local politics:Linfield first entered politics at local government level...
.
He remained a MP until he resigned in 1920 to become governor.
Governor of South Australia
In 1919, Weigall accepted an appointment as Governor of South Australia. He was appointed KCMG in 1920, and soon left for Adelaide, arriving in June. He very quickly became disenchanted with the State Parliament; he became extremely frustrated with the way in which ministers would spend money before being granted supply, or transfer funds voted for one purpose to another. Although never explicitly calling for the abolition of the States, he did describe the results of the division of power in Australia as being "farcical" and "chaotic", and concluded that "State Governors and State Legislatures are now anachronisms".Weigall sought leave to resign in December 1921, citing "personal and financial" reasons. The Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
had wrongly informed him that the State Government would pay the wages of his staff. This was not the case, and this left Weigall a wage of merely ₤300. His departure prompted Premier Henry Barwell
Henry Barwell
Sir Henry Newman Barwell KCMG was the 28th Premier of South Australia.Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Barwell was educated at St Peter's College and Adelaide University, graduating in law...
to raise the Governor's salary.
Due to the times, many of the war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
s in country towns around South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
were opened by him as he travelled around the state, it being only a few years after the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. These include laying the foundation stone at Burra
Burra, South Australia
Burra is a pastoral centre and historic tourist town in the mid-north of South Australia. It lies east of the Clare Valley in the Bald Hills range, part of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, and on Burra Creek. The town began as a single company mining township that, by 1851, was a set of townships ...
, unveiling the memorial at Hallett
Hallett, South Australia
Hallett is a small town with a large history. Situated on the Barrier Highway north of Burra and south-east of Jamestown, Hallett lies close to Goyder's Line, plotted in the nineteenth century by George Goyder, separating the land suitable for cropping from the land suitable for grazing...
, and opening the new tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
Weigall Oval in the suburb of Plympton
Plympton, South Australia
Plympton is a suburb of the city of Adelaide, South Australia. The name is believed to have been given by Henry Mooringe Boswarva to a private subdivision in the area, naming after his home town in Devon, England...
, and Weigall (formerly Woolshed Flat) along the River Murray were both named in his honour.
Later honours
He was appointed High Sheriff of LincolnshireHigh Sheriff of Lincolnshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Lincolnshire.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred...
for 1926.
Weigall was created a baronet, Weigall of Woodhall Spa, in 1938, and was made King of Arms
King of Arms
King of Arms is the senior rank of an officer of arms. In many heraldic traditions, only a king of arms has the authority to grant armorial bearings. In other traditions, the power has been delegated to other officers of similar rank.-Heraldic duties:...
of the Order of St Michael and St George
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....
also in 1938.
Since he had no sons, his baronetcy died with him.