Cecil Law, 6th Baron Ellenborough

Colonel Cecil Henry Law, 6th Baron Ellenborough, CB DL (23 November 1849 – 22 January 1931), was a British Army officer and a member of the House of Lords.

Cecil Henry Law

Baron Ellenborough

Cecil Henry Law was the third son of Henry Spencer Law and Dorothea (daughter of Colonel J. S. Rochfort of Clogrenane, County Carlow). Law was educated at Wellington School, Somerset, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and passed out into the Army in 1869. He succeeded to the peerage on the death of his brother, Edward Law, 5th Baron Ellenborough, in 1915. He was introduced to the House of Lords on 15 February 1916, immediately after that year's King's Speech.[1]

Military career

Law was commissioned as an officer into the 54th Regiment of Foot (from 1881 The Dorsetshire Regiment) in July 1869, was promoted to lieutenant on 28 October 1871, and served in the Second Anglo-Afghan War 1878–1880. Promoted to captain on 24 January 1883, to major on 21 June 1890, and to lieutenant-colonel on 19 November 1897, he commanded the 2nd battalion Dorsetshire Regiment during the Second Boer War in South Africa from 1900 to 1902 where he was present during the Relief of Ladysmith, and the battles of Laing's Nek and the Tugela Heights. For his services in the war, he was mentioned in despatches three times, received the Queen's Medal with five clasps and the King's Medal with two clasps,[2][3] and was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the April 1901 South Africa Honours list (the award was dated to 29 November 1900;[4] he only received the actual decoration from King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace on 24 October 1902[5]). After the end of the war in June 1902, he returned to the United Kingdom in the RMS Dunottar Castle, which arrived at Southampton the following month.[6] Law was placed on half-pay in August 1902,[7] and retired with the rank of colonel in 1906.[8]

Family and later life

After his retirement from the British Army, Lord Ellenborough took an active interest in local philanthropic and patriotic institutions. He was for many years Chairman of Dorset County Hospital and President of the Dorset Territorial Army Association.[9] Cecil Henry Law married Alice Caroline Astell in 1884, who died in 1916 (daughter of Mr John Harvey Astell of Woodbury Hall, Bedfordshire). On his death in 1931, he was succeeded by his son: Henry Law, 7th Baron Ellenborough.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Cecil Law, 6th Baron Ellenborough

8. Rt Rev. Edmund Law 4. Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough 9. Mary Christian (1721/1722 – 1762) 2. The Hon. Henry Law (1802–1885) 10. Capt. George Towry 5. Ann Towry (died 1843) 1. Cecil Law, 6th Baron Ellenborough 12. John Rochfort (1735–1812) 6. Col. John Rochfort (died 1844) 13. Dorothea Burgh 3. Dorothea Rochfort (died 1871) 14. Thomas Burgh (died 1810) 7. Mary Burgh (died 1866) 15. Anne Aigion (died 1831)

References

1. "The King's Speech". Hansard. 15 February 1916. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
2. "Obituaries". The Times. 24 January 1931.
3. Hart's Army list.
4. "No. 27306". The London Gazette. 19 April 1901. p. 2697.
5. "Court Circular". The Times (36908). London. 25 October 1902. p. 8.
6. "The Army in South Africa: Troops returning home". The Times (36814). London. 8 July 1902. col c, p. 11.
7. "No. 27462". The London Gazette. 8 August 1902. p. 5099.
8. Kidd, Charles (editor). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (2015 edition), p. 419.
9. The Times, Obituary, January 24, 1931.