Walter Patrick Hore-Ruthven CB CMG DSO (1870 - 1956)

Born 6 Jun 1870 in Plymouth, Devon, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 16 Apr 1956 at age 85 in England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Maj Gen Walter Hore-Ruthven was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Walter Patrick Hore-Ruthven was born 6 Jun 1870 to Walter James Hore-Ruthven, 9th Lord Ruthven of Freeland and Lady Caroline Annesley Gore.

He was a career military officer, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1900. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1915 and was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1919. He served as Maj-Gen. commanding the London District 1924-28; Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Guernsey 1929-34 before retiring from the Army in 1934.

He m. Jean Leslie Lampson on 23 Apr 1895, and they had 3 da. He d. 6 Apr 1956, succeeded in the Lordship of Ruthven of Freeland by his da. Bridget and in the Barony of Ruthven of Gowrie by his great-nephew Grey Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie.

Research Notes

The Complete Peerage considers that on the death of the 2nd Lord Ruthven the peerage should have become extinct but instead this is another example of a peerage created or recognized in error by the Crown. CP notes that the heirs assumed the title and only considers the 9th Lord Ruthven of Freeland a peer because he was created 1st Baron Ruthven of Gowrie (UK, 1919), and the Crown recognized him as Lord of Ruthven of Freeland.

The patent was created when King Charles II was in exile in 1651, was never enrolled, and the original patent was probably destroyed in a fire. Of the eight Scottish peerages King Charles II created in exile, six of them limit them to the heir male of the body of the grantee, which assuming this title had the same limitation it should have meant the Lordship became extinct on the death of the 2nd Lord.

This is also complicated by the 4th holder of the title, Lady Isabella, was recognized in the title by King George II despite the law dictating that this can only be done by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Her son James voted in several elections of Representative Peers of Scotland without any challenges, which is also not a unique situation for soi-disant peers and also does not prove he or his descendants had a right to the title until recognized by the Crown in 1919.

Sources

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p8012.htm#i80112
• Ruthven of Freeland, Lord (S, 1651) Cracroft's Peerage
• Wikipedia entry