James Caulfeild, 8th Viscount Charlemont

James Edward Caulfeild, 8th Viscount Charlemont, PC (NI), DL (12 May 1880 – 20 August 1949) was an Irish Peer, elected to the British House of Lords as a Representative Peer and to the Parliament of Northern Ireland as a Senator. He sat in Stormont's upper house from 1925 to 1937 and was Minister for Education for all but the first of his years.

James Caulfeild
Representative peer for Ireland
In office
1918–1949
Minister of Education of Northern Ireland
In office
1926–1937
Leader of the Senate of Northern Ireland
In office
1926–1937
Personal details
Born(1880-05-12)12 May 1880
London, England
Died20 August 1949(1949-08-20) (aged 69)
Spouse(s)
Evelyn Hull
(m. 1914; div. 1940)

Hildegarde Slock-Cottell
(m. 1940)
RelativesJames Caulfeild (uncle)

Early life edit

Lord Charlemont was born in London to an Irish family, son of the Hon. Marcus Caulfeild, CB, and Gwyn Williams (granddaughter of Sir Robert Williams, Bart.).

He was educated at Winchester College.[1]

Career edit

He inherited the Viscountcy of Charlemont and Barony of Caulfeild from his uncle, James, in 1913. In 1918 Lord Charlemont was elected to the British House of Lords as a Representative Peer and to the Parliament of Northern Ireland as a Senator. He sat in Stormont's upper house from 1925 to 1937 and was Minister for Education for all but the first of his years.[1]

He was the first President and co-founder of The Irish Association for Cultural, Economic and Social Relations.[1]

Personal life edit

Lord Charlemont was twice married. He was married first to Evelyn Fanny Charlotte Hull of Park Gate House, Surrey, a daughter of Edmund Charles Pendleton Hull of Ham Common, Surrey, on 26 November 1914. They divorced in April 1940, shortly before she was killed in October 1940 in London during an air raid during World War II.[2]

Shortly before his first wife's death, he married Hildegarde Slock-Cottell, a daughter of Rodolphe Slock-Cotell of Belgium, in July 1940. Lord Charlemont lived at Newcastle, County Down.[3]

Having no children, the titles passed on his death to his cousin.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Hammond, Peter W., editor, The Complete Peerage or a History of the House of Lords and All its Members From the Earliest Times, Volume XIV: Addenda & Corrigenda (Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing, 1998), page 165.
  2. ^ TIMES, Special Cable to THE NEW YORK (16 October 1940). "Lady Charlemont Dies in Raid". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  3. ^ Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003, volume 1, page 751.
  4. ^ "VISCOUNT CHARLEMONT". The New York Times. 31 August 1949. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
Political offices
Preceded by Representative peer for Ireland
1918–1949
Office lapsed
Preceded by Minister of Education
1926–1937
Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Senate of Northern Ireland
1926–1937
Succeeded by
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by Viscount Charlemont
1913–1949
Succeeded by
Charles Edward St George Caulfeild