Col Christopher Wyndham Wilson JP DL known as “Kit” (1844 – 1918) was an English landowner, agricultural pioneer and appointed High Sheriff of Westmorland in 1884. He built two eponymous lakes in Westmorland: Kitmere and Wyndhamere.

Early life

Wilson was born 9 November 1844 at Rigmaden Park, Mansergh,

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...

. He was the eldest son of William Wilson (1810–1880) and his wife Maria Letitia Hulme (1817–1873) and grandson of Christopher Wilson a businessman of Abbot Hall Kendal. His maternal grandmother Maria being the daughter of Colonel Wadham Wyndham. He succeeded to his father’s estates in 1880. He attended Harrow School and later Trinity College Cambridge.

Later life

Wilson bred the Wilson or

Hackney pony The Hackney pony is a breed of pony closely related to the Hackney horse. Originally bred to pull carriages, they are used today primarily as show ponies. The breed does not have its own stud book, but shares one with the Hackney horse in a ...

a cross between the native fell pony and a thoroughbred Sir George. At this time he experimented in new agricultural techniques including fish farming on a series of lakes built on his lands and breeding shorthorn cattle. He was an early pioneer of electricity being the second homeowner in the UK to install electric light. Wilson was a Conservative, being active in the

1880 United Kingdom general election The 1880 United Kingdom general election was held from 31 March to 27 April 1880. It saw the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal opposition triumph with 352 seats. Its intense rhetoric was led by the Midlothian campaign of the Liberals, particularly th ...

on behalf of William Lowther (diplomat) in the

Westmorland (UK Parliament constituency) Westmorland was a United Kingdom constituencies, constituency covering the historic counties of England, county of Westmorland in the North of England, which returned Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Members of Parliament to the House of ...

and later founding and chairing the Westmorland Conservative Association. An avid horseman Wilson served in the Yeomanry Cavalry becoming the Colonel of the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry. He was also a sportsman, founding the Oxenholme Staghounds and the shooting in his "Valley of the Shadow of Death" on his estate. He kept five types of dear in his park including Wapati. en of the Day. No. 494. Vanity Fair 10 January 1891/ref> Rigmaden Park - geograph

Family

Wilson married Mildred Eyre Spedding (1848–1878) of Mirehouse, Cumbria in 1874 and had one son Christopher Hulme Wilson (1875–1941), whose son Charles Eric Wilson was High Sheriff of Westmorland in 1962 and a daughter Beatrice b.1875 who worked for the British Information Services in New York during WWII. He married secondly Edith Townsend Farquhar in 1879, sister of the financier Horace Farquhar, 1st Earl Farquhar and had a further three sons and three daughters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Christopher 1844 births 1914 deaths People from Westmorland Agriculture in the United Kingdom British agriculturalists 19th-century English farmers 20th-century English farmers 19th-century British Army personnel Military personnel from Cumbria Volunteer Force officers Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry officers