Lieutenant-Colonel Ririd Myddelton, (25 February 1902 – 7 February 1988), was a

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

officer, Welsh landowner and courtier.

Early life

Myddelton was born on 25 February 1902 and was named after an ancient Myddelton ancestor. He was the eldest son of Col. Robert Edward Myddelton (1866–1949) and Lady Violet Nevill (1866–1910) who married in 1898. His mother was divorced in 1897 from

Henry Wellesley, 3rd Earl Cowley Henry Arthur Mornington Wellesley, 3rd Earl Cowley (14 January 1866 – 15 January 1919), styled as Viscount Dangan between 1884 and 1895, was an English aristocrat. Early life Henry was born at Wilton Place, London, on 14 January 1866. He was t ...

, and from that marriage, Myddelton's older half-brother was Christian Wellesley, 4th Earl Cowley. From his parents marriage, he had a sister, Idina Joan Myddelton (the wife of John Charles Trueman Mills, and later,

Roland Cubitt, 3rd Baron Ashcombe Roland Calvert Cubitt, 3rd Baron Ashcombe, (26 January 1899 – 28 October 1962) was a member of the British aristocracy. He became Baron Ashcombe on the death of his father Henry Cubitt, 2nd Baron Ashcombe, in 1947. He was the maternal grandf ...

), and a younger brother, Thomas Foulk Myddelton. His paternal grandparents were Richard Myddelton (son of Robert Myddelton Biddulph MP for Denbigh Boroughs and

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthi ...

) and Catherine Arabella Howard (a granddaughter of chemist

Edward Charles Howard Edward Charles Howard FRS (28 May 1774 – 28 September 1816) the youngest brother of Bernard Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk, was a British chemist who has been described as "the first chemical engineer of any eminence." Career In January 1799 ...

, a brother of

Bernard Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk Bernard Edward Howard, 12th Duke of Norfolk (21 November 1765 – 16 March 1842), was a British peer. Early life Howard was the son of Henry Howard (1713–1787) by his wife Juliana Molyneux, daughter of Sir William Molyneux, 6th Baronet (die ...

). His mother was the youngest daughter of

William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny William Nevill, 1st Marquess of Abergavenny (16 September 1826 – 12 December 1915), styled Viscount Neville between 1845 and 1868 and known as The Earl of Abergavenny between 1868 and 1876, was a British peer. Background and education He was ...

. Among his maternal family were uncles, Reginald Nevill, 2nd Marquess of Abergavenny and

Henry Nevill, 3rd Marquess of Abergavenny Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Gilbert Ralph Nevill, 3rd Marquess of Abergavenny DL (2 September 1854 – 10 January 1938), styled Lord Henry Nevill between 1876 and 1927, was a British peer. Early life Neville was born in Bramham, West Yorkshir ...

and aunts Lady Idina Nevill (wife of

Thomas Brassey, 2nd Earl Brassey Thomas Allnutt Brassey, 2nd Earl Brassey, Territorial Decoration, TD, Deputy Lieutenant, DL, Justice of the Peace, JP (7 March 1863 – 12 November 1919), styled Viscount Hythe between 1911 and 1918, was a British peer, who was for many years ed ...

) and Lady Rose Nevill (wife of Kenelm Pepys, 4th Earl of Cottenham). He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC) was a United Kingdom, British military academy for training infantry and cavalry Officer (armed forces), officers of the British Army, British and British Indian Army, Indian Armies. It was founded in 1801 at Gre ...

Career

He was an

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

in the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, monarchy; due to this, it often ...

1923 to 1946. In 1928–1931 Myddelton was

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

of the 3rd

Battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

of the

. In 1934–1937 he was a staff

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in London District. He then joined the Royal Household as Deputy

Master of the Household The Master of the Household is the operational head (see Chief operating officer) of the "below stairs" elements of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. The role has charge of the domestic staff, from the Royal Kitchens, the pages and footm ...

, an office he vacated in 1939 at the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. However, by 1944 he was back in office. In 1939 to 1940 he was Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General in London District. In 1942 he took the

Staff College, Camberley Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army and the presidency armies of British India (later merged to form the Indian Army). It had its origins in the Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, which ...

War Course, and subsequently commanded the 1st (Armoured)

1942–1944, including during the

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

landings after

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

and the advance across north west Europe. From 1952 until his death in 1988 he was an Extra

Equerry An equerry (; from French language, French 'stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attend ...

to The Queen. Myddelton was made a MVO in 1945, and was appointed a Deputy lieutenant in 1949 and a commissioner of the peace in 1948; and was Vice

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

Denbigh Denbigh ( ; ) is a market town and a community (Wales), community in Denbighshire, Wales. It was the original county town of the Denbighshire (historic), historic county of Denbighshire created in 1536. Denbigh's Welsh name () translates to ...

1968–1974. He was appointed a Knight of the Order of Saint John in 1961. He was

High Sheriff of Denbighshire The first High Sheriff of Denbighshire was John Salusbury (died 1540s), John Salusbury, snr, appointed in 1540. The shrievalty of Denbighshire, together with that of Flintshire, continued until 1974 when it was abolished after the county and sh ...

1951–1952.

Personal life

On 27 July 1931, Myddelton was married to (Mary) Margaret Elizabeth Mercer Nairne (1910–2003), daughter of Major Lord Charles Fitzmaurice and his wife, the former Lady Violet Elliot-Murray-Kynymound (daughter of

Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, (; 9 July 18451 March 1914), known as Viscount Melgund by courtesy from 1859 to 1891, was a British peer and politician who served as Governor General of Canada from 1898 to 1904, and Vi ...

). Her younger brother was George Petty-Fitzmaurice, 8th Marquess of Lansdowne and she was granted the rank of a marquess's daughter in 1946. After Margaret's father was

killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...

Ypres Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...

in 1914, her mother remarried to

John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever Lieutenant-Colonel John Jacob Astor V, 1st Baron Astor of Hever, DL (20 May 1886 – 19 July 1971) was an American-born English newspaper proprietor, politician, sportsman, and military officer. He was a member of the Astor family. Early life ...

(fourth son of

William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (31 March 1848 – 18 October 1919) was an American-English attorney, politician, hotelier, publisher and philanthropist. Astor was a scion of the very wealthy Astor family of New York City. He moved t ...

). From her mother's second marriage, she had three half-siblings, including Gavin Astor, 2nd Baron Astor of Hever and John Astor, MP for Newbury. Together, Lady Margaret and Ririd were the parents of: * Capt. David Foulk Myddelton (1932–2021), who married Anne Ratcliffe-Brotherton, daughter of Charles Frederick Ratcliffe-Brotherton, in 1965. After their divorce in 1968, he married Christine Serena Cherry Morris, daughter of Arthur Malcolm Morris, in 1970. * Fiona Violet Myddelton, CVO (b. 1934), who married Sir Alastair Aird, in 1963. She was Extra

Lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. Ma ...

between 1960 and 2002. * Hugh Robert Myddelton (b. 1938), who married Hon. Sarah Cecily Allsopp, daughter of Maj. Henry Allsopp, 5th Baron Hindlip. Myddelton died on 7 February 1988. Myddelton's seat was

Chirk Castle Chirk Castle () is a Grade I listed castle located in Chirk, Wrexham County Borough, Wales, from Chirk railway station, now owned and run by the National Trust. History The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roge ...

, which was occupied by the family until 2004.

Descendants

Through his eldest son, he was a grandfather of three: Guy Charles Myddelton (b. 1966), Sian Moyra Myddelton (b. 1971), and Mark Ririd Myddelton (b. 1973).

References

External links

Lt-Colonel Ririd Myddelton (1902-1988)
at National Trust Collections
Ririd Myddleton
on

The Peerage A Peerage is a form of The Crown, crown distinction, with Peerages in the United Kingdom comprising both hereditary title, hereditary and life peer, lifetime titled appointments of various Imperial, royal and noble ranks, ranks, which form ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Myddleton, Ririd Myddleton, Ririd Myddleton, Ririd Ririd Equerries Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Knights of the Order of St John Members of the Royal Victorian Order British Army personnel of World War II Coldstream Guards officers People educated at Eton College High sheriffs of Denbighshire