Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Sir Robert Nigel Fitzhardinge Kingscote (28 February 1830 – 22 September 1908) was a British soldier,

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

politician, courtier and agriculturalist. He was generally known as Sir Nigel Kingscote.

Biography

Kingscote was the son of Colonel Thomas Henry Kingscote, of Kingscote Park,

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, by his first wife, Lady Isabella Anne Frances Somerset, a daughter of

Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort Henry Charles Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort (22 December 1766 – 23 November 1835), styled Marquess of Worcester until 1803, was a British politician. Background and education Somerset was the son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort and ...

. His mother died when he was less than one year old, shortly after the birth of her second child, a daughter. His brother, Thomas Kingscote, also joined the Royal Household.

Military career

Kingscote was commissioned in to the

Scots Fusilier Guards Scots may refer to: People and cultures * Scots language * Scottish people * Scoti, a Latin name for the Gaels Other uses * SCOTS, abbreviation for Royal Regiment of Scotland * Scottish Corpus of Texts and Speech (SCOTS), a linguistic resource * ...

in 1846. He was Aide-de-Camp to his great-uncle, Lord Raglan, during the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

, and later achieved the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Scots Fusiliers. He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the

Royal North Gloucestershire Militia The Royal North Gloucestershire Militia (RNGM), later the 4th (Militia) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment was a Militia regiment raised in the county of Gloucestershire in the West of England. From its formal creation in 1763 the regiment serve ...

(later 4th (Militia) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment) on 28 January 1862 and retained the position until the unit's disbandment in 1908.''Army List'', various dates.

Political career

Kingscote was Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire West between 1852 and 1885. He was appointed Deputy

Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire. Since 1694, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire. * Edmund Brydges, 2nd Baron Chandos 1559–? * Giles Brydges, 3rd Baron Cha ...

in 1856. The latter year he was appointed a Commissioner of Woods and Forests, a post he held until 1895. He was also a justice of the peace for Gloucestershire and

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

and a Trustee of the manor of Horsley.

Court positions

Kingscote was a

Groom-in-Waiting The office of Groom in Waiting (sometimes hyphenated as Groom-in-Waiting) was a post in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, which in earlier times was usually held by more than one person at a time – in the late Middle Ages there might be d ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

between 1859 and 1866, when he resigned, and as an Extra Equerry to the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

in 1867. He served as Superintendent of the

's stables until 1885, was appointed to the Council of the

in 1886, and as Receiver-General of the Duchy of Cornwall in 1888, Extra Equerry to

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

between 1901 and 1902 and Paymaster-General of the Royal Household between 1901 and 1908. He was appointed a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...

in 1855, and a

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

in 1889. After the accession of King

, he was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

(GCVO) in the

1902 Birthday Honours The 1902 Birthday Honours were announced on 10 November 1902, to celebrate the birthday of Edward VII the previous day. The list included appointments to various orders and honours of the United Kingdom and the British Empire. The list was publi ...

, and was invested with the insignia by the King at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

on 18 December 1902.

Agriculture

Kingscote was also involved in agricultural affairs and served as President of the Royal Agricultural Society in 1878.

Family

Kingscote was twice married. He married firstly

the Hon ''The Honourable'' (Commonwealth English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of cert ...

Caroline Sophia Wyndham, daughter of

George Wyndham, 1st Baron Leconfield George Wyndham, 1st Baron Leconfield (5 June 1787 – 18 March 1869), was a British soldier and hereditary peer. Early life A direct descendant of Sir John Wyndham, he was born in 1787, the eldest natural son of George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egr ...

, in 1851. She died in childbirth on 19 March 1852 at Drove, Westhampnett in West Sussex: her newborn son died on the same day. Kingscote married secondly Lady Emily Marie Curzon, daughter of

Richard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe Richard William Penn Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe, (11 December 1796 – 12 May 1870), was a British peer and courtier. Background He was the third but eldest surviving son of the Hon. Penn Assheton Curzon (the eldest son of Assheton Curzon, 1 ...

, in 1856. Lady Emily was a fellow courtier, serving as

Lady of the Bedchamber Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. A lady of the bedchamber would gi ...

Queen Alexandra Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was List of British royal consorts, queen-consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 Januar ...

. They had two sons and two daughters:Pine, L. G.. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 17th edition. London, England: Burke's Peerage Ltd, 1952 * Nigel Richard Fitzhardinge Kingscote (14 February 1857 - 24 November 1921) * Harriet Maude Isabella Kingscote (March 1860 - 14 March 1906), married Arthur Wilson and was the mother of

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

Henry Maitland Wilson, 1st Baron Wilson. * Winifred Ida Kingscote (24 April 1862 - 25 October 1938), married

George Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley George Henry Hugh Cholmondeley, 4th Marquess of Cholmondeley ( ; 3 July 1858 – 16 March 1923) was a British peer and a hereditary joint Lord Great Chamberlain of England. He exercised the office of Lord Great Chamberlain during the reign of ...

on 16 July 1879 and was the mother of

George Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley George Horatio Charles Cholmondeley, 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley ( ; 19 May 1883 – 16 September 1968), styled Earl of Rocksavage from birth until 1923, was a British peer. He was the Lord Great Chamberlain of England in 1936 and also betwe ...

. * Albert Edward Leicester Fitzhardinge Kingscote (13 May 1865 - ?)

Death

Kingscote died in September 1908, aged 78. Lady Kingscote died in December 1910.

References

External links

Caricature of Sir Robert Kingscote
by

Leslie Ward Sir Leslie Matthew Ward (21 November 1851 – 15 May 1922) was a British portrait artist and caricaturist who over four decades painted 1,325 portraits which were regularly published by ''Vanity Fair (British magazine), Vanity Fair'', under th ...

at the National Portrait Gallery * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kingscote, Nigel 1830 births 1908 deaths British Army personnel of the Crimean War Scots Guards officers Gloucestershire Regiment officers Gloucestershire Militia officers English justices of the peace Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Equerries Members of the British Royal Household Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1852–1857 UK MPs 1857–1859 UK MPs 1859–1865 UK MPs 1865–1868 UK MPs 1868–1874 UK MPs 1874–1880 UK MPs 1880–1885