9th Earl of Shaftsbury

Anthony Ashley-Cooper was born on 31 Aug 1869. He was the son of the 8th Earl of Shaftsbury and Lady Harriet Augusta Anna Seymourina Chichester, daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Donegall. He was educated at Eton and inherited the title of 9th Earl of Shaftsbury when his father died on 13 April 1886. The family home was Belfast Castle, Co Antrim. He was commissioned into the 10th Hussars as a 2nd Lieutenant on 29 Mar 1890, lieutenant on 10 June 1891, captain 16 Feb 1898. He was ADC to the Governor of Victoria from 1 Sep 1895 until 1899 when he retired. He joined the Dorset IY and in 1902 he was a lieutenant-colonel in command of the North of Ireland IY. On 1 Jan 1913 he was promoted to Colonel in the TA, commanding the 1st South Western Mounted Brigade. When war broke out he was a brigadier-general, and he served throughout the war.
The Earl of Shaftsbury held several positions at court, Chamberlain to Princess Mary of Teck from 1901, and after she became Queen in 1910. From 1922 he was Lord Steward until 1936. He was married to Lady Constance Sibell Grosvenor, daughter of the heir to the Duke of Westminster. They had 5 children; the eldest son died in 1947 so the Earldom passed to the grandson. In 1928 the Earl financed Bryanston School in Dorset which adopted the Dalton Plan principles of teaching. He was Lord Lieutenant of Dorset from 1916 to 1952. Among his awards were the KCVO in 1906, upgraded to GCVO in 1924. He was made Knight of the Order of St Patrick in 1911. He died on 25 March 1961 and buried at Wimborne St Giles.

Regimental Details | Soldiers