Lieutenant the Hon Hugh Grosvenor

The Hon Hugh was the son of the politician Richard de Aquila Grosvenor, brother of the 1st Duke of Westminster. He was born on 5 May 1880, his father being created 1st Baron Staybridge in 1886. Hugh inherited the title in 1912 when he was 32, and lived at Motcombe House, Dorset which had been built by his father in 1893. This grand building is now Port Regis School. Hugh served in the 14th Hussars from 1900 and was mentioned twice in despatches during the Boer War. He subsequently joined the Northamptonshire Yeomanry and earned the MC in WW1. He was not interested in running the estate as his father had done, and preferred to spend his money on expensive sports like sailing, polo and horse racing. To finance these activities he sold the entire estate of Stalbridge and Motcombe, in a surprise move that incurred the wrath of the tenants who were hoping to buy their premises. He had married Gladys in 1903, however it was an unhappy union. They had one son, Hugh Raufe but he was killed in a flying accident in 1930. The photo shows Lord Stalbridge with his racehorse Bogskar and jockey Melvyn Jones after winning the Grand National in 1940. He died on 24 Dec 1949.

Regimental Details | 14th Hussars Soldiers