Christopher Vane, 10th Baron Barnard

Christopher William Vane, 10th Baron Barnard CMG, OBE, MC, TD (28 October 1888 to 19 October 1964^[1]) was a British peer and military officer.^[1]

Education

Lord Barnard was born on the 28 October 1888^[1] as the second son of Henry de Vere Vane, 9th Baron Barnard and the Lady Catharine Sarah Cecil, daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Exeter^[2] at Barnard Castle in County Durham.^[1] Following in the footsteps of his father, he attended Eton College,^[2] but unlike many of his ancestors studied at Trinity College at the University of Cambridge^[1] for a B.A.^[3] rather than attending the University of Oxford.

Career

Military

Upon the completion of his degree, he entered the armed services, participating in World War I^[3] as a Major in the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry^[2] in which he was awarded the Military Cross^[2] and wounded in action twice.^[1] His eldest brother, the Hon. Henry Cecil Vane, heir apparent to the barony of Barnard, also served in the Great War^[3] but was subsequently wounded and died of those wounds shortly thereafter,^[4] leaving his younger brother heir apparent to the title of Baron Barnard.^[4]

In 1922, Lord Barnard gained the rank of Major in the 6th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry^[1] and served with distinction in the battalion until 1931.^[2]

Civilian

Upon his retirement from the armed services, Lord Barnard took a number of roles, mostly in the service of County Durham.^[1] Between 1920 and 1963 he was Master^[2] and, subsequently, Joint Master^[1] of the Zetland Hunt and between the years 1958 and 1964 the Lord Lieutenant of Durham.^[3] He was also a County Commissioner for the Durham Boy Scouts Association.^[2] He was a keen horticulturist.^[5]

He was a member of Brooks's gentleman's club^[2][3] and resided at Raby Castle.^[2] Unlike his father, he did not keep a London season home at 20 Belgrave Square, SW.^[2]

Marriage and issue

In 1920 he married Sylvia Mary Straker^[2] the daughter of Hubert Straker, a commoner, and had three children:^[2]

• The Hon. Rosemary Myra Vane (1921–1999)
• Harry John Neville Vane, 11th Baron Barnard (b. 1923)
• The Hon. Gerald Raby Vane (b. 1926)^[1]

Honors and accolades

Lord Barnard received many honours in his lifetime. In 1930 he was invested as a Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George^[2] and gained the honourary rank of Colonel in the service of the 6th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry, his former unit.^[1] He was invested as an as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1955.^[2][3]

Decline and death

In 1964 he gave up the Lord Lieutenancy of County Durham. Notably, a few years before his death^[5] he divested himself of all but 1,713 acres (693 ha) of the 53,000-acre (21,000 ha) Raby estate.^[5] He also resigned from the presidency of the County Territorial Army and Air Force Association.^[5] He died on 19 October 1964^[3] at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.^[5]

External links

• Portraits of Christopher William Vane, 10th Baron Barnard at the National Portrait Gallery, London

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Hammond, Peter W. (1998). The Complete Peerage or a History of the House of Lords and All Its Members from the Earliest Times, Vol. XIV. Shroud, UK: Sutton Publishing. pp. 66–67. ISBN 978-0750901543. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} Barnard: Who's Who. London: A & C Black. 1950. p. 132. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Mosley, Charles (1999). Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes. Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd.. pp. 192–193. ISBN 978-1579580834. 
4. ^ ^{a b} The Official Gazette of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham 1908 to 1919. Durham Freemasons. 1919. p. 172. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e} The Correspondent for Obituaries (Tuesday 20 October 1964). "Lord Barnard". The Times of London. 

Honorary titles
Preceded by The Lord Lawson	Lord Lieutenant of Durham 1958–1964	Succeeded by Sir James Fitzjames Duff
Peerage of England
Preceded by Henry Vane	Baron Barnard 1918–1964	Succeeded by John Vane

Persondata
Name	Barnard, Christopher Vane, 10th Baron
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1888
Place of birth
Date of death	1964
Place of death