John Crichton, 5th Earl Erne

John Henry George Crichton, 5th Earl Erne (22 November 1907-23 May 1940), briefly known as Viscount Crichton in 1914, was an Anglo-Irish peer, soldier and politician.

Erne was the only son of Henry Crichton, Viscount Crichton, himself the eldest son of John Crichton, 4th Earl Erne. His mother was Lady Mary Cavendish Grosvenor, daughter of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster. In October 1914 his father was killed in action in the First World War and only a month later, aged seven, he succeeded his grandfather as fifth Earl Erne. He was active in the House of Lords and served as a Lord-in-Waiting (government whip in the House of Lords) from 1936 to 1939 in the National Government led firstly by Stanley Baldwin and later by Neville Chamberlain.

Erne was commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards from Sandhurst in 1927. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1930 and resigned his commission in 1934. He later joined the North Irish Horse and fought in the Second World War as a Major.

Lord Erne married Lady Davidema Katharine Cynthia Mary Millicent Bulwer-Lytton, daughter of Victor Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton and Pamela Plowden, in 1931. On 23 May 1940 he died in France from wounds received in action during the German invasion, aged 32. He was succeeded in his titles by his two-year-old only son Henry. Lady Erne later married the Conservative politician "Monty" Woodhouse.

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). "Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage" (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]
* [http://www.thepeerage.com/ www.thepeerage.com]