Edmund Henry Byng, 6th Earl of Strafford

From Wikipedia - Edmund Byng, 6th Earl of Strafford

Edmund Henry Byng, 6th Earl of Strafford (27 January 1862 – 24 December 1951), styled Viscount Enfield between 1899 and 1918, of Wrotham Park in the parish of South Mimms, Middlesex (later in Hertfordshire) and 5, St James's Square, London, was an English peer.

Origins

He was the second son (the first having died in infancy) of Reverend Francis Byng, 5th Earl of Strafford (1835–1918) by his wife Florence Louisa Miles (1840–1862), a daughter of Sir William Miles, 1st Baronet, who died giving birth to him.

Career

He was a County Alderman in Middlesex and Hertfordshire. He was elected a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London (FZS) in July 1902.

Marriage and children

He married Mary Elizabeth Colebrooke, a daughter of Sir Thomas Colebrooke, 4th Baronet by whom he had two daughters and co-heiresses:

• Lady (Florence) Elizabeth Alice Byng (1897–1987), eldest daughter, who was bequeathed by her father his two principal properties, Wrotham Park, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN5 4SB 51.67722, -0.19667 and 5 St James's Square, St James's, London. In 1928 she married Michael William M. Lafone of Kenya, the son of Major Edgar Mortimer Lafone (1867–1938), 4th Queen's Own Hussars and Chief Constable of the Metropolitan Police. Edgar's father was Alfred Lafone (1821–1911) of [Hanworth Park House, Forest Road, Feltham, London, TW13 7EY 51.4399272, -0.398597], a wealthy leather merchant and Conservative Member of Parliament for Bermondsey. She divorced her husband in 1931, having had issue:
  • Julian Michael Edmund Lafone (born 1928), a barrister who in 1952 changed his surname by deed poll to his matronymic "Byng", following a similar action by his mother following her divorce in 1931 and paternal inheritance in 1951. He attempted to evict his mother from Wrotham Park in a lawsuit presided over in the high court by Lord Oliver of Aylmerton. He inherited Wrotham Park and 5, St James's Square. In 1960 he married Eva Finola Wellesley-Wesley, only daughter of Capt. Michael Wellesley-Wesley, of Tahilla, County Kerry, Ireland, by whom he had issue including:
    • Robert Michael Julian Wentworth Byng (born 1962), since 1991 owner of Wrotham Park.
    • Georgiana Margaret Elizabeth Byng (born 1964).
• Lady Mary Millicent Rachel Byng (born 1899), younger daughter, who married Major-General Robert Francis Brydges Naylor, by whom she had children:
  • Christopher Charles Francis Naylor (born 1929)
  • Edmund John Robert Naylor (born 1930)
  • Mary Elizabeth Katharine Naylor (born 1933)

Succession

Upon his death in 1951, he was succeeded in the titles, but not in his estates, by his nephew, Robert Cecil Byng, 7th Earl of Strafford.

From FreeBMD: Registration of marriage of Edmund Henry Byng in 1894 and FreeBMD: Registration of marriage of Mary Elizabeth Colebrooke in 1894

• October to December 1894: Registration of marriage of Mary Elizabeth Colebrooke; in Westminster (Volume 1a, Page 972)
• October to December 1894: Registration of marriage of Edmund Henry Byng; in Westminster (Volume 1a, Page 972)

From British Newspaper Archive: Bristol Times and Mirror Tuesday, 18 December 1894 Page 6 Marriage of Mr. E. H. Byng and Miss M. E. Colebrooke

St James's Church, 197 Piccadilly, St James's, London W1J 9LL 51.50861, -0.13667 Yesterday forenoon, Monday, 17 December 1894, at St. James's church, Piccadilly, London, W., the quiet wedding took place of Mr. Edmund Henry Byng, eldest son of the Hon. and Rev. Francis Edmund Cecil Byng, M.A., formerly Chaplain in Ordinary to her Majesty, and also Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons (grandson of Sir William Miles, first baronet, of Leigh Court, Somerset, and cousin of the present baronet, and nephew of the present Earl of Strafford, of Wrotham park, Barnet, Hertfordshire), and Miss Mary Elizabeth Colebrooke, youngest daughter of the late Sir Thomas Edward Colebrooke, fourth baronet, who was Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire, and sat as Liberal M.P. for Taunton 1842-1852, and Lanarkshire 1857-1868, and North Lanarkshire 1868-1885, of Abington house, Abington, North Britain.

From MyHeritage: Viscount Enfield: 1901 England & Wales Census

31 March 1901 Census for residents of [5 St James's Square, St James's, London SW1Y 4AD 51.5080725, -0.1350974], England

• Viscount Enfield, head, married, male, aged 39 [born about 1862], in Little Casterton, Rutland; Stockbroker
• Viscountess Enfield, wife, married, female, aged 37 [born about 1864], in London
• Florence E A Byng, daughter, single, female, aged 4 [born about 1897], in London
• Mary M R Byng, daughter, single, female, aged 2 [born about 1899], in London
• Mary Pore, servant, single, female, aged 40 [born about 1861], in Not Known [N.K.]; Nurse Domestic
• Emily Mudiness, servant, single, female, aged 16 [born about 1885], in Windsor, Berkshire; Nurserymaid Domestic; Worker
• Agnes Galloway, servant, single, female, aged 26 [born about 1875], in Oxbury, Norfolk; Cook Domestic
• E Reason, servant, married, female, aged 42 [born about 1859], in Dorset; Lady's maid Domestic
• Ellen Anfield, servant, single, female, aged 34 [born about 1867], in St Pancras, London; Housemaid Domestic
• Elizabeth Hussey, servant, single, female, aged 21 [born about 1880], in Honiton, Devon; Kitchenmaid Domestic
• Emily Read, servant, single, female, aged 22 [born about 1879], in Shoreditch, London; Housemaid Domestic
• Ada Pearson, servant, single, female, aged 18 [born about 1883], in St Pancras, London; Housemaid Domestic
• Robert Berryman, servant, single, male, aged 30 [born about 1871], in Byfleet, Surrey; Butler Domestic
• John C Stone, servant, single, male, aged 27 [born about 1874], in Arre[?] Abbas, Dorset; Domestic
• Albert Head, servant, single, male, aged 15 [born about 1886], in Potters Bar, Middlesex; Domestic

From MyHeritage: Edmund Viscount Enfield: 1911 England & Wales Census

2 April 1911 Census for residents of 5 St James's Square, St James's, London, England

• Edmund Viscount Enfield, head, married for 16 years [about 1895], 2 children still living, male, aged 49 [born about 1862], in Little Casterton, Rutland; Member of London Stock Exchange
• Mary Viscountess Enfield, wife, married for 16 years [about 1895], 2 children still living, female, aged 47 [born about 1864], in London
• Elizabeth Byng, daughter, single, female, aged 14 [born about 1897], in London
• Mary Byng, daughter, single, female, aged 12 [born about 1899], in London
• Edward Baron Colebrooke, brother-in-law, married for 21 years [about 1890], 3 children still living, male, aged 49 [born about 1862], in Ottershaw, Surrey; Lord in Waiting to His Majesty
• Bridget Colebrooke, niece, single, female, aged 19 [born about 1892], in London
• more than 14 servants

From The Neville Chamberlain Diary Letters: Volume 2: The Reform Years, 1921-27

Edmund Henry Byng (1862-1951). Civil Engineer 1881-87; member, London Stock Exchange 1889-1919; Almoner, St. Bart's Hospital 1919-46. Succeeded as Earl of Strafford 1918.

From FreeBMD - Registration of death of Edmund H. (Earl of Strafford) Byng in 1951

October to December 1951: Registration of death of Edmund H. (Earl of Strafford) Byng; aged 89 [born about 1862]; in Wood Green (Volume 5f, Page 472)

Image from © National Portrait Gallery, London