Gerald Arbuthnot

Gerald Archibald Arbuthnot (19 December 1872 – 25 September 1916) was a British soldier and Conservative Party politician.

Gerald Arbuthnot
Member of Parliament for Burnley
In office 15 January 1910 – 28 November 1910
Preceded by	Frederick Maddison
Succeeded by	Philip Morrell
Personal details
Born	(1872-12-19)19 December 1872
Died	25 September 1916(1916-09-25) (aged 43) Fricourt, France
Resting place	Citadel New Military Cemetery, Fricourt
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	(Mary Johanna) Dulcie Antoinette Oppenheim
Children	3 daughters
Parent(s)	William Arbuthnot Selina Moncreiffe
Occupation	Politician
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	Royal Navy (1886 – 1891, 1914 – 1915)  British Army (1915 – 1916)
Rank	Lieutenant (Navy) Second Lieutenant (Army)
Unit	Royal Navy Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards (Army)
Battles/wars	First World War Battle of Ypres Battle of the Somme  †

Early life

The son of Major General William Arbuthnot and Selina Moncreiffe, he was vice-chancellor of the Primrose League.

Political career

Arbuthnot was private secretary to the Board of Agriculture from 1895 to 1899, assistant private secretary to the President of the Local Government Board in 1901 and 1902 and assistant private secretary to the Chief Secretary for Ireland in 1905 and 1906. Between January and December 1910, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Burnley.^[1]

Military service

In the First World War, he served in the Grenadier Guards and reached the rank of second lieutenant, having been made a lieutenant in the service of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve already in 1914. He fought in the Battle of Ypres. Arbuthnot died aged 43, killed in action during the Battle of the Somme.^[1] He was buried at Citadel New Military Cemetery, Fricourt. In November 2018, Arbuthnot's name was added to the UK Parliament's World War One memorial, after a historian at the History of Parliament Trust noticed his name was missing.^[1]

Personal life

He married (Mary Johanna) Dulcie Antoinette Oppenheim, daughter of Charles Augustus Oppenheim, on 6 February 1894. They had three daughters, one of whom, Cynthia Isabelle Theresa, married rower and financier Ian Fairbairn.