Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath

Thomas Henry Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath (15 July 1862 – 9 June 1946), styled Viscount Weymouth until 1896, was a British landowner and Conservative politician. He held ministerial office as Under-Secretary of State for India in 1905 and Master of the Horse between 1922 and 1924. He was also involved in local politics and served as Chairman of Wiltshire County Council between 1906 and his death in 1946.

The Most Honourable The Marquess of Bath KG CB PC JP
"Frome". Lord Bath as caricatured by Spy (Leslie Ward) in Vanity Fair, April 1896.
Under-Secretary of State for India
In office 20 January 1905 – 4 December 1905
Monarch	Edward VII
Prime Minister	Arthur Balfour
Preceded by	Earl Percy
Succeeded by	John Ellis
Master of the Horse
In office 20 November 1922 – 22 January 1924
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	Bonar Law Stanley Baldwin
Preceded by	The Earl of Chesterfield
Succeeded by	The Earl of Granard
Personal details
Born	15 July 1862 (1862-07-15) The Stable Yard, St James's, London
Died	9 June 1946 (1946-06-10) (aged 83)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Violet Mordaunt ​ ​ (m. 1890; died 1928)​
Children	5, including Henry
Parents	John Thynne, 4th Marquess of Bath The Hon. Frances Vesey
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford

Background and education

Known from birth by the courtesy title of Viscount Weymouth, he was born at the Stable Yard, St James's, Westminster, the eldest son of John Thynne, 4th Marquess of Bath and the Honourable Frances Isabella Catherine Vesey, a daughter of Thomas Vesey, 3rd Viscount de Vesci. He was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford,^[1] where he graduated BA in 1886, in 1888 promoted by seniority to MA.^[2]

Political career

Lord Weymouth sat as Member of Parliament for Frome between 1886 and 1892 and from 1895 to 1896, when he succeeded his father in the marquessate and entered the House of Lords.^[3] He served under Arthur Balfour as Under-Secretary of State for India between January and December 1905. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Somerset in 1904 and Chairman of Wiltshire County Council in 1906, and held both posts simultaneously until his death in 1946.^[4]

Lord Bath was made a Knight Companion of the Garter in 1917.^[5] He returned to the government in 1922, when Bonar Law appointed him Master of the Horse.^[6] He was sworn of the Privy Council at the same time.^[7] He continued in this office until the Conservative government fell in January 1924, the last year under the premiership of Stanley Baldwin.^[8]

Lord Bath was also a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry and an Honorary Colonel of that regiment and of the 4th Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry. In 1937 he was appointed Pro-Chancellor of Bristol University.^[8]

Family

A house party at Witley Court in the late 1880s, the 5th Marquess of Bath seated 5th from right, next to Violet Mordaunt (daughter of Harriet Mordaunt) whom he later married

Garter-encircled shield of arms of Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath, KG, as displayed on his Order of the Garter stall plate in St. George's Chapel.

On 19 April 1890, Lord Bath married Violet Caroline Mordaunt (28 February 1869–29 May 1928), daughter of Harriet, Lady Mordaunt. At the time of Violet's birth her mother had been the wife of Sir Charles Mordaunt, 10th Baronet, but she was said to be the illegitimate daughter of Viscount Cole, who was later co-respondent in a divorce action.^[9] They had five children:

• Lady Alice Kathleen Violet Thynne (1891–1977), married Lt-Col Oliver Stanley, son of Edward Stanley, 4th Baron Sheffield and had issue.
• Lady Emma Margery Thynne (1893–1980), married 1921 (div 1942) William Compton, 6th Marquess of Northampton; no issue.
• Second Lieutenant John Alexander Thynne, Viscount Weymouth (1895–1916), killed at Hulluch near Loos in northeastern France while on active service as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys. He is buried in the Vermelles British Cemetery.^[10]
• Lady Mary Beatrice Thynne (1903–1974), married firstly, in 1927, Charles Wilson, 3rd Baron Nunburnholme^[11] and had issue, including the 4th and 5th Barons. She married secondly, Ulick Alexander. She was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon on 26 April 1923.^[12]
• Henry Frederick Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath (1905–1992)

The Marchioness of Bath died in May 1928, aged 59. Lord Bath paid for the construction of a village hall at Horningsham, near the family seat at Longleat, as a memorial to her.^[13] He remained a widower until his death in June 1946, aged 83. He was succeeded by his second and only surviving son, Henry.^[8]

v t e  Family tree summary for the Thynnes of Longleat from about 1500[14]

Ralph Botevile[15] Thomas Thynne[15] William Thynne[15][16] d. 1546 John Thynne of Longleat[17] c. 1515–1580 Francis Thynne[16] c. 1544–1608 John Thynneof Longleat[18] 1555–1604 Charles Thynne[19] c. 1568–1652 Thomas Thynne of Longleat[20] c. 1578–1639 Baronet of Caus Castle, of Kempsford in the County of Gloucester, 1641 James of Longleat[21] 1605–1670 Thomas of Richmond[22] d. 1669 Henry Frederick Thynne 1615–1680 1st Baronet of Kempsford Baron Thynne, 1680 Viscount Weymouth, 1682 Thomas of Longleat,[23] 1648–1682 Thomas Thynne[24] 1640–1714 inherited Longleat, 1682 1st Viscount Weymouth and Baron Thynne, 2nd Baronet of Kempsford James Thynne of Buckland d. 1709 Henry Thynne Frederick d. 1705 unmarried Henry Thynne[25] 1675–1708 Thomas Thynne d. 1710 two daughters but no sons Thomas Thynne[26] 1710–1751 2nd Viscount Weymouth and Baron Thynne, 3rd Baronet of Kempsford Marquess of Bath, 1789 Baron Carteret (2nd creation), 1784 Thomas Thynne[27] 1734–1796 1st Marquess of Bath, 3rd Viscount Weymouth and Baron Thynne, 4th Baronet of Kempsford Henry Carteret[28] 1735–1826 1st Baron Carteret Thomas Thynne[29] 1765–1837 2nd Marquess of Bath, 4th Viscount Weymouth and Baron Thynne, 5th Baronet of Kempsford George Thynne 1770–1838 2nd Baron Carteret John Thynne 1772–1849 3rd Baron Carteret Baron Carteret extinct, 1849 Henry Thynne [30] 1797–1837 3rd Marquess of Bath, 5th Viscount Weymouth and Baron Thynne, 6th Baronet of Kempsford Edward Thynne 1807–1884 Lady Charlotte Anne Thynne 1811–1895 marr.: Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, Duke of Buccleuch and had issue. John Thynne[31] 1831–1896 4th Marquess of Bath, 6th Viscount Weymouth and Baron Thynne, 7th Baronet of Kempsford Henry Thynne 1832–1904 Thomas Thynne 1862–1946 5th Marquess of Bath, 7th Viscount Weymouth and Baron Thynne, 8th Baronet of Kempsford Ulric Oliver Thynne 1871–1957 Henry Thynne 1905–1992 6th Marquess of Bath, 8th Viscount Weymouth and Baron Thynne, 9th Baronet of Kempsford Thomas Timothy Thynne 1929–1930 Alexander George Thynn 1930–2020 7th Marquess of Bath, 9th Viscount Weymouth and Baron Thynne, 10th Baronet of Kempsford Christopher John Thynne 1934–2017 Valentine Charles Thynne 1937–1979 Ceawlin Thynn b. 1974 8th Marquess of Bath, 10th Viscount Weymouth and Baron Thynne, 11th Baronet of Kempsford Lucien Henry Valentine Thynne b. 1965 John Alexander Ladi Thynn b. 2014 styled Viscount Weymouth