Sir Henry Ralph Fletcher-Vane, 4th Baronet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir
Henry Ralph Fletcher-Vane
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| Born | 13 January 1830 Hutton in the Forest, England
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| Died | 1908 Hutton in the Forest, England
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| Education | Eton College |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
| Relatives | Ancestor: Sir Henry Vane the Elder |
Sir Henry Ralph Fletcher-Vane (born 13 January 1830 – died 1908) was an important figure in his community. He was the oldest son of Sir Francis Fletcher Vane, 3rd Baronet, and his wife, Diana Olivia.
Sir Henry held several important roles. He was a Deputy Lieutenant and a Justice of the Peace for Westmorland and Cumberland. These roles meant he helped keep law and order and represented the Crown in his area. In 1856, he was chosen as the High Sheriff of Cumberland, a very old and respected position. He also served as a County Alderman for Cumberland, helping to manage local government.
He was also involved in the military, serving as an officer in the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry, a type of volunteer cavalry. He led this group from 1879 to 1891. After that, he became their Honorary Colonel, a special title given to someone who has served with distinction. He was the fourth Baronet of Hutton, a title passed down in his family. He was also the first cousin of Sir Francis Vane.
Early Life and Family
Henry Ralph Fletcher Vane was born on 13 January 1830. He went to two famous schools: Eton and Christ Church, Oxford University. When he was only 12 years old, in 1842, he inherited his father's title and became a Baronet.
In 1871, when he was 41, Sir Henry married Margaret Maxwell Gladstone. They were married in Glencairn, Scotland. Margaret was the daughter of Thomas Steuart Gladstone. Her father was a merchant and plantation owner from Liverpool. He was also a cousin of William Ewart Gladstone, who became a famous Prime Minister of Britain.
Legal Challenge and Later Life
In 1872, soon after he got married, Sir Henry Ralph Fletcher Vane faced a difficult legal case. His uncle, Frederick Henry Vane, started the lawsuit. The case was about who should inherit the family's estates in Cumberland and Westmorland.
The lawsuit claimed that Sir Henry's father, Sir Francis Fletcher Vane, 3rd Baronet, had been born outside of marriage. This would have meant that Sir Henry was not the rightful heir to the family's lands. This case was reported in The Times newspaper on 6 November 1872. However, the details of the trial do not fully support this claim.
In 1881, Sir Henry and his wife lived in Chelsea, London. He was listed as a magistrate, which means he was a judge for minor legal cases. By 1891, he was living in Brighton. According to a book called Debrett's Baronetage from 1905, Sir Henry's main homes were Hutton in the Forest and Scarness Cottage in Bassenthwaite. He was also a member of two well-known clubs, the Carlton Club and Arthur's.
Death and Legacy
Sir Henry Ralph Vane passed away at Hutton in the Forest on 15 June 1908. His will was officially approved in Carlisle on 7 August 1908. The people in charge of his estate were:
- The Rt. Hon. Henry de Vere Vane, 9th Baron Barnard
- The Hon. William Lyonel Vane
- Edward Lamb Waugh
Sir Henry's belongings were worth a lot of money, about £107,747 at the time. This would be worth over £11 million today!
When Sir Henry died in 1908, the next person in line to inherit the Baronet title was his first cousin, Francis Patrick Fletcher Vane. Francis was born in 1861. His father was the same uncle who had challenged Sir Henry's right to the family estates in the 1870s.
It is not clear how much that old lawsuit affected Francis's inheritance. Interestingly, the history books about Hutton in the Forest do not often mention Sir Francis Patrick Fletcher Vane, 5th Baronet.
Sir Francis Fletcher Vane lived longer than Sir Henry's widow, Lady Vane, who died in 1916. He also lived longer than Major-General Frederick Drummond Vincent Wing CB, who died in the First World War in 1915. The people who managed Sir Henry's estate also passed away over the next few years.
In 1931, the Hutton estates were given to William Fletcher-Vane, 1st Baron Inglewood. This happened three years before Sir Francis Patrick Fletcher Vane, 5th Bt died.
Images for kids
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Sir Henry Ralph Fletcher-Vane
