William Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough facts for kids
William Henry Grenfell in 1921
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| Personal information | |||||||||||
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| Born | 30 October 1855 London, England |
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| Died | 9 January 1945 (aged 89) Panshanger, Hertfordshire, England |
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| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 89 kg (196 lb) | ||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||
| Sport | Fencing | ||||||||||
| Club | Amateur Fencing Association | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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William Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough (born October 30, 1855 – died January 9, 1945) was a truly remarkable British person. He was a talented athlete, a public servant, and a politician. He served in the House of Commons for many years. Later, he was given the special title of Baron Desborough. He also led the Thames Conservancy Board for over 30 years.
Contents
Early Life and School
William Grenfell was born in London in 1855. His father, Charles William Grenfell, was also a Member of Parliament. William went to Harrow School and then studied at Balliol College, Oxford University.
Amazing Sports Achievements
William Grenfell was an incredible athlete. He excelled in many different sports.
Rowing Success
He was a fantastic rower for Oxford University. He competed in the famous Boat Race twice. In 1877, the race ended in a rare tie! The next year, in 1878, Oxford won. He was also the leader of the Oxford University Boat Club in 1879. Later, he became the first captain of the Maidenhead Rowing Club.
Fencing and the Olympics
William won a silver medal for fencing at the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens. He was the very first person to carry the flag for Great Britain in the opening ceremony! In 1908, he was the president of the Olympic Games when they were held in London.
Other Adventures
He loved adventure and outdoor activities. He enjoyed mountaineering, swimming, and fishing. He even swam across the powerful Niagara rapids twice! He climbed the huge Matterhorn mountain three times. He also rowed a boat all the way across the English Channel. He was a champion at punting on the River Thames.
He was president of several important sports organizations. These included the Amateur Fencing Association and the Lawn Tennis Association. A tennis players' golf tournament, the Desborough Cup, is still named after him today. He also helped start the Maidenhead Golf Club in 1896. He was the club's first president and donated a special cup for competition, the Grenfell Cup.
Political Journey
William Grenfell started his political career in 1880. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Salisbury. He later represented Hereford. He was first a member of the Liberal Party. However, he left the party in 1893 because he disagreed with a bill about Ireland. He later returned to the House of Commons in 1900 as a member of the Conservative Party.
In 1905, William Grenfell was given a special title. He became Baron Desborough. This meant he joined the peerage, a group of people with high social rank. The title was named after Desborough Hundred, an old area, and Taplow, the village where he lived.
Public Service and Contributions
William Grenfell spent many years helping the public. He held many important jobs.
Leading the Thames Conservancy
He was the President of the Thames Conservancy Board from 1904 to 1937. This board managed the famous River Thames. He also oversaw the building of the Desborough Cut. This was a new channel on the Thames that made it easier for boats to travel. The large island created by this channel is now called Desborough Island.
Helping Maidenhead
He was the High Steward of Maidenhead, a town near his home. He did many good things for Maidenhead. For example, he gave the town an old chalk pit. This pit was turned into Grenfell Park to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The park has many unusual trees that Lord Desborough collected seeds for during his travels around the world. Desborough College in Maidenhead is also named after him.
Police Reform
In 1919, he led the Desborough Committee. This group looked into why police officers went on strike in 1918. Their suggestions led to the important Police Act of 1919. This law improved working conditions for police officers across many cities.
Other Roles
He was also involved with the London Chamber of Commerce and the Royal Agricultural Society of England. He was a J.P. and a Deputy Lieutenant for Buckinghamshire. He was also a Major in the Buckinghamshire Rifle Volunteers. From 1924 to 1929, he was the Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard. This is a special group that protects the monarch.
Family Life
Lord Desborough married Ethel Fane in 1887. They had three sons and two daughters. Sadly, all three of his sons passed away before him. His eldest son, Julian Grenfell, was a poet who died in 1915. His second son, Gerald, also died shortly after Julian. His third son, Ivo, died in a car accident in 1926. Because his sons died before him, his special title of Baron Desborough ended when he passed away.
The family lived at Taplow Court. They hosted many important people there. Lady Desborough was quite famous in her time.
Images for kids
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The Desborough Cut on the River Thames.
See also
- List of Oxford University Boat Race crews
