John Wodehouse, 3rd Earl of Kimberley

John Wodehouse, 3rd Earl of Kimberley, CBE, MC, JP (11 November 1883 – 16 April 1941), styled Lord Wodehouse from 1902 to 1932, was a British hereditary peer and Liberal politician. He was a champion polo player.^[1]

The Right Honourable The Earl of Kimberley CBE MC JP
John Wodehouse in 1920
Member of Parliament for Mid Norfolk
In office 1906–1910
Preceded by	Frederick Wilson
Succeeded by	William Boyle
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office 7 January 1932 – 16 April 1941
Preceded by	The 2nd Earl of Kimberley
Succeeded by	The 4th Earl of Kimberley
Personal details
Born	(1883-11-11)11 November 1883
Died	16 April 1941(1941-04-16) (aged 57) Westminster, London, England
Nationality	British
Spouse	Frances Margaret Montagu
Children	John Wodehouse, 4th Earl of Kimberley
Parent	John Wodehouse, 2nd Earl of Kimberley (father)
Alma mater	Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Sports career
Sport	Polo
Medal record Polo Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games 1908 London Polo 1920 Antwerp Polo
Military career
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1911–1933
Rank	Captain
Battles / wars	First World War
Awards	Military Cross War Merit Cross (Italy)

Background

Wodehouse was the eldest son of John Wodehouse, 2nd Earl of Kimberley. He attended Eton College and Trinity Hall, Cambridge.^[2] At Cambridge, he was a committee member of the University Pitt Club.^[3] He started playing polo at university, where he was a member of the Light Blue team.^[2] He later played for the Old Cantabs team.^[2]

He holds the unique distinction of being the only person to win a gold medal at the Olympics in 1920 and a silver medal in 1908, both for polo.^[4]

Political career and military service

Wodehouse was elected Member of Parliament for Mid Norfolk at the general election of 1906. Aged 22 years and 2 months, he was the youngest Liberal candidate at that election. Throughout his service, he was Baby of the House of Commons. In the former year, he became JP for the county of Norfolk.^[5] He sat in Parliament until the January 1910 general election.

Lord Wodehouse was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Norfolk Yeomanry in 1911 and served with them until the beginning of the First World War in 1914. He served as a captain in the 16th Lancers during the war, when he was wounded and twice mentioned in despatches.^[5] He was at the Western Front in France from 1914 to 1917, and on the Italian Front during 1917–18.^[6] He won the MC in the latter year and also received the Italian War Merit Cross.^[5] His younger brother, Edward, also served in the 16th Lancers, but was killed in 1918.^[7] Another brother, Philip, died serving in 1919.^[8]

From outside Parliament, he served as unpaid Assistant Private Secretary to the Colonial Secretary, then Winston Churchill, in 1921–22, and was awarded the CBE in 1925.^[5] From 1921 to 1933 he remained on the Reserve of Officers.

He succeeded to his father's peerages in 1932, giving him a seat in the House of Lords.

Family

Lord Kimberley married the twice-divorced Frances Margaret Montagu,^[9] daughter of Leonard Howard Loyd Irby, on 5 May 1922.

In April 1941, aged 57, he was killed in The Blitz at 48 Jermyn Street, Westminster, London,^[10] and was succeeded by his only child, John.^[2]

Kimberley's son John was the godson of the writer P. G. Wodehouse, a distant cousin, both being descended from Sir Armine Wodehouse, 5th Baronet.^[11] According to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, P. G. Wodehouse based the character of Bertie Wooster on him.