Sir Thomas Buxton, 5th Baronet

Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton JP DL ( 8 November 1889 – 28 October 1945), the fifth Buxton baronet of Belfield in the County of Dorset, was an English barrister, soldier, and landowner.

Early life

Born in London on 8 November 1889, Buxton was the elder son of Sir Thomas Buxton, 4th Baronet, and Anne Louisa Matilda O'Rorke.[1] He attended Eton College and graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, before being admitted to the Inner Temple. He was subsequently called to the bar in 1913, entitling him to practice as a barrister.[2]

First World War

At the beginning of the European War, Buxton was commissioned into the Essex Yeomanry, with the rank of Lieutenant. He later served with the 3rd Essex Regiment, seeing action on the Western Front and being mentioned in dispatches.[3][4]

Career

Returning to practice as a barrister, Buxton succeeded as the 5th Baronet on 31 May 1919, on his father's death.[5] He held the office of Justice of the Peace for Essex, was also a Deputy Lieutenant for the county, and was High Sheriff of Essex in 1928.[6]

On 21 July 1923 at Crawford Priory, Buxton married firstly Dorothy Agnes Cochrane, a daughter of Thomas Cochrane, 1st Baron Cochrane of Cults, and of Lady Gertrude Julia Georgina Boyle, daughter of George Frederick Boyle, 6th Earl of Glasgow.[7] His wife died on 17 September 1927,[8] three weeks after the birth of a daughter.[9] They were the parents of Sir Thomas Fowell Victor Buxton, 6th Bt. (1925–1996) and Montagu Lucy Buxton (1927–2016).[6]

On 10 November 1931, at St George's Hanover Square, Buxton married secondly Eva Katharine Balfour (born 1889), daughter of Brigadier General Edward Balfour, OBE, MC, CVO, 8th of Balbirnie House, and of Isabella Weyman Hooper of Boston, Massachusetts.[10] Eva Balfour's portrait was sketched (black chalk on paper) by John Singer Sargent in 1911.[11] The portrait is in a private collection.

Sir Thomas Buxton died on 28 October 1945, at the age of 55. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son.[12] The second Lady Buxton outlived him for many years and died on 2 June 1978.[13]

Notes

1. Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives, 1901.
2. The Inner Temple Admissions Database http://www.innertemplearchives.org.uk/date.asp?surname=Buxton&firstname=Thomas&sort=byname&date1=1547&date2=1940&submit=Search
3. Whitmore, Lt. Col. F. H. D. C., The 10th (PWO) Royal Hussars & The Essex Yeomanry During the European War, 1914 – 1918 (Colchester: Benham & Company, Ltd, 1920)
4. Medal card of Buxton, Thomas Fowell Corps: Essex Yeomanry. The National Archives, Kew.
5. George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (undated, c. 1900; reprinted, Gloucester: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume IV, page 205
6. Burke's Peerage vol. 1 (2003), p. 626
7. Ancestry.com. Fife, Scotland, Cupar Library Newspaper Index Cards, 1833-1987 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
8. Dorothy A. Buxton. General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Death Indexes, 1916 – 2007
9. Chelmsford Chronicle Saturday 24 September 1927.
10. Civil Registration Marriage Index, General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 1a; Page: 1018
11. Narim Bender. John Singer Sargent: 121 Drawings. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (December 23, 2014) http://www.artnet.com/artists/john-singer-sargent/portrait-of-eva-katherine-balfour-later-lady-K80gLPDbRnqf_ZpCrXA0Jw2
12. Dorothy A. Buxton. General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Death Indexes, 1916 – 2007
13. Findagrave page

Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Thomas Buxton	Buxton baronet of Belfield	Succeeded by Sir Thomas Buxton, 6th Baronet