Thomas Myddelton Biddulph

Sir Thomas Myddelton Biddulph (29 July 1809 – 28 September 1878) was an officer in the British Army and courtier.

Early life

He was the second son of Robert Myddelton Biddulph (1761–1814) of Ledbury[1] and younger brother of Robert Myddelton Biddulph (1805–1872) of Chirk Castle.[2] He was educated at Eton College.[1]

Career

Biddulph entered the Army with the purchase of a commission as cornet and sub-lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of Life Guards on 7 October 1826.[3] He purchased further promotion to lieutenant on 23 February 1829[4] and captain on 16 May 1834.[5] In 1837 and 1841 his brother Robert unsuccessfully tried to have him elected as Member of Parliament for the Denbigh Boroughs.[2] Biddulph was granted brevet rank as a major on 9 November 1846.[6]

On 16 July 1851, Biddulph was appointed Master of the Household to Queen Victoria,[7] an office for which he had been selected by Baron Stockmar.[1] On 31 October that year, he purchased the substantive rank of major in the 7th Light Dragoons, and then the rank of lieutenant-colonel on the unattached list the same day.[8] He was made an Extra Equerry to the Queen on 16 July 1854[9] and promoted to brevet colonel on 29 January 1857,[10] with seniority later antedated to 28 November 1854.[11]

On 10 March 1863, it was announced that Biddulph would be made a Knight Commander of the Civil Division of the Order of the Bath;[12] he received the knighthood on 27 March.[1] He was promoted to major-general on 31 May 1865.[13] On 3 March 1866, he resigned as Master of the Household and was appointed joint Keeper of the Privy Purse with Lieutenant-General Charles Grey.[14] He was also appointed Receiver-General of the Duchy of Cornwall on 31 March that year.[15] After Grey's appointment as Private Secretary to the Sovereign on 30 April 1867, Biddulph became sole Keeper of the Privy Purse.[16] He was further appointed Receiver-General of the Duchy of Lancaster in 1873, and would hold all three offices to his death.[1] He was promoted to lieutenant-general on 29 December 1873 and full general on 1 October 1877,[17] and on 22 December 1877 was sworn of the Privy Council.[18]

Personal life

On 16 February 1857, Biddulph married Mary Frederica Seymour (1824–1902), one of the Queen's maids of honour, the only daughter of Frederick Charles William Seymour. Her paternal grandparents were Vice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour (1759–1801) and Lady Mary Gordon, herself the daughter of George Gordon, 9th Marquess of Huntly.[19] Biddulph's wife had been maid of honour 1850–1857, and kept the style the Honourable for the rest of her life. She later served as an honorary Woman of the Bedchamber to the Queen, and as a Lady-in-waiting to her daughter Princess Henry of Battenberg.[20][1] They had one son and one daughter:[19]

  • Frederica Myddelton Biddulph
  • Victor Myddelton Biddulph (1860–1919)

General Sir Thomas Myddelton Biddulph died at the Mains of Abergeldie, near Balmoral, after a short illness during which Queen Victoria visited him daily. He was buried at Clewer.[1] Hon. Lady Biddulph was granted the use of rooms at the Henry III′s Tower at Windsor Castle, where she died on 23 October 1902. King Edward VII and other members of the royal family visited her in the days before her death.[21]

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References
  1. Arthur H. Grant (1886). "Biddulph, Thomas Myddleton" . In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. 5. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  2. Margaret Escott, MYDDELTON BIDDULPH, Robert (1805-1872), of Chirk Castle, Denb. and 35 Grosvenor Place, Mdx. in History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1820-1832, Volume 4, Cambridge 2009
  3. "No. 18301". The London Gazette. 31 October 1826. p. 2570.
  4. "No. 18560". The London Gazette. 20 March 1829. p. 525.
  5. "No. 19155". The London Gazette. 16 May 1834. p. 897.
  6. "No. 20660". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 November 1846. p. 3991.
  7. "No. 21228". The London Gazette. 18 July 1851. p. 1857.
  8. "No. 21258". The London Gazette. 31 October 1851. pp. 2833–2834.
  9. "No. 21637". The London Gazette. 5 December 1854. p. 3955.
  10. "No. 21965". The London Gazette. 6 February 1857. p. 425.
  11. "No. 22194". The London Gazette. 26 October 1858. p. 4579.
  12. "No. 22721". The London Gazette. 27 March 1863. p. 1750.
  13. "No. 22982". The London Gazette. 20 June 1865. p. 3094.
  14. "No. 23080". The London Gazette. 6 March 1866. p. 1646.
  15. "No. 23097". The London Gazette. 6 April 1866. p. 2253.
  16. "No. 23246". The London Gazette. 30 April 1867. p. 2525.
  17. "No. 24508". The London Gazette. 2 October 1877. p. 5457.
  18. "No. 24535". The London Gazette. 25 December 1877. p. 7405.
  19. K. D. Reynolds, Biddulph, Sir Thomas Myddleton (1809–1878), courtier and army officer in The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford 2004
  20. "Obituary". The Times (36907). London. 24 October 1902. p. 8.
  21. "Court Circular". The Times (36907). London. 24 October 1902. p. 8.
Court offices
Preceded by
Sir Charles Beaumont Phipps		 Keeper of the Privy Purse
1866–1878
With: Sir Charles Grey 1866-67		 Succeeded by
Sir Henry Ponsonby
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