Peerage Record – 5447

     Lt.-Col. Hon. Roger Claude Bigham was born on 16 September 1908.¹ He was the son of Charles Clive Bigham, 2nd Viscount Mersey and Mary Gertrude Seymour.² He died on 5 December 1958 at age 50, unmarried.¹
     He was educated at Eton College, Windsor, Berkshire, England.¹ He was educated at Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, London, England.¹ He gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Artillery.¹ He was GSO(1) of the British Military Mission Greece between 1949 and 1951.¹

     Hon. Ralph John Bigham was born on 3 August 1913.¹ He is the son of Charles Clive Bigham, 2nd Viscount Mersey and Mary Gertrude Seymour.² He married Cicely Ruth Johnson, daughter of Percy Johnson, on 3 August 1954.¹
     He was educated at Eton College, Windsor, Berkshire, England.¹ He was appointed Officer, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (O.St.J.)¹

     Cicely Ruth Johnson is the daughter of Percy Johnson.² She married Hon. Ralph John Bigham, son of Charles Clive Bigham, 2nd Viscount Mersey and Mary Gertrude Seymour, on 3 August 1954.¹
     Her married name became Bigham.

     Percy Johnson lived at Douglas, Isle of Man^G.¹

     Hon. Elizabeth Mary Bigham was born on 17 April 1905.¹ She was the daughter of Charles Clive Bigham, 2nd Viscount Mersey and Mary Gertrude Seymour.² She married Matthew Henry Herbert Ponsonby, 2nd Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, son of Arthur Augustus William Harry Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede and Dorothea Parry, on 5 December 1929.¹ She died in 1985.²
     From 5 December 1929, her married name became Ponsonby.² After her marriage, Hon. Elizabeth Mary Bigham was styled as Baroness Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 24 March 1946.

     Matthew Henry Herbert Ponsonby, 2nd Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede was born on 26 July 1904.¹ He was the son of Arthur Augustus William Harry Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede and Dorothea Parry. He married Hon. Elizabeth Mary Bigham, daughter of Charles Clive Bigham, 2nd Viscount Mersey and Mary Gertrude Seymour, on 5 December 1929.² He died in 1976.¹
     He was educated at Leighton Park School, Reading, Berkshire, England^G.¹ He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England^G.¹ He was a member of the council of the Royal College of Music (R.C.M.)¹ He succeeded as the 2nd Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, co. Sussex [U.K., 1930] on 24 March 1946.¹ He was appointed Fellow, Royal College of Music (F.R.C.M.)¹ He held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for West Sussex in 1955.¹

     Arthur Augustus William Harry Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede was born on 16 February 1871.² He was the son of General Rt. Hon. Sir Henry Frederick Ponsonby and Hon. Mary Elizabeth Bulteel.¹ He married Dorothea Parry, daughter of Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Bt. and Lady Elizabeth Maude Herbert, on 12 April 1898.² He died on 24 March 1946 at age 75.²
     He was educated at Eton College, Windsor, Berkshire, England.² He was Page of Honour to HM Queen Victoria between 1882 and 1887.² He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England^G.² He was with the Diplomatic Service between 1894 and 1903.² He was Private Secretary to the Prime Minister between 1905 and 1907.² He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Liberal) for Stirling Burghshire between 1908 and 1918.² He wrote the book The Castle and the Needle’s Eye, published 1909.² He wrote the book The Decline of the Aristocracy, published 1912.² He wrote the book Democracy and Diplomacy, published 1915.² He wrote the book Wars and Treaties (1815-1914), published 1917.² He co-authored the book Rebels and Reformers, published 1917, with Dorothea Parry.² He wrote the book The Priory and Manor of Lynchmere and Shulbrede, published 1920.² He wrote the book Religion in Politics, published 1921.² He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Labour) for Sheffield Brightside between 1922 and 1930.² He wrote the book English Diaries, published 1923.² He held the office of Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Affairs between January 1924 and November 1924.² He wrote the book Now Is The Time, published 1925.² He wrote the book More English Diaries, Scottish and Irish Diaries, published 1927.² He wrote the book Samuel Pepys, published 1928.² He wrote the book Casual Observations, published 1929.² He held the office of Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Transport between 1929 and 1931.² He held the office of Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Dominion Affairs between July 1929 and December 1929.² He was created 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, co. Sussex [U.K.] on 17 January 1930.² He held the office of Leader of the Opposition House of Lords between 1931 and 1935.² He held the office of Chancellor of The Duchy of Lancaster between March 1931 and August 1931.² He was registered as a member of the Royal College of Music (R.C.M.)² He wrote the book Queen Victoria, published 1933.² He wrote the book John Evelyn, published 1934.² He wrote the book Life Here and Now, published 1936.² He held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for West Sussex.² He wrote the book Henry Ponsonby (his life from his letters), published 1942.²

     Dorothea Parry was the daughter of Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Bt. and Lady Elizabeth Maude Herbert.¹ She married Arthur Augustus William Harry Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, son of General Rt. Hon. Sir Henry Frederick Ponsonby and Hon. Mary Elizabeth Bulteel, on 12 April 1898.² She died on 11 July 1963.²
     From 12 April 1898, her married name became Ponsonby.² She co-authored the book Rebels and Reformers, published 1917, with Arthur Augustus William Harry Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede.² After her marriage, Dorothea Parry was styled as Baroness Ponsonby of Shulbrede on 17 January 1930.

     Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Bt. was born on 27 February 1848.² He was the son of Thomas Gambier Parry and Anna Maria Isabella Fynes-Clinton.¹ He married Lady Elizabeth Maude Herbert, daughter of Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea and Mary Elizabeth à Court Repington, on 25 June 1872.^1,2 He died on 7 October 1918 at age 70.^1,2
     He held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.)³ He was appointed Commander, Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.)³ He was a composer, including Jerusalem.³ He gained the title of 1st Baronet Parry. Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Bt. usually went by his middle name of Hubert.⁴ He lived at Highnam Court, Gloucestershire, England.²

     Thomas Arthur Ponsonby, 3rd Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede was born on 23 October 1930.¹ He was the son of Matthew Henry Herbert Ponsonby, 2nd Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede and Hon. Elizabeth Mary Bigham. He married, firstly, Ursula Mary Fox-Pitt, daughter of Commander Thomas Stanley Fox-Pitt and Marjorie Florence Hope Barton, on 21 July 1956.¹ He and Ursula Mary Fox-Pitt were divorced in 1973.¹ He married, secondly, Maureen Estelle Windsor, daughter of Alfred William Windsor, on 18 May 1973.¹ He died in 1990.¹
     He was educated at Bryanston School, Blandford, Dorset, England^G.¹ He was educated at Hertford College, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England^G.¹ He gained the rank of Lieutenant in the Regular Army Reserve of Officers (R.A.R.O.)¹ He held the office of Councillor for Kensington and Chelsea between 1956 and 1965.¹ In 1959 he was a Labour candidate for Heston and Isleworth in the general election.¹ He held the office of Alderman of Kensington and Chelsea between 1964 and 1974.¹ He held the office of Leader of the Labour Group between 1968 and 1973.¹ He held the office of Alderman of the Greater London Council between 1970 and 1977.¹ He was Governor between 1970 and 1990 at London School of Economics and Political Science, London, England^G.¹ He was chairman of the Central Area Board (Transport Planning Committees) between 1973 and 1976.¹ He was chairman of the Charity Law Reform Committee between 1974 and 1990.¹ He succeeded as the 3rd Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, co. Sussex [U.K., 1930] in 1976.¹ He was chairman of the Greater London Citizens Advice Bureaux Services Ltd between 1977 and 1978.¹ He was chairman of the London Convention Bureau between 1977 and 1985.¹ He held the office of Opposition Whip for the House of Lords between 1979 and 1981.¹ He held the office of Deputy Chief Opposition Whip for the House of Lords between 1981 and 1982.¹ He held the office of Chief Opposition Whip for the House of Lords between 1982 and 1990.¹ He was chairman of the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Committee of Appointment of Magistrates of Inner London between 1987 and 1990.¹