William Walrond, 1st Baron Waleran

William Hood Walrond, 1st Baron Waleran PC (26 February 1849 – 17 May 1925), known as Sir William Walrond, Bt, between 1889 and 1905, of Bradfield House, Uffculme, Devon, was a British Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 until 1906 when he was raised to the peerage. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury between 1895 and 1902 and as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster between 1902 and 1905.

Background

Walrond was the son of Sir John Walrond, 1st Baronet of Bradfield House, Uffculme, Devon and the Hon. Frances Caroline Hood, youngest daughter of Samuel Hood, 2nd Baron Bridport. He was educated at Eton and served as a captain in the Grenadier Guards in 1872. He was a lieutenant-colonel in the 1st Devon Rifle Volunteers and a J.P. and DL for Devon.

Walrond was also an active cricketer. He was in the Eton first XI in 1866 and 1867 and played for numerous amateur teams for many years subsequently including Quidnuncs, I Zingari, Gentlemen of Devon and Marylebone Cricket Club. He played one game for MCC in 1868 which was classified as first-class.

Political career

Walrond was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for East Devonshire in the 1880 general election and held the seat until 1885 when it was replaced under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. In the 1885 general election he was elected MP for Tiverton which he held until 1906. Walrond served as a Junior Lord of the Treasury from 1885 to 1886 under Lord Salisbury, and from 1886 to 1892 under Salisbury and then under Arthur Balfour. He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip under Balfour from 1895 to 1902 and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1902 to 1905. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1899. In 1889 he succeeded his father in the baronetcy and in 1905 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Waleran, of Uffculme in the County of Devon.

Family

Walrond's sister, Mary Caroline Walrond, married firstly Lt.-Col. Sir George Clay, 3rd Bt., and secondly Lt.-Col. Walter Henry Holbech. Her son from her second marriage was William Holbech, who, like his uncle, played first-class cricket.

Lord Waleran married as his first wife Elizabeth Katharine Pitman in 1871. Their son the Hon. William Walrond succeeded his father as Member of Parliament for Tiverton but was killed in action in the First World War. After Elizabeth's death in October 1911 Waleran married secondly Helene Margaret, daughter of F. Morrison, in 1913. Waleran died in May 1925, aged 76, and was succeeded in his titles by his grandson, William. Lady Waleran died in February 1956.