John Lambton, 3rd Earl of Durham

The Right Honourable The Earl of Durham KG GCVO PC
"Coals" The Earl of Durham as caricatured by Spy (Leslie Ward) in Vanity Fair, December 1887
Lord High Steward
In office 9 November 1911 – 5 February 1912
Monarch	George V
Prime Minister	H. H. Asquith
Preceded by	The Duke of Northumberland (1911 Cornonation)
Succeeded by	The Marquess of Salisbury (1937 Cornonation)
Personal details
Born	(1855-06-19)19 June 1855
Died	18 September 1928(1928-09-18) (aged 73)
Nationality	British
Spouse	Ethel Elizabeth Louisa Milner ​ ​ (m. 1882)​
Parent(s)	George Lambton, 2nd Earl of Durham Lady Beatrix Hamilton

Garter-encircled arms of John Lambton, 3rd Earl of Durham, KG, GCVO, PC

John George Lambton, 3rd Earl of Durham KG GCVO PC (19 June 1855 – 18 September 1928), known as Viscount Lambton until 1879, was a British hereditary peer.

Early life

Durham was the eldest twin son of George Lambton, 2nd Earl of Durham and his wife Lady Beatrix Frances Hamilton, daughter of James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn. His grandfather was the statesman and colonial administrator, John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham and his great-grandfather was Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey. He inherited the earldom and its subsidiary titles on 27 November 1879 upon the death of his father.

Military service

As a young man Durham served as a lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards and later became Honorary Colonel of the Durham Heavy Brigade, Royal Artillery, the 6th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers and the 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, and was awarded the Volunteer Decoration.

Later life

Lord Durham visited British India to attend the 1903 Delhi Durbar held in January 1903 to celebrate the succession of King Edward VII as Emperor of India. He was made a Knight Companion of the Garter in 1909 and admitted to the Privy Council in 1911. He bore the Queen Consort's Ivory Rod with Dove at the Coronation of King George V in 1911 and was Lord High Steward to George V during his visit to India from 1911 to 1912.

Lord Durham served as Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham from 1884 to 1928 and from 1919 to 1928 he was Chancellor of the University of Durham.

Marriage and children

Lord Durham married Ethel Elizabeth Louisa Milner, daughter of Henry Beilby William Milner, in 1882. The marriage was childless and Lady Durham was committed to a mental institution for most of her adult life. She died in 1931.

In 1892 Lord Durham had a son, John R H Rudge, out of wedlock with the actress and dancer Letitia Elizabeth Rudge, known professionally as Letty Lind, whom he could not marry because his wife's illness prevented a divorce. He and Lind were together for many years until her death in 1923.

Death

Lord Durham died in September 1928, at the age of 73, and was succeeded in the earldom and other titles by his younger twin brother, Frederick.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Durham