Charles Wood, 2nd Earl Of Halifax

Charles Ingram Courtenay Wood, 2nd Earl of Halifax (3 October 1912 – 19 March 1980), was a British peer and politician associated with the Conservative Party. He was known by different titles during his lifetime, including Hon. Charles Wood from 1925 to 1944 and Lord Irwin from 1944 until 1959, when he inherited the earldom.

Early Life and Education:

Wood was born in 1912 to Edward Wood, who was a Conservative politician and later became the Earl of Halifax. His father held positions such as Viceroy of India and Foreign Secretary. His mother was Lady Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow, daughter of William Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow, who served as Governor-General of New Zealand. Wood was educated at Eton College and subsequently attended Christ Church, Oxford, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1934. In that same year, he captained the Oxford University Polo Team.

Military and Political Career:

In 1934, Wood was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Horse Guards. He entered politics as a member of the Conservative Party in 1937 and was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for the City of York. With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, he rejoined the Royal Horse Guards and served in the Middle East for three years. During his military service, he continued to serve as an MP until the 1945 general election, when he was defeated by Labour candidate John Corlett.

He was styled Lord Irwin between 1944 and 1959, after which he succeeded his father as the Earl of Halifax and became a member of the House of Lords. He held the position of Deputy Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire from 1955 to 1968 and served as Lord Lieutenant of Humberside from 1974 until his death in 1980. Additionally, he was High Steward of York Minster from 1972 to 1980.

In 1978, his horse Shirley Heights won the Derby race. He passed away in 1980 and was buried at All Saints' Church, Kirby Underdale, where a family memorial is located.

Family:

In 1936, Wood married Ruth Alice Hannah Mary Primrose (1916–1989), daughter of Captain Neil James Archibald Primrose, a Liberal politician, and Lady Victoria Alice Louise Primrose, née Stanley. Lady Victoria was a granddaughter of Prime Minister Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery. Together, they had three children:

1. Lady Caroline Victoria Wood (born 10 September 1937, died 15 November 2014). She was married twice, first to Randle J. Feilden (married 1958, divorced 1970), then to John V. Gosling (married 1970). She was the mother of Virginia Mary Feilden (born 1959, died 1994), Randle Charles Roderick Feilden (born 1961), and Fiona Caroline Feilden (born 1965).

2. Lady Susan Diana Wood (born 22 September 1938). She married Brigadier Ian Darsie Watson in 1959 and was the mother of David Charles Darsie Watson (born 1960) and Richard Ian Watson (born 1962).

3. Charles Edward Wood, known as the 3rd Earl of Halifax (born 14 March 1944), who married Camilla Parker Bowles (née Younger), now known as the Duchess of Cornwall.

His younger children include Hon. James Charles Wood (born 1977), heir apparent to the earldom, and Hon. Rex Patrick Wood (born 2010), as well as Hon. Audrey Nancy Wood (born 2013) and Lady Joanna Victoria Wood (born 1980).

References and External Links:

The biography references contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Halifax recorded in Hansard (1803–2005).