James Grimston, 2nd Earl Of Verulam

James Walter Grimston, 2nd Earl of Verulam, was born on 20 February 1809 and died on 27 July 1895. He was a British peer and a member of the Conservative Party. His early titles included Viscount Grimston from 1815 until 1845, when he succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl of Verulam.

He was the eldest son of James Walter Grimston, 1st Earl of Verulam, and Lady Charlotte Jenkinson. In 1844, he married Elizabeth Joanna Weyland, daughter of Richard Weyland. They had six children: Lady Harriot Elizabeth Grimston (c.1845 – 15 August 1888), Lady Jane Grimston (12 December 1848 – 2 November 1920), James Walter Grimston, who became the 3rd Earl of Verulam (1852–1924), Commander William Grimston (7 January 1855 – 10 May 1900), Lady Maud Grimston (c.1857 – 3 September 1929), and Canon Robert Grimston (18 April 1860 – 8 July 1928). His daughter Lady Harriot married Major-General Francis Harwood Poore; Lady Jane married Sir Alfred Jodrell, 4th Baronet; Lady Maud married Major Paulyn Rawdon-Hastings; and Robert Grimston married Gertrude Villiers. Their descendants included the Conservative politician Robert Grimston, 1st Baron Grimston of Westbury.

Upon his death in 1895 at age 86, he was succeeded by his eldest son, James Walter Grimston, 3rd Earl of Verulam.

In his political career, Verulam was elected to the House of Commons representing St Albans in 1830, serving until 1831. He then represented Newport, Cornwall from 1831 to 1832, and Hertfordshire from 1832 until 1845. In 1845, after inheriting the earldom, he moved to the House of Lords. He served as a Lord-in-waiting in the first two administrations of the Earl of Derby, in 1852, and from 1858 to 1859. From 1845 to 1892, he held the honorary position of Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, succeeding his father.

He was a captain and later major in the Hertfordshire Yeomanry Cavalry, which he raised during unrest in 1830 at his family estate, Gorhambury House. The troop became part of the South Hertfordshire Yeomanry Cavalry in 1832. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1847 and commanded the unit until 1864.

Beyond politics and military service, Verulam was involved in sports, notably cricket. He played first-class cricket as a right-handed batsman, mainly associated with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), with 21 appearances between 1830 and 1849. In scorecards prior to 1845, his name appeared as Lord Grimston. He was also a supporter of boxing arts and attended Nat Langham's Rum Pum-Pas club in Westminster during the early 1850s, which was popular among the aristocracy.

Several of his family members also participated in first-class cricket, including his brothers Edward, Robert, and Francis, as well as nephews Walter Grimston and Lord Hyde.

He served as the first President of the Folklore Society from 1878 to 1879. It is suggested that his role was more as a patron than an active folklore scholar, providing support through his association with W. J. Thoms, the Society's director.