Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale

Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale, was born on 29 October 1854 in Fontainebleau, France. He was the eldest son of Thomas Lister, 3rd Baron Ribblesdale, and Emma Mure, daughter of William Mure. He inherited the barony in 1876 following the death of his father.

He was a member of the British Liberal Party and served as a member of the House of Lords. His political roles included serving as a Lord-in-waiting, acting as a government whip in the House of Lords during William Ewart Gladstone’s administration from 1880 to 1885 and again in 1886. Additionally, he held the position of Master of the Buckhounds under both Gladstone and Lord Rosebery from 1892 to 1895.

Apart from his political career, Lord Ribblesdale served as a Captain in the Rifle Brigade. He was also a Trustee of the National Gallery from 1909 until 1925. His portrait was painted by John Singer Sargent; the painting is noted for exemplifying the British aristocratic image of the period.

In his personal life, Lord Ribblesdale married Charlotte Monkton Tennant on 7 April 1877 at The Savoy Chapel in London. Charlotte was born in 1858 and was the daughter of Sir Charles Tennant, 1st Baronet, and Emma Winsloe. She died on 2 May 1911. The marriage produced five children: two sons and three daughters.

His elder son, Captain Hon. Thomas Lister, was born on 2 May 1878. He served in the Second Boer War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). He was killed in action during the Somaliland campaign in 1904, serving with the 10th Royal Hussars. His second son, 2nd Lt. Hon. Charles Alfred Lister, was born on 26 October 1887; he died from wounds received at the Battle of Gallipoli on 28 August 1915, while serving with the Royal Marine Light Infantry during the First World War.

His three daughters included Hon. Barbara Lister, born 30 May 1880, who married Sir Mathew Wilson, 4th Baronet, and had three sons. Hon. Laura Lister, born 12 January 1892, married Simon Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat. Hon. Diana Lister, born 7 May 1893, married three times: first to Lt. Percy Lyulph Wyndham, who was killed in 1914; second to Captain Arthur "Boy" Capel, who died in 1919; and third to Vere Fane, 14th Earl of Westmorland.

On 3 June 1919, Lord Ribblesdale married second Ava Lowle Willing, daughter of Edward Shippen Willing and Alice Caroline Barton. She was previously married to John Jacob Astor IV. The marriage took place at St Mary's, Bryanston Square, London.

Lord Ribblesdale died on 21 October 1925 at the age of 70 at his residence in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, London. He was interred in the Lister family vault at St Mary the Virgin Churchyard in Gisburn, Lancashire. With his death, the barony became extinct.

His widow, Ava Lowle Willing, died in 1958 in her apartment at 720 Park Avenue, New York City, and was buried in Trinity Church Cemetery.

His grandchildren included notable figures such as Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat; Sir Hugh Fraser, Secretary of State for Air (1962–1964); David Fane, 15th Earl of Westmorland; and Julian Fane, an author. The actress Georgina Ward was among his great-grandchildren.