Charles Barrington Balfour

Charles Barrington Balfour, JP, DL, CB, was born on 20 February 1862 and died on 31 August 1921. He was a British Army officer and later a Conservative Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1900 to 1907. He was also a first cousin of Arthur Balfour, who served as Prime Minister from 1902 to 1905.

Early Life and Education

Balfour was the son of Charles Balfour, who was the grandson of James Balfour. His mother was Adelaide, the daughter and eighth child of the 6th Viscount Barrington. His mother passed away in 1862, the year of his birth. Following his father's death when Balfour was ten years old, he inherited the family estates, including Balgonie Castle in Fife and a country house called Newton Don near Kelso in Roxburghshire.

He attended Eton College before enrolling at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Military Career

Balfour was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Scots Guards in 1881. He participated in the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882 and was present at the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir. For his service, he received a medal with a clasp. In 1890, he was promoted to the rank of captain. Between 1891 and 1895, he served with the 2nd Volunteer Battalion of the King's Own Scottish Borderers. Subsequently, he served as a captain in the Royal Guards Reserve Regiment.

He was placed on the Reserve list on 17 January 1900 and was attached to the 25th Regimental district at Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Public Service

Balfour was involved in local governance as a councillor on Berwickshire County Council. He held the positions of Justice of the Peace for Berwickshire and Deputy Lieutenant of Berwickshire.

Political Career

Balfour contested parliamentary seats five times before successfully winning a seat. He was unsuccessful in the 1885 general election in Roxburghshire, as well as in Berwickshire in the 1892 and 1895 elections, and at the Southport by-election in 1899.

He was elected unopposed as the Member of Parliament for the Hornsey division of Middlesex in the 1900 general election. He was re-elected in 1906 but resigned his seat on 28 May 1907 by accepting the procedural appointment as Steward of the Manor of Northstead.

Later Appointments and Honors

On 31 May 1917, Balfour was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire. In June 1919, he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the King's Birthday Honours for his services related to the First World War, particularly as president and chairman of the Berwickshire Territorial Force Association.

Outside of politics, Balfour held positions as a director of Barclays Bank and the Scottish Widows fund. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Botanic Society in November 1902.

Death and Memorial

Charles Balfour died on 31 August 1921. In 1925, a memorial was erected in Kelso, designed by Sir Robert Lorimer, in his remembrance.

Family

In 1888, Balfour married Lady Helena McDonnell, known as "Nina." She was the daughter of Alexander MacDonnell, 5th Earl of Antrim. The couple had four sons.

His eldest son, Charles James Balfour, was born in 1889 and served as a captain in the Scots Guards; he married the Hon. Aurea Vera Baring in 1917, the daughter of Francis Baring, 5th Baron Ashburton.

Another son, John Balfour, was studying at a German university at the outbreak of World War I and was interned at Ruhleben, a racecourse on the outskirts of Berlin, for the duration of the war. After being repatriated, he joined the Foreign Office, became a career diplomat, and was knighted in 1954. He served in various diplomatic postings including Moscow, Madrid, Buenos Aires, and Washington. John Balfour died in 1983, and his memoir, "Not Too Correct an Aureole: the Recollections of a Diplomat," was published posthumously.