Biography of Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax 1881-1959

On 22nd April 1869 [his father] Charles Lindley Wood 2nd Viscount Halifax [aged 30] and [his mother] Agnes Elizabeth Courtenay Viscountess Halifax [aged 30] were married. She the daughter of [his grandfather] William Courtenay 11th Earl Devon [aged 62] and [his grandmother] Elizabeth Fortescue Countess Devon.

On 16th April 1881 Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax was born to [his father] Charles Lindley Wood 2nd Viscount Halifax [aged 42] and [his mother] Agnes Elizabeth Courtenay Viscountess Halifax [aged 42].

On 8th August 1885 [his grandfather] Charles Wood 1st Viscount Halifax [aged 84] died. His son [his father] Charles [aged 46] succeeded 2nd Viscount Halifax, 4th Baronet Wood of Barnsley in Yorkshire. [his mother] Agnes Elizabeth Courtenay Viscountess Halifax [aged 47] by marriage Viscountess Halifax.

On 21st September 1909 Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax [aged 28] and Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax [aged 24] were married. She the daughter of William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow [aged 56] and Florence Coulston Gardner Countess Onslow [aged 56].

On 31st July 1910 [his daughter] Mary Agnes Wood was born to Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax [aged 29] and [his wife] Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax [aged 25]. She died aged less than one years old.

On 31st July 1910 [his daughter] Anne Dorothy Wood Countess Feversham was born to Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax [aged 29] and [his wife] Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax [aged 25]. She married 14th December 1936 Charles Duncombe 3rd Earl Feversham, son of Charles William Reginald Duncombe 2nd Earl Feversham and Marjorie Blanche Eva Greville Countess Feversham, and had issue.

On 3rd August 1910 [his daughter] Mary Agnes Wood died.

On 23rd October 1911 [his father-in-law] William Onslow 4th Earl Onslow [aged 58] died at Hendon Barnet. His son [his brother-in-law] Richard [aged 35] succeeded 5th Earl Onslow, 5th Viscount Cranley, 8th Baron Onslow, 9th Baronet Onslow of West Clandon in Surrey, 10th Baronet Foote of London. Violet Marcia Bampfylde Countess Onslow [aged 26] by marriage Countess Onslow.

On 3rd October 1912 [his son] Charles Ingram Courtenay Wood 2nd Earl Halifax was born to Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax [aged 31] and [his wife] Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax [aged 27]. He married 1936 his half fourth cousin Ruth Alice Hannah Mary Primrose Countess Halifax and had issue.

On 5th October 1916 [his son] Francis Hugh Peter Courtenay Wood was born to Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax [aged 35] and [his wife] Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax [aged 31].

On 4th July 1919 [his mother] Agnes Elizabeth Courtenay Viscountess Halifax [aged 81] died.

On 5th October 1920 [his son] Richard Frederick Wood was born to Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax [aged 39] and [his wife] Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax [aged 35].

In 1931 Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax [aged 49] was appointed 878th Knight of the Garter by King George V of the United Kingdom [aged 65].

On 19th January 1934 [his father] Charles Lindley Wood 2nd Viscount Halifax [aged 95] died. His son Edward [aged 52] succeeded 3rd Viscount Halifax, 5th Baronet Wood of Barnsley in Yorkshire. [his wife] Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax [aged 49] by marriage Viscountess Halifax.

In 1936 Charles Ingram Courtenay Wood 2nd Earl Halifax [aged 23] and Ruth Alice Hannah Mary Primrose Countess Halifax [aged 19] were married. He the son of Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax [aged 54] and Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax [aged 51]. They were half fourth cousins.

On 14th December 1936 [his son-in-law] Charles Duncombe 3rd Earl Feversham [aged 30] and Anne Dorothy Wood Countess Feversham [aged 26] were married. She by marriage Countess Feversham. She the daughter of Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax [aged 55] and Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax [aged 51]. He the son of Charles William Reginald Duncombe 2nd Earl Feversham and Marjorie Blanche Eva Greville Countess Feversham [aged 52].

On 26th October 1942 [his son] Francis Hugh Peter Courtenay Wood [aged 26] was killed in action.

In May 1944 Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax [aged 63] was created 1st Earl Halifax. [his wife] Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax [aged 59] by marriage Countess Halifax.

On 9th June 1945 [his brother-in-law] Richard William Alan Onslow 5th Earl Onslow [aged 68] died. His son William [aged 31] succeeded 6th Earl Onslow, 6th Viscount Cranley, 9th Baron Onslow, 10th Baronet Onslow of West Clandon in Surrey, 11th Baronet Foote of London.

On 23rd December 1959 Edward Frederick Lindley Wood 1st Earl Halifax [aged 78] died. His son Charles [aged 47] succeeded 2nd Earl Halifax, 6th Baronet Wood of Barnsley in Yorkshire. Ruth Alice Hannah Mary Primrose Countess Halifax [aged 43] by marriage Viscountess Halifax.

The Times. 24th December 1959. From Our Correspondent STAMFORD BRIDGE [Map], Dec. 23. The Earl of Halifax [deceased] died to-night at his home at Garrowby, near York. He was 78 and had been suffering from a chest complaint. [his son-in-law] Lord [aged 53] and [his daughter] Baroness Feversham [aged 49], Lord [aged 47] and Lady Irwin [aged 43], Lady Clarissa Duncombe [aged 21], and Baroness Bingley were at Garrowby when he died. Baroness Feversham said he had suffered from poor breathing for some time and that had been aggravated by a chest infection. Last July Lord Halifax broke his hip when walking in his garden and was flown to London for an operation at University College Hospital. He made a remarkable recovery from the accident. In September he and Lady Halifax celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. The funeral will be in private. A memorial service and requiem will be held in York Minster [Map] next Monday at 11 a.m. The date of a service in London is to be announced later. Obituary on page 8. MR. SELWYN LLOYD'S TRIBUTE Mr. Selwyn Lloyd, Foreign Secretary, in a tribute to Lord Halifax last night, said: "He held high office, as Viceroy of India, Foreign Secretary, and finally as Ambassador to Washington. He adorned each of these offices with his integrity, his idealism, and his ability. He was a great public servant. He will be deeply mourned." WASHINGTON, Dec. 23. Mr. Douglas Dillon, the acting Secretary of State, to-night issued this statement: "The many Americans who knew Lord Halifax deeply regret his passing. He was ever a staunch friend of this country and during his years of public life contributed greatly to the strengthening of Anglo-American relations. He is particularly remembered for his dedicated service to the cause of humanity during the crucial war years as British Ambassador in Washington." Reuter.

In 1976 [his former wife] Dorothy Evelyn Augusta Onslow Countess Halifax [aged 91] died.