View source for Thomas Ashburnham, 6th Earl of Ashburnham

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox peer
| name          = Thomas Ashburnham
| image         =
| image_size    =
| caption       =
| birth_name    =
| birth_date    = 8 April 1855
| birth_place   =
| death_date    = {{Death-date and age|12 May 1924|8 April 1855}}
| death_place   = London
| death_cause   =
| body_discovered =
| resting_place = Ashburnham Church
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| title         = [[Earl of Ashburnham]]
| tenure        = 1913–1924
| other_titles  = Viscount St. Asaph <br> Baron Ashburnham
| residence     =
| nationality   =
| locality      =
| other_names   =
| wars_and_battles =
| offices       =
| networth      =
| known_for     =
| years_active  =
| predecessor   = [[Bertram Ashburnham, 5th Earl of Ashburnham|Bertram, 5th Earl of Ashburnham]]
| heir          =
| successor     =
| spouse        = Maria Anderson (1903–1924)
| parents       =
| occupation  =
| signature     =
| footnotes     =
| misc          =
}}
'''Thomas Ashburnham, 6th Earl of Ashburnham''' (8 April 1855 – 12 May 1924) was a [[British Army]] officer and [[peerage of Great Britain|peer]], the last [[Earl of Ashburnham]].
==Early life==
Thomas Ashburnham was the fifth of seven sons born to [[Bertram Ashburnham, 4th Earl of Ashburnham]], by his wife, Lady Catherine Charlotte Baillie. His eldest brother, also named Bertram, succeeded to the title as [[Bertram Ashburnham, 5th Earl of Ashburnham|5th Earl]] in 1878.<ref name=Cracroft>{{cite web|title=Ashburnham, Earl of (GB, 1730–1924)|url=http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/ashburnham1730.htm|work=Cracroft's Peerage: The complete guide to the British Peerage and Baronetage|accessdate=23 January 2021|year=2003}}</ref>
Ashburnham was educated at [[Adams Grammar School]] in [[Newport, Shropshire]], before going up to [[Trinity College, Cambridge]].<ref name="Officers Q 2" />
==Military career==
Commissioned into the [[7th Queen's Own Hussars]], Ashburnham was posted to South Africa as a Lieutenant in 1881. He later saw active service as in the British Expeditionary Force during the [[Anglo-Egyptian War (1882)|Anglo-Egyptian War]] of 1882 and was promoted to [[captain (armed forces)|captain]]. From 1885 to 1886 he served as [[aide-de-camp]] to the [[John Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair|Earl of Aberdeen]] while he was [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]]. After that, he was stationed for several years in [[British India]]. Ashburnham retired from the Army as a Captain in 1899.<ref name="Officers Q 1">{{cite journal|last=Jones|first=Ted|title=The Story of Lord and Lady Ashburnham|journal=The Officers' Quarters|year= 1999|volume=15|issue=3 & 4|pages=8–11}}</ref><ref name=Cracroft />
== Marriage and life in Fredericton==
[[File:Ashburnham House Fredericton.jpg|thumb|"Ashburnham House", Fredericton, in January 2014]] In 1901, aged 45, Thomas Ashburnham went out to Canada, where he stayed in a hotel in [[Fredericton]], New Brunswick.<ref name="Officers Q 1"/> While there, he made several telephone calls from local taverns to a [[livery yard|livery stable]] for a horse and carriage to take him home at the end of the evening, and thus became acquainted with Maria Anderson, the night [[switchboard operator]] at the [[NBTel|New Brunswick Telephone Company]]. Infatuated by her pleasant voice and friendly manner, Ashburnham asked to meet her in person, and they got on so well that in early 1903 they were engaged to be married.<ref name=Flashback>{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Ted|title=Fredericton Flashback|year=2003|publisher=Nimbus Publishing Ltd.|location=Halifax, NS|isbn=1551094657|pages=197–200|chapter=An unusual love story with a touch of class}}</ref> Their marriage took place on 10 June 1903 at [[St. Anne's Chapel (Fredericton)|St. Anne's Parish Church]], Fredericton.<ref name="St. John Sun">{{cite news|title=Fredericton – Wedding Bells|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O2gxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aSkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4728%2C5141322|accessdate=20 January 2014|newspaper=St. John Daily Sun|date=11 June 1903|page=1}}</ref> Captain Ashburnham bought two houses on Brunswick Street, Fredericton, one of which had been his wife's family home, and the other an inn, and had them connected by a second floor [[conservatory (greenhouse)|conservatory]] over a [[porte-cochere]] leading to a garden. The resulting residence was called Ashburnham House. The couple, who lived comfortably on a large allowance from the Ashburnham family, had no children.<ref name="Officers Q 2" />
==Earl of Ashburnham==
The 5th Earl of Ashburnham died in Paris on 15 January 1913, without a son and having outlived all his younger brothers except Thomas, who accordingly succeeded to the peerages of Earl of Ashburnham and Viscount St. Asaph, with a seat in the [[House of Lords]], and to his family's settled estates. These included [[Ashburnham Place]] in Sussex and extensive estates in [[Wales]].<ref name=Brecon>{{cite news|title=Death of the Earl of Ashburnham: A Breconshire Landowner|url=http://cymru1914.org/en/view/newspaper/3856538/4|accessdate=20 January 2014|newspaper=Brecon County Times|date=23 January 1913|page=7}}</ref> The new peer very soon left for England to settle his brother's affairs and take up his new responsibilities.<ref name="Toronto World">{{cite news|title=Goes to England to claim estate|accessdate=20 January 2014|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-l0xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ESoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5464%2C6712485|newspaper=The Toronto Sunday World|date=19 January 1913|page=2|quote=New Earl of Ashburnham married telephone girl in Fredericton after falling in love with her voice}}</ref> He returned to Canada in the spring, leaving again with his wife, now Lady Ashburnham, on 15 May 1913. They took up residence at Ashburnham Place, but remained in England for only thirteen months before returning to Fredericton in June 1914.<ref name="Officers Q 1" /> They took with them several English servants, as well as family furnishings and heirlooms, for their Fredericton residence. Lord and Lady Ashburnham continued to live at Ashburnham House in Fredericton for the next ten years, during which they were leaders of the town's social life and generous patrons of charitable causes.<ref name="Officers Q 2">{{cite journal|last=Jones|first=Ted|title=The Story of Lord and Lady Ashburnham Part II|journal=The Officers' Quarters|year= 2000|volume=16|issue=1 & 2|pages=23–26}}</ref>
On 26 April 1924, Lord and Lady Ashburnham left Fredericton, taking passage on the [[White Star Line]]r "SS Regina" to make a six-month visit to England. However, during the trans-Atlantic journey Ashburnham became ill with a cold and developed [[bronchopneumonia|bronchial pneumonia]]. He died on 12 May 1924 in London and was buried in the family vault at the parish church of [[Ashburnham, East Sussex|Ashburnham]].<ref name="Officers Q 2" /> As he had no male heir, his peerages became extinct.<ref name=Cracroft />
In his will, Lady Ashburnham was left a life annuity of £2,300, and Ashburnham House in Fredericton. She lived until 9 October 1938.<ref name="Officers Q 2" /> The Ashburnham properties in Great Britain, including Ashburnham Place, were inherited by the 5th Earl's daughter, Lady Catherine Ashburnham.<ref>[http://www.burkespeerage.com/ www.burkespeerage.com]</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-reg|gb}}
{{s-bef| before=[[Bertram Ashburnham, 5th Earl of Ashburnham|Bertram Ashburnham]]}}
{{s-ttl| title=[[Earl of Ashburnham]] | years=1913–1924}}
{{s-non|reason=Extinct}}
{{S-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashburnham, Thomas Ashburnham, 6th Earl of}}
[[Category:Earls of Ashburnham]]
[[Category:1855 births]]
[[Category:1924 deaths]]
[[Category:People educated at Adams' Grammar School]]
[[Category:People from Ashburnham, East Sussex]]