Sir Richard Cotterell, 5th Baronet

Lt-Col Sir Richard Charles Geers Cotterell, 5th Baronet JP TD KStJ CBE, a British soldier.

Early life

Cotterell was born on 1 June 1907. He was the only son of John Cotterell, 4th Baronet and Lady Evelyn Amy Gordon-Lennox. His three older sisters were Sylvia Evelyn Cotterell, Cicely Violet Cotterell, and Mildred Katharine Cotterell.
His paternal grandparents were Sir Geers Cotterell, 3rd Baronet and Hon. Katherine Margaret Airey. His mother was the eldest daughter of Charles Gordon-Lennox, 7th Duke of Richmond and, his first wife, the former Amy Mary Ricardo.
He was educated at Eton before attending Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Career

On 13 November 1937, he succeeded as the 5th Baronet Cotterell, of Garnons, Herefordshire following the death of his father. He served as a Justice of the Peace for Herefordshire in 1938. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire between 1945 and 1957. He also served as a Forestry Commissioner between 1945 and 1964.

Military career

He fought in the Middle East and Italy during World War II, was mentioned in despatches and was awarded the Territorial Decoration. He was commanding officer of the 76th (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery between 1943 and 1945, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was appointed a Knight of Order of Saint John and Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1965.

Personal life

On 16 June 1930, Cotterell married Lady Lettice Lygon at St George's, Hanover Square. She was a daughter of William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp and Lady Lettice Mary Elizabeth Grosvenor. Before their divorce in 1958, they were the parents of:

Rose Evelyn Cotterell, who married Charles Hambro, Baron Hambro, heir to the Hambros Bank fortune.
Anne Lettice Cotterell, who married Charles St Clair, 17th Lord Sinclair, in 1968.
Sir John Henry Geers Cotterell, 6th Baronet, who married Alexandra Bridgewater in 1959.
Thomas Richard Geers Cotterell

On 21 July 1958, he married Molly Seely, Baroness Sherwood, at the Caxton Hall Register Office in London. She was daughter of William Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose, who owned The Daily Telegraph newspaper, and Mary Agnes Corns. Molly was widow of Roger Charles George Chetwode, with whom she had two children, including Philip Chetwode, 2nd Baron Chetwode. After the death of her first husband she married Hugh Seely, 1st Baron Sherwood, whom she divorced in 1948.
Cotterell died on 5 December 1978 at home at Garnons, Herefordshire. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son, John. His memorial was held at Hereford Cathedral and officiated by Norman Rathbone, the Dean of Hereford, who was assisted by Canon Allan Shaw.

Portrait

In 1931, Sir John and his wife Lady Lettice had their portraits painted by Philip de László. In his portrait, he is pictured "Half-length slightly to the left, full face to the viewer, wearing the ceremonial uniform of the Royal Horse Guards, holding his red-plumed helmet in his right hand". László had previously done a number of portraits for his family, including of his mother in 1913, sister Sylvia in 1924, and later, his father in 1934.