Thomas Coke, 3rd Earl of Leicester


Thomas William Coke, 3rd Earl of Leicester, , known as Viscount Coke until 1909, was a British peer and soldier.

Biography

Leicester was the eldest son of Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester, by his first wife Juliana.
He was a Colonel in the 2nd Battalion of the Scots Guards and served in Egypt in 1882, and at Suakin in 1885. Having retired from the regular army, he was appointed lieutenant-colonel in command of the Norfolk Artillery Militia on 21 February 1894. Following the outbreak of the Second Boer War in late 1899, the militia regiment was embodied in May 1900, and around 100 men was sent to South Africa under the command of Lord Coke. After peace was declared in May 1902, they left Cape Town on board the SS Walmer Castle in late June, and arrived at Southampton the following month. For his service in the war, he was mentioned in despatches, and was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the October 1902 South African Honours list.
He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1908.
Lord Leicester held the position of Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk from 1906 to 1929. He succeeded his father to the earldom and Holkham Hall in 1909.

Personal life

Lord Leicester married the Hon. Alice Emily White, daughter of Luke White, 2nd Baron Annaly, on 26 August 1879. They had five children:
Alice Coke, Countess of Leicester was later appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She died in 1936. Lord Leicester survived her by five years and died in November 1941, aged 93. He was succeeded the earldom by his eldest son Thomas.