Edric Frederick (3rd Baron Gifford) Gifford, VC

1849 - 1911  (61 years)

• Name	Edric Frederick (3rd Baron Gifford) Gifford
  Suffix	VC
  Birth	5 Jul 1849	London, England
  Gender	Male
  Death	5 Jun 1911	Chichester, England
  Person ID	I59764	First tree
  Last Modified	12 Sep 2014

  
  

  Father	Robert Francis, (2nd Lord) Gifford,   b. 19 Mar 1817   d. 13 May 1872 (Age 55 years)
  Mother	Hon. Frederica Charlotte Fitzhardinge Berkeley
  Family ID	F73823	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Sophia Catherine Street,   b. Abt 1849   d. Yes, date unknown
  Marriage	Apr 1880
  Family ID	F64575	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	12 Sep 2014

  
  

• Notes

  Edric Frederick Gifford was born in London on 5 July 1849. His father was Robert Francis Gifford, 2nd Baron Gifford, and his mother was Hon. Swinburne Frederica Charlotte FitzHardinge Berkeley. He was educated at Harrow, and in 1869 entered the 83rd Foot. On the death of his father in 1872, he became 3rd Baron Gifford. In 1874, at the age of 23, Gifford was a Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot (later the South Wales Borderers), British Army during the First Ashanti Expedition, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross: During the 1873-74 Ashanti Campaign, Lieutenant Lord Gifford was in charge of Scouts after the army crossed the Prah, and he daily took his life in his hands, performing his dangerous duties. He ferreted out the enemy's intentions, discovered their positions and took numerous prisoners. His courage was particularly conspicuous at the taking of Becquah, Ashanti into which he penetrated with his scouts before the troops carried it. In 1876, Gifford left the 24th Foot, moving to the 57th Foot. In 1878 he was in Cyprus, and in 1879 he was aide-de-camp to Sir Garnet Wolesley in the Zulu War. Shortly afterwards he retired from the Army as a brevet major. Gifford married Sophia Catherine Street in April 1880, then went to Western Australia in October 1880 and immediately took up an appointment to the position of Colonial Secretary, and a nomination to the Western Australian Legislative Council. After leaving Western Australia in January 1883, Gifford was Colonial Secretary of Gibraltar from 1883 to 1887. In 1889 he became a director of the British South Africa Company. Edric Gifford died on 5 June 1911 in Chichester, England. He had no children. His nephew John Fitzhardinge Paul Butler also won a Victoria Cross.