Biography
Wingfield was born in Ruabon, Denbighshire, Wales, the son of Clopton Lewis Wingfield an army captain serving in Canada. He was of an English family traceable back to before the Norman conquest. His parents died early and he was brought up by his uncle and great uncle. He was educated at Rossall School, and entered Sandhurst on the second attempt through the influence of his great uncle who was a colonel. He joined the 1st Dragoon Guards and served in India. In 1860 he took part in the campaign in China and was present at the capture of Peking. He returned to England in 1861.
During the decade he was based at his family estate, Rhysnant, Llandrinio, in Montgomeryshire, Wales, before moving into London in 1867. He was a Justice of the Peace (JP) for the county and served in the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry, joining as Lieutenant in 1864, appointed adjutant of the regiment in 1868, and promoted Major in 1874.
In 1870 he was appointed to the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, giving him some employment at the courts of Queen Victoria and her son Edward VII. He was made MVO in 1902, retiring from the Corps in 1909.
Read more about this topic: Walter Clopton Wingfield
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