Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster

Henry William Forster was born at Southend Hall, Catford, the elder surviving son of Major John Forster (1826–1886), late 6th Dragoon Guards, by his wealthy wife, Emily Jane née Ashton Case. He was educated at Eton College, playing cricket for the school without notable success, Retaining connections with his alma mater, later in life the Fellows of New College elected Lord Forster an Honorary Fellow. ==Cricket career==

His father, Major John Forster, became seated from 1880 at Exbury House, Hampshire, During his first year at Oxford in 1886, he played one first-class match for Oxford University Cricket Club against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Oxford; he made a further first-class appearance during that season for I Zingari against the Gentlemen of England. with Oxford winning the match by seven wickets. The following season, he made seven first-class appearances for Oxford University and then at the Scarborough Festival in August, he again played for I Zingari and the MCC. The 1889 season was to be his last as an undergraduate at Oxford, with Forster making seven appearances, including a third appearance in the University Match. In 22 matches for Oxford, he took 81 wickets at an average of 21.59, with five wickets in an innings on five occasions and ten wickets in a match twice. He also played once for I Zingari in 1889, at the season end's Scarborough Festival. His batting, described by Wisden, was as a "strong right-handed batsman" scoring mainly through off-drives and cut shots; Wisden further opined Forster being a strong batsman on hard pitches, who struggled on pitches affected by rain. Overall in first-class cricket he scored 807 runs at a batting average of 11.69. in 1919 Forster was nominated its first post-war president with his former Hampshire captain, Sir Francis Lacey, serving as Secretary to the MCC. Lord Forster was succeeded by the 4th Earl of Ellesmere as MCC President for 1920. ==Political career==

Forster entered the House of Commons as the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Sevenoaks at the 1892 general election, defeating the Liberal Party candidate by 2,128 votes. He was returned unopposed at the 1895 general election, then defeated the Liberal candidate Murray Spencer Richardson by 4,812 votes at the 1900 general election. From 1901, appointed by the Earl Stanhope, he served as a Deputy Lieutenant for Kent. In 1902, he was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury by Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, triggering a by-election pursuant to the Succession to the Crown Act 1707 and subsequent legislation, which at that time required MPs holding certain ministerial and legal offices to seek re-election to Parliament. His re-election campaign against Liberal candidate, Judge Beaumont Morice, majored on recent success in the Second Boer War and for the ongoing project of reform and improvement to be entrusted with those responsible overseeing the British Army and Royal Navy during the military conflict. Returned for Sevenoaks, albeit with a reduced majority of 891 votes, later in 1902 Forster was appointed a Whip. was aborted due to the outbreak of the First World War. Forster served in the wartime Asquith-led coalition as Financial Secretary to the War Office from May 1915, and subsequently in the Lloyd George-led coalition. he stood down as an MP and resigned as a Minister in the War Office. ==Governor-General of Australia==

In June 1920, Forster was put forward to the Australian Government by the Colonial Secretary, Viscount Milner, as one of three candidates to succeed the outgoing Governor-General of Australia, Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson. Being the preferred candidate of Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes, who seemingly thought his reputation as an unassuming character was one he could control, Forster's sporting prowess was considered an additional advantage. Lord Forster went on to serve a five-year term, drawing on his family fortune to support his official duties. and fêtes, attending sporting events as well as hosting formal balls and banquets. As a consequence of exercising less ostensible influence than his predecessors, Forster enjoyed much greater popularity than most previous Governors-General. Forster and his wife, Rachel, devoted themselves to charities, and he spent much time travelling throughout the Australian states and country areas, unveiling war memorials and delivering patriotic speeches. In 1924, notably he was the first Governor-General to visit the former German protectorate of New Guinea. His passion for cricket ever evident, in Australia Forster became a frequent guest at Test and Sheffield Shield matches. By invitation of Governor Sir Tom Bridges behalf SACA, Lord Forster unveiled the portrait of George Giffen in the Western Stand at Adelaide Oval, before his term as Governor-General ended on 7 October 1925. ==Later life and death==

After serving as Governor-General, Forster became President of the Big Brother Movement, encouraging emigration from Great Britain to Australia. Also an ardent supporter of ANZAC veterans, with many of whom he kept in touch and supported through his association with Toc H, he was a founding member of its organisation in Australia. Receiving a number of ceremonial and civic appointments in later life, Forster served as a County Alderman and magistrate for Hampshire holding the post of Verderer of the New Forest, upon returning from Australia. A talented golfer, captaining the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in 1917, Forster also took a keen interest in horse racing and yachting. A long-time member of the Royal Yacht Squadron, he failed to recover and died in a London nursing home a fortnight later on 15 January 1936, aged 69. Among those attending his memorial service were Sir Victor Warrender, Finance Member of the Army Council, and Rear-Admiral Arthur Bromley, representing the Royal Navy. The title became extinct in 1936, when Lord Forster died without surviving male issue, having lost both his sons during the Great War. ==Family life==

Forster married the Hon. Rachel Cecily Douglas-Scott-Montagu (1868–1962), only daughter of the 1st Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, on 3 June 1890. With two sons who died in WWI, they also had two daughters: • Lieut. Alfred Henry Forster (1898–1919); • Hon. Dorothy Charlotte Forster (1891–1983), widow of Captain the Hon. Harold Fox Pitt Lubbock, married secondly in 1923 Beaumont Pease, 1st Baron Wardington; ==Arms==

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