Son of
Vice-Admiral The Hon. Sir Montagu Stopford, Lionel Stopford was
commissioned into the
Clare Militia and then transferred to the
Sherwood Foresters. He fought in the
1882 Anglo-Egyptian War and, appointed an
adjutant in February 1887, took part in the
Sikkim Expedition in 1888. He was promoted to captain in January 1890 and vacated his appointment as adjutant in February 1891. He was seconded for service on the staff in April 1892 and was promoted from supernumerary captain to captain in December 1893. He attended the
Staff College, Camberley, from 1896 to 1897, and was again seconded for staff service in August 1898 and appointed a deputy assistant adjutant general in
Ireland. After transferring as a major to the newly created
Irish Guards in October 1900, DAAG at army headquarters in April 1901. He was then a DAAG at the
Staff College, Camberley in 1905. he was in September appointed a deputy assistant quartermaster general at the
War Office, before becoming a deputy assistant adjutant general, on augmentation, at the Staff College in May 1905. He was raised to brevet colonel in September 1907, while still in this position. He was then appointed as a GSO1 at the Staff College in May 1908. He went on
half-pay after relinquishing this assignment in January 1909 before going on to be an AAG at the War Office in 1909 and being raised to colonel soon after taking up this position, in February 1909. He succeeded Colonel
William Capper as
commandant of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in January 1911. He was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general in January 1913 while serving in this position. He served in
World War I as a brigade commander until June 1916 when he was raided again to temporary brigadier general and became a deputy adjutant and quartermaster general. In August he returned to his post as commandant at Sandhurst, taking over from Brigadier General
Stuart Peter Rolt. He was appointed a
Companion of the Order of the Bath in January 1916. In retirement he was
deputy lieutenant of
Kent. ==Family==