Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom

The Right Honourable The Earl of Lathom GCB PC
Lord Skelmersdale caricatured in Vanity Fair magazine, 1871.
Lord Chamberlain of the Household
In office 27 June 1885 – 28 January 1886
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	The Earl of Kenmare
Succeeded by	The Earl of Kenmare
In office 5 August 1886 – 11 August 1892
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	The Earl of Kenmare
Succeeded by	The Lord Carrington
In office 16 July 1895 – 19 November 1898
Monarch	Queen Victoria
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	The Lord Carrington
Succeeded by	The Earl of Hopetoun
Personal details
Born	12 December 1837
Died	19 November 1898 (1898-11-20) (aged 60)
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	Lady Alice Villiers (1841–1897)
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford

Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom GCB PC (12 December 1837 – 19 November 1898), known as The Lord Skelmersdale between 1853 and 1880, was a British Conservative politician. He was a member of every Conservative administration between 1866 and 1898, and notably served three times as Lord Chamberlain of the Household under Lord Salisbury. Having succeeded his grandfather as Baron Skelmersdale in 1853, he was created Earl of Lathom in 1880.

Bootle-Wilbraham was born at Blythe Hall, Lathom, Lancashire the son of Hon. Richard Bootle-Wilbraham, MP, eldest son of Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Baron Skelmersdale. His mother was Jessy, daughter of Sir Richard Brooke, 6th Baronet. His father died when Edward was only 7 years old and he was brought up by his grandparents at nearby Lathom House. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. Whilst a student at Oxford he was initiated into the Apollo University Lodge No 357, and became an active Freemason. He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 11th (1st Preston) Lancashire Rifle Volunteer Corps on 9 November 1872.

Bootle-Wilbraham succeeded his grandfather as second Baron Skelmersdale in 1853 and was entitled to take a seat in the House of Lords on his 21st birthday in 1858. He served under the Earl of Derby and then Benjamin Disraeli as a Lord-in-Waiting from 1866 to 1868. In 1870 he became Conservative Chief Whip in the House of Lords. He once again held office under Disraeli as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard from 1874 to 1880 and was admitted to the Privy Council in 1874. In 1880 he was created Earl of Lathom, in the County Palatine of Lancaster. Lord Lathom later held office under Lord Salisbury as Lord Chamberlain of the Household from 1885 to 1886, from 1886 to 1892 and from 1895 to 1898. In 1892 he was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.