William Compton, 6th Marquess of Northampton

William Bingham Compton, 6th Marquess of Northampton, DSO (6 August 1885 – 30 January 1978), known as Earl Compton from 1897 to 1913, was a British peer and soldier.

Northampton was the eldest son of William George Spencer Scott Compton, 5th Marquess of Northampton, and his wife Mary Florence (née Baring). He was educated at Eton College and Balliol College, Oxford, where he graduated as B.A. in 1906.

Initially a Lieutenant in the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, he was commissioned into the regular army in the Royal Horse Guards, of which he became Adjutant in 1913 and achieved the rank of Major. He fought in the First World War, during which he was twice mentioned in despatches and wounded. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) and in 1919 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He was also a Commander of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.

He transferred as a Captain to the Warwickshire Yeomanry in 1921 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in command, retiring in 1932. He was also honorary Colonel of the 11th Battalion of the London Regiment (Finsbury Rifles) from 1923 to 1934.

He served in local government on the Northamptonshire County Council, to which he was elected in 1922, became Chairman in 1949, and resigned in 1955. He also became DL in 1936 for the Scottish County of Ross, and DL for Northamptonshire in 1937, as well as J.P. for the latter county.

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