Brett, Reginald Baliol, 2nd Viscount Esher (1852 -1930)

Reginald Baliol Brett was the eldest son of William Baliol Brett and Eugenie Mayer. Educated at Cheam School, Surrey, Eton, Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took his B.A. in 1874 and his M.A. in 1877. His father was a judge, Master of the Rolls from 1882 to 1897, was raised to the peerage as Baron Esher in 1885 and created a Viscount in 1897. Sir Reginald was Private Secretary to the Marquess of Harlington, then leader of the Liberal Party 1877, a Member of Parliament for Falmouth and Penrhyn from 1880 to 1885, stood unsuccessfully for Parliament for Plymouth in 1885, left politics and became a Secretary in Her Majesty's Office of Works in 1893, and an author, publishing Footprints of statesmen, 1892 and The yoke of Empire. He was made a Companion of the Bath in 1897, and later a G.C.B. and a G.C.V.O., Keeper of the King's Archives and Governor and Constable of Windsor Castle. He married, in September 1879, Eleanor, youngest daughter of M. Sylvain Van der Weyer, the Belgian patriot. There were sales of Brett books at Sotheby's 26 June 1935, 20 December 1937, 13 October 1942, 25 March 1946, 18 November 1946 and at Christies 8 July 1959.