Joseph Montague Kenworthy, Tenth Baron Strabolgi

Lieutenant-Commander Joseph M. Kenworthy, 1920.
© National Portrait Gallery, London.

Lieutenant-Commander Joseph Montague Kenworthy, Tenth Baron Strabolgi (7 March, 1886 – 8 March, 1953) was an officer of the Royal Navy who entered politics after the Great War, serving in the House of Commons from 1919 to 1931 and the House of Lords from 1934 until his death in 1953.

Life & Naval Career

Kenworthy was born on 7 March, 1886, the son of Cuthbert Matthias Kenworthy. He was educated at the Royal Naval Academy and joined the Royal Navy. He passed in 34th out of 62 applicants for regular cadetships in March, 1901, and on 15 May he was appointed as a Naval Cadet in the training ship Britannia at Dartmouth. On 15 January, 1903, he was appointed to the battleship Goliath on the China Station, having passed out of the Britannia with 2½ months' time towards being rated Midshipman, which he was on 28 February. On 15 May or 27 June (depending on service record) he transferred to the battleship Ocean. The following year he moved on to the battleship Glory, on 20 February, 1904, or 28 March (again, depending on service record). On 4 or 16 June, 1905, he was appointed to the battleship Vengeance. On 3 October or 24 October, 1905 he again joined the Glory, now in the Channel Fleet.

On 30 April, 1906, Kenworthy passed his examination in Seamanship with a first class certificate, attaining 903 marks out of 1,000. He was automatically promoted to the rank of Acting Sub-Lieutenant from that date. He joined the Royal Naval College, Greenwich on 3 May and in September took third class certificates in Part A and Part B of the so-called Navigation examinations. He joined Excellent at Portsmouth on 24 September and failed the gunnery examination on 21 December, which cost him a month's seniority as Sub-Lieutenant. On 15 February, 1907, he passed in Pilotage with a second class certificate (829/1,000 marks); on 28 March he achieved a second in torpedo (150/200 marks) and on 3 May finally passed in gunnery with a second class (802/1000 marks). On 6 May he was confirmed in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant with seniority of 30 May, 1906.

On 14 May, 1907, he was appointed to the torpedo gun-boat Hussar in the Mediterranean. On 10 February, 1908, he was appointed to the destroyer Albatross in the Mediterranean Destroyer Flotilla. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 October, 1908. He remained in Albatross, in lieu of a Sub-Lieutenant, until 11 May, 1909. Commander John E. Cameron of Foam wrote of him:

A hardworking officer but rather slow of a bullying nature which combined with a certain want of tact & breeding is apt to cause discontent & bad work when dealing with men. Though in some ways zealous & hardworking in his profession his want of accuracy particularly in Navigation is apt to spoil the result. He is a powerful man physically & probably capable of determination & courage.

On 20 December, 1909, he was appointed to the armoured cruiser Achilles. Captain William C. M. Nicholson wrote of him on giving up command in April, 1911, "Lacking in judgement but has improved. VG physically. Zealous." On 18 April his application for examinations for command of torpedo craft was approved. He passed in gunnery on 8 May, in navigation on 10 May, in torpedo on 11 May, but failed in signals on 12 May. Ordered to present himself again for examination, he evidently passed quickly, as he was appointed in command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 55 on 6 June.

Kenworthy's appointment to an aviation course on 26 April, 1912 was cancelled, as he could not be spared from his present assignment. He failed a preliminary course in the German language in June, 1912.

Kenworthy was appointed to Leander for command of the destroyer Bullfinch of the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla on 9 January, 1913. On 24 February the engagement was announced between him and Doris, only child of F. Whitley Thompson, M.P. for Skipton from 1900 to 1906. In September Bullfinch struck Leopard with a projectile. Kenworthy was "Informed that his course was dangerous & warned to be more careful." He was superseded in Bullfinch on 20 October, 1915. His Captain (D), Captain Laurence R. Oliphant, had written of him on 22 September:

Have had frequent occasions to be dissatisfied with the way this officer has performed his duties, lack of appreciation shown of the responsibilities of his position, manners & bearing towards his own officers & men objectionable & irritating. LT. Kenworthy is in no way suited to command one of HM Ships.

The Admiral Commanding Orkneys and Shetlands, Admiral The Honourable Sir Stanley C. J. Colville, agreed, writing that it was "Most desirable that he be removed from Bullfinch[,] not a fit person to be in command of a destroyer." On 6 November he was appointed to the battleship Commonwealth in the Third Battle Squadron. Captain Herbert W. Richmond had been appointed in command on 26 October, and he and Kenworthy evidently got on well. In his report of 13 May, 1916, Richmond wrote:

Sat. average. German & some French, due course. Has been in charge of instructional work in which he is much interested & takes the greatest pains, is a reader principally history, strategy, education & foreign policy. Indefatigable in his studies & in his practical work. Strong, plays football, rows, a promising officer.

In his last report before leaving the ship, Richmond wrote of Kenworthy in April, 1917: "An officer of considerable mental rigour & character." In January, 1916, he had applied for command of a rigid airship, which application was noted. In November he was granted permission to visit the British Army in France. On 18 May, 1917, he completed a Torpedo Control Course at H.M.S. Vernon.

Kenworthy was automatically promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 31 December, 1916, after eight years as a Lieutenant.

On 21 October, 1918, Kenworthy was appointed to Blake, depôt ship of the Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla, as first officer and gunnery officer. On 18 November, however, he was granted permission to run for parliament and was told he could leave Blake as soon as he was relieved. Apparently, that relief arrived that same day.

In 1936, Their Lordships recorded that they did not feel that Kenworthy should retain a .32 Calibre Colt Automatic Pistol No. 212744, as it was not being used for Naval Service.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Bibliography

• "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 22 April, 1901. Issue 52748, col D, p. 10.
• "Lord Strabolgi" (Obituaries). The Times. Friday, 9 October, 1953. Issue 52748, col C, p. 11.
• "Forthcoming Marriages" (People). The Times. Monday, 24 February, 1913. Issue 40143, col B, p. 9.
• Grove, Eric J. "Kenworthy, Joseph Montague, tenth Baron Strabolgi (1886–1953), naval officer and politician." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 23 Sep. 2004; Accessed 10 Nov. 2023.
• Kenworthy, Lt. Commander The Hon. J. M. (1933). Sailors, Statesmen—and Others: An Autobiography. London: Rich & Cowan.
• Strabolgi, Lord (1940). Narvik and After: A study of the Scandinavian Campaign. London: Hutchinson & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/50/279.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/143/827.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Granville Murray-Browne	Captain of H.M. T.B. 055 6 Jun, 1911 – 5 Mar, 1912	Succeeded by Walter G. Holliday
Preceded by Arthur M. Peters	Captain of H.M.S. Bullfinch 9 Jan, 1913 – 20 Oct, 1915	Succeeded by Herbert M. Hughes