The son of
Richard Coleridge, 4th Baron Coleridge, Coleridge was educated at
Eton College in
Berkshire, England, and at the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in
Berkshire. He served as an officer in the
Coldstream Guards in Kenya between 1961 and 1963.[1] Coleridge was Commander of the Guards Independent Parachute Company between 1970 and 1972. He was Governor of the Royal West of England School for the Deaf. He retired from the
British Army's Coldstream Guards with the rank of
Major in 1977. He succeeded to the title of 5th Baron Coleridge of Ottery St. Mary in 1984 on the death of his father, the 4th Baron.[1]
Coleridge married Everild Tania Hambrough, the daughter of
Lieutenant Colonel Beauchamp Hambrough, on 17 February 1962. They have three children, including Coleridge's only son, the Hon. James Duke Coleridge (b. 5 June 1967), the present heir to the barony.[citation needed] A daughter is the
model and
actressTania Harcourt-Cooze. The marriage was dissolved in 1977. Later that year he married nurse and explorer Pamela Baker (b. 24 July 1947; d. 12 August 2018), daughter of George William Baker. He has two children from this second marriage.[1] Lady Coleridge died on 12 August 2018. He married for the third time on 15 September 2020. His third wife is Rosemary, Viscountess Exmouth, 78. It is her third marriage also.[2]
The ancestral home is The Chanter's House in
Ottery St Mary in
Devon. Coleridge was the last family member to live there because the increasing costs of maintaining the property caused the family
trust in October 2006 to put the property up for sale and auction the contents.[3][4] In 1999 Coleridge had attempted to lease part of the family estate in order to raise money to prevent the sale.[5]
Coat of arms of William Coleridge, 5th Baron Coleridge
Crest
A crucifix Or rising from an otter as in the arms.
Escutcheon
Argent on a mount Vert in base an otter Proper; a chief Gules charged with a dove of the field between two crosses patée fitchée Or.
Supporters
Dexter an otter Proper, gorged with a garland of roses Gules leaved Vert, sinister a lion sable gorged as the former.[6]
Italics in entries mean the titleholder also holds a previously listed barony of greater precedence. ^* Also a Lord in the
Peerage of Scotland, ^• Also a Baron in the
Peerage of Ireland
The son of
Richard Coleridge, 4th Baron Coleridge, Coleridge was educated at
Eton College in
Berkshire, England, and at the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in
Berkshire. He served as an officer in the
Coldstream Guards in Kenya between 1961 and 1963.[1] Coleridge was Commander of the Guards Independent Parachute Company between 1970 and 1972. He was Governor of the Royal West of England School for the Deaf. He retired from the
British Army's Coldstream Guards with the rank of
Major in 1977. He succeeded to the title of 5th Baron Coleridge of Ottery St. Mary in 1984 on the death of his father, the 4th Baron.[1]
Coleridge married Everild Tania Hambrough, the daughter of
Lieutenant Colonel Beauchamp Hambrough, on 17 February 1962. They have three children, including Coleridge's only son, the Hon. James Duke Coleridge (b. 5 June 1967), the present heir to the barony.[citation needed] A daughter is the
model and
actressTania Harcourt-Cooze. The marriage was dissolved in 1977. Later that year he married nurse and explorer Pamela Baker (b. 24 July 1947; d. 12 August 2018), daughter of George William Baker. He has two children from this second marriage.[1] Lady Coleridge died on 12 August 2018. He married for the third time on 15 September 2020. His third wife is Rosemary, Viscountess Exmouth, 78. It is her third marriage also.[2]
The ancestral home is The Chanter's House in
Ottery St Mary in
Devon. Coleridge was the last family member to live there because the increasing costs of maintaining the property caused the family
trust in October 2006 to put the property up for sale and auction the contents.[3][4] In 1999 Coleridge had attempted to lease part of the family estate in order to raise money to prevent the sale.[5]
Coat of arms of William Coleridge, 5th Baron Coleridge
Crest
A crucifix Or rising from an otter as in the arms.
Escutcheon
Argent on a mount Vert in base an otter Proper; a chief Gules charged with a dove of the field between two crosses patée fitchée Or.
Supporters
Dexter an otter Proper, gorged with a garland of roses Gules leaved Vert, sinister a lion sable gorged as the former.[6]
Italics in entries mean the titleholder also holds a previously listed barony of greater precedence. ^* Also a Lord in the
Peerage of Scotland, ^• Also a Baron in the
Peerage of Ireland