John Wodehouse, 1st Baron Wodehouse

Wodehouse was the son of Sir Armine Wodehouse, 5th Baronet, and Letitia Bacon. He succeeded his father in the baronetcy in 1777 and in 1784 he was elected to the House of Commons for Norfolk, a seat he held until 1797. In that year, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Wodehouse, of Kimberley in the County of Norfolk.[1]

In 1778, Wodehouse commissioned Capability Brown, to undertake a series of enhancements to his country seat, Kimberley Hall near Wymondham (Brown had previously undertaken works for Sir Armine in 1762). By 1827, Woodhouse had developed a pleasure ground, a southwards extension to the park and three lodged entrances. The landscape which Wodehouse created has largely survived and is listed Grade II*.[2] Wodehouse died in May 1834 aged 93, and was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son.

Wodehouse married Sophia née Berkeley (died 16 April 1825), daughter of Charles Berkeley of Bruton Abbey, on 30 March 1769. Together the couple had four sons and two daughters:[3]

• John Wodehouse, 2nd Baron Wodehouse (11 January 1771 – 29 May 1846)
• Vice-Admiral Philip Wodehouse (16 July 1773 – 21 January 1838), Royal Navy officer
• Reverend Armine Wodehouse (12 March 1776 – 9 April 1853), clergyman
• Reverend William Wodehouse (4 April 1782 – 3 April 1870), clergyman
• Sophia Wodehouse (d. 22 June 1852), unmarried
• Letitia Wodehouse (d. 3 March 1864), married firstly Sir Thomas Maynard Hesilrige, 10th Baronet and secondly F. Fielding, barrister

• Burke, Bernard; Burke, Ashworth P. (1915). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage. London: Harrison & Sons.

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• www.thepeerage.com