Ralph Assheton, 2nd Baron Clitheroe

The Right Honourable The Lord Clitheroe DL
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
as a hereditary peer 18 September 1984 – 11 November 1999
Preceded by	The 1st Baron Clitheroe
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Personal details
Born	Ralph John Assheton (1929-11-02) 2 November 1929
Occupation	Businessman, public official

Ralph John Assheton, 2nd Baron Clitheroe, DL (born 3 November 1929), is an English aristocrat, businessman and public official, and a former member of the House of Lords.

Biography

Lord Clitheroe was born on 3 November 1929. His father was Ralph Assheton, 1st Baron Clitheroe (1901–1984), a Conservative Member of Parliament who served as Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1944 to 1946, and his mother was the Hon. Sylvia Benita Frances Hotham. His paternal grandfather was Sir Ralph Assheton, 1st Baronet (1860–1955), and his maternal grandfather was Frederick Hotham, 6th Baron Hotham (1863–1923).

Clitheroe attended Eton College, and served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Life Guards from 1948 to 1949. In 1956 he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA) (later converted to Master of Arts (MA)) from Christ Church, Oxford.

He served as Deputy Chief Executive of the Rio Tinto Group, and as Chairman of RTZ Chemicals, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto. He also served as Chairman of the Yorkshire Bank from 1990 to 1999.

He became the 2nd Baron Clitheroe and 3rd Baronet on the death of his father in 1984. He was appointed to be a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire in 1986. He became a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Skinners in 1955. He also served as Vice-Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire from 1995 to 1999.

Family

Clitheroe married Juliet Hanbury on 2 May 1961. They have three children:

• Lt Col The Hon. Ralph Christopher Assheton (born 19 March 1962), heir apparent to the barony and baronetcy.
• Hon. John Hotham Assheton (born 12 July 1964)
• Hon. Elizabeth Jane Assheton (born 6 October 1968)

Clitheroe resides at Downham Hall.