Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Peel Dawson Spencer Chichester, DL, JP (13 August 1873 – 10 December 1921) was an Irish soldier and politician.

Background and family

Chichester was the son of Lord Adolphus John Spencer Churchill Chichester (18 December 1836 – 5 March 1901, a son of the 4th Marquess of Donegall) and his wife Mary (died 1924), daughter of Robert Peel Dawson.

Robert Chichester married Dehra Kerr-Fisher, later member of the Northern Ireland Parliament for Londonderry and South Londonderry. They had a son and a daughter; their son predeceased them:

• Robert James Spencer Chichester (1902–1920)
• Marion Caroline Dehra Chichester (1904–1976); her children included Prime Minister of Northern Ireland James Chichester-Clark, Baron Moyola, and Sir Robin Chichester-Clark

Career

Chichester served in the British Central Africa Campaign (1897–1900) and was commissioned in the Irish Guards in August 1900. He was promoted to lieutenant 1 January 1901, and fought in the Boer War. On 22 January 1902 he was promoted to captain,^[1] and he was later promoted to major in the Irish Guards. He gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the service of the Royal Irish Rifles. He held the office of High Sheriff of County Londonderry for 1907 and was appointed High Sheriff of Antrim for 1911.^[2]

He was Justice of the Peace (JP) for Counties Donegal, Antrim and Londonderry. He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of Counties Donegal, Antrim and Londonderry. He lived at Moyola Park, Castledawson, County Londonderry. He was briefly a Member of Parliament at Westminster for South Londonderry: his son-in-law, wife and a grandson were later members for South Londonderry in the Northern Ireland parliament and another grandson for Londonderry at Westminster.^{[citation needed]}