Background
He was the son of Thomas Whitmore, an officer in the Royal Horse Guards. The estate passed to Francis on the death of his father in 1907.
He was the son of Thomas Whitmore, an officer in the Royal Horse Guards. The estate passed to Francis on the death of his father in 1907.
Whitmore was educated at Eton and in 1892 he was commissioned into the 1st Essex Artillery Volunteers.
Thomas had inherited Orsett Hall (in Orsett, Essex) as a result of a gambling debt incurred by the previous owner, Digby Wingfield. He later transferred to the Essex Yeomanry and served in the Boer War with the Imperial Yeomanry. He served in the First World War and was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in 1915, eventually commanding the 10th Royal Hussars.
He was mentioned in despatches four times, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1917.
After the war he wrote The 10th (PWO) Royal Hussars and the Essex Yeomanry during the European War, 1914-1918 which was published in 1920. Sir Francis became a Justice of the Peace in 1898 and was High Sheriff of Essex in 1922.
He served as Lord Lieutenant of Essex from 1936 to 1958 and was created a baronet, of Orsett, in the County of Essex in 1954.