Edward Alfred Alexander Baldwin, 4th Earl Baldwin of Bewdley (3 January 1938 – 16 June 2021) was a British educator, hereditary peer, and Crossbench member of the House of Lords.
Early life and education
Baldwin was born on 3 January 1938. He was the only child of Arthur Baldwin, 3rd Earl Baldwin of Bewdley and the former Joan Elspeth Tomes (1901–1980). His paternal grandparents were Lucy Baldwin and Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, three-time Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. His maternal grandparents were Harriot (née Hancock) Tomes and Charles Alexander Tomes, an American-born merchant in the Far East with Shewan, Tomes & Co.
Baldwin was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge,
On the death of his father in 1976, Baldwin became a member of the House of Lords and was one of the ninety elected hereditary peers who remained after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999. From 1990 to 1998, he was Chairman of the British Acupuncture Accreditation Board.
Baldwin spent much time trying to clear the name of his grandfather, Stanley Baldwin, whose character, motivation and actions as prime minister were questioned after the outbreak of World War II. He was particularly unhappy with the film The King's Speech due to its factual distortions and portrayal of his grandfather as a dithering fool who misunderstood Hitler's intentions.
Personal life and death
In 1970, Baldwin married Sarah MacMurray,