John Cavendish Lyttelton, 9th Viscount Cobham 
KCB DL (23 October 1881 – 31 July 1949), was a 
British peer, soldier and 
Conservative politician.
Cobham was the eldest son of 
Charles Lyttelton, 8th Viscount Cobham, and the Hon. Mary Susan Caroline Cavendish, daughter of 
William Cavendish, 2nd Baron Chesham. 
Alfred Lyttelton was his uncle. He was educated at 
Eton. Like his father and his uncle, Cobham was a successful cricketer. He represented 
Worcestershire County Cricket Club in three 
first-class matches during 1924-5. He was President of 
Marylebone Cricket Club in 1935, again emulating his father and uncle. He served with the 
Rifle Brigade in the 
Second Boer War and from 1905 to 1908 he was 
Aide-de-Camp to the 
High Commissioner to South Africa.
Cobham was elected to the 
House of Commons for 
Droitwich in the 
January 1910 general election, a seat he held until 1916. During the 
First World War he fought at 
Gallipoli and in 
Egypt, the 
Sinai and 
Palestine, achieving the rank of 
Lieutenant Colonel. He succeeded his father as ninth Viscount Cobham in 1922 and entered the 
House of Lords. In 1939 he was appointed 
Under-Secretary of State for War in the government of 
Neville Chamberlain, a position he retained until May 1940. Apart from his political and military career he was also 
Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire from 1923 to 1949.
Lord Cobham married Violet, daughter of Charles Leonard, in 1908. He died in July 1949, aged 67, and was succeeded in his titles by his son 
Charles, who later served as 
Governor-General of New Zealand. Lady Cobham died in 1966.