Kenneth Robert Balfour was born on 14 Dec 1863, the son of George Edmund Balfour. He was commissioned into the 1st Royal Dragoons as a lieutenant on 6 May 1885, promoted to captain on 1 Aug 1892. He was appointed as adjutant to the Hampshire Carabiniers on 20 Nov 1893 and remained there for 5 years. He served in the Boer War as second in command of the 11th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry from Feb 1900. He reached the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was also an active politician, involved in a controversial election in October 1900 for Christchurch. He won with a very narrow majority after a recount. It is not clear how he campaigned for election as he sailed for South Africa in March 1900. He was the Conservative MP for Christchurch until 1906. He died on 7 Sept 1936. He was married twice, to Margaret and secondly to May Broadwood with whom he had six children including Kenneth George Francis Balfour who was a major in the Royal Dragoons, winning the MC in WW2.
