Sir Thomas Henry Milborne-Swinnerton-Pilkington, 14th Baronet

 Sir Thomas Henry Milborne-Swinnerton-Pilkington, 14th Baronet died 17 December, 2024. He was 90.

He was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Scots Greys, and was sometime chairman of Charente (formerly Charente Steamship Co), and Deputy Chairman of Cluff Mining Ltd. The Old Etonian was Senior Steward of the Jockey Club, 1994-1998.

He was born 10 March, 1934, son of Sir Arthur Milborne-Swinnerton-Pilkington, 13th Baronet (1898-1952), and his wife the former Elizabeth Mary Harrison, eldest of the eight daughters of Maj. John Fenwick Harrison (who died 1966), of King's Walden Bury, Hitchin, Hertfordshire. father, 

He succeeded his father, 24 July, 1952, as 14th baronet. The baronetcy was created Nova Scotia, 1635.

He married 17 November, 1961, Susan Adamson, daughter of Norman Stewart Rushton Adamson, of Durban, South Africa, by whom he had issue, a son, Richard Arthur, and two daughters, Sarah and Joanna. The son, born 4 Sept, 1964, succeeds as 15th baronet.

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Diana Constance Faure Walker 1921-2024

 Diana Constance Faure Walker died 3 December, 2024. She was 103.

She was born Diana Constance Seth-Smith, 3 June, 1921, scion of that landed gentry family, daughter of Major Kenneth Arthur Seth-Smith, of Chesterwood Grange, Haydon Bridge, co. Northumberland, by his first wife Doris Roberta McKergow, only daughter of Lt Col Robert Wilson McKergow OBE, of Twineham Grange, co. Sussex; and married firstly, 2 Sept, 1948 (div 1956), Charles Stewart McDonnell Vane-Tempest (1921-2008), scion of the Marquesses of Londonderry, son of Ernest Charles William Vane-Tempest (1894-1957), and his wife the former Aline Mary Loftus St George (1897-1967); she married 2ndly, 23 January, 1961, Owen Stanley Buckmaster, 2nd Viscount Buckmaster (1890-1974), son of the 1st Viscount Buckmaster, GCVO, PC (1861-1934), and his wife the former Edith Augusta Lewin (who died 1935). Diana's second husband died 25 September, 1974. She married 3rdly, in 1982, Maj. Roderick Edward Faure Walker (1914-2002), head of that landed gentry family, and leaves issue from her first marriage, Charles Vane-Tempest (born 18 Apr, 1950), and Aline Vane-Tempest (born 10 Dec, 1952).

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Brigid Eleanor Shennan 1936-2024

Brigid Eleanor 'Biddy' Shennan died 9 December, 2024, aged 88.

She was born 20 July, 1936, younger daughter of Major Kenneth Gordon Woodbine Shennan, MBE (1893-1971), and his wife the former Lilah Maude Daly (1906-1988), scion of that Irish landed gentry family, and was a twin sister of Maj. Malcolm Shennan, and sister of Clare and David.

Her father was descended from the Woodbine Parish landed gentry family, and her mother was descended from the Barons Dunsandle and Clanconal.

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Penelope Mary Quine (nee Engleheart) 1934-2024

Penelope Mary Quine (nee Engleheart), who died 7 December, 2024, aged 90, was a scion of the Engleheart landed gentry family. She was born 9 February, 1934, the second daughter of Francis Henry Arnold Engleheart (1896-1963), sometime head of that landed gentry family, by his wife the former Filumena Mary Mayne (1900-1983), scion of that landed gentry family, descended from the Barons Clifford of Chudleigh; & married 1960, Hector William Quine (1926-2015), son of Herbert Leigh Quine (1890-1949), and his wife the former Gladys Foster (1889-1934), by whom she had issue, a son, Adrian Francis (b 10 June, 1967), and a daughter, Francesca (b 15 February, 1972).

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George Wilfred Temple Hall (born 13 Nov, 2024)

Harriet Georgina Hall (nee Usborne, born 1991), wife of Patrick W.T. Hall, and scion of the Usborne landed gentry family, gave birth to a son, George Wilfred Temple, 13 November, 2024.

Harriet is the elder daughter of Andrew Thornton Usborne (born 16 September, 1956), of Lincolnshire, by his wife the former Lamorna M.H. Forder.

Patrick Hall is a son of Paul Hall, of Fulham, and his wife Susie.

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Amelia Lily Butterfield Colville (born 2024)

 Olivia Colville (nee Pettit), wife of Alexander Keith Colville [born 1993], gave birth to a daughter, Amelia Lily Butterfield, 22 November, 2024.

Alexander Colville is a son of Mr Jeffrey Rex Colville [born 1956], of Englefield Green, Surrey, and Mrs Colville [nee Price].

Olivia is a daughter of Timothy John Pettit [born 1959], of Godalming, Surrey, and his wife the former Susan J Butterfield.

The infant's aristocratic ancestry:-

George North, 3rd Earl of Guilford > Susan, Baroness North > William North, 11th Baron North > Hon Susan Georgina North > Col. John Sidney North FitzGerald > Georgiana Mary FitzGerald > Timothy John Pettit > Olivia Pettit > Amelia Colville

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Beatrice Florence Elise Westacott (born 13 Dec, 2024)

 Eloise Margaret R. Westacott (nee Cazalet, born 15 Aug, 1991), wife of William Robert Westacott (born 1984), gave birth to a daughter, Beatrice Florence Elise, 13 December, 2024.

William is a son of Christopher Robert Westacott (born 1949), of Frogmore Farm, Berkshire, and his wife the former Rowena Jane Evans (born 1963).

Eloise is a scion of the Cazalet landed family, of Fairlawne, daughter of Peter Charles Grenville Cazalet (born 1959), of Monk Soham, Suffolk, and his wife the former Victoria Jane Perry.

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Laing/Graham-Campbell engagement

 The engagement was announced 21 December, 2024, between Henry Laing, son of Mr and Mrs Rodney Laing, of Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire, and Emily Marguerite Graham-Campbell (born 11 September, 1997), daughter of Robert John Graham-Campbell, 11th of Shirvan (born 14 Aug, 1964), of that Scottish landed gentry family, of Hamilton, Lanarkshire, by his wife, the former Henrietta Heneage (born 1965), scion of that landed gentry family.

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Life peerages: Starmer to nominate dozens of life peers

The prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to nominate dozens of new peers to the House of Lords, with a number of former MPs and short-lived ex-Downing Street chief of staff Sue Gray among those set to be honoured.

Former shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire, who lost her Bristol Central seat at the general election, is among those set to receive a peerage, along with Julie Elliott, Lyn Brown and Kevin Brennan – who stood down prior to voters going to the polls in July.

The list also includes Mike Katz, the national chair of the Jewish Labour Movement.

Prior to today’s announcement, Labour had 187 members of the House of Lords, while the Conservatives have 273, the Liberal Democrats 78, 57 from other parties and independents and 184 crossbenchers.

It comes as the Labour government works towards scrapping hereditary peers from the House of Lords, with a manifesto commitment of replacing it altogether with an “alternative second chamber that is more representative of the regions and nations”.

Those nominations:-

Professor Wendy Alexander FRSE – Vice Chair of the British Council, former Member of the Scottish Parliament for Paisley North and previously Labour Leader in the Scottish Parliament.

Sir Brendan Barber – former General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress and former chair of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

Luciana Berger – former Member of Parliament for Liverpool Wavertree and current Chair of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance.

Mary Bousted – formerly the Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), and education policy adviser.

Kevin Brennan – former Member of Parliament for Cardiff West and former Minister of State at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Lyn Brown – former Member of Parliament for West Ham and former Shadow Minister.

Dinah Caine OBE CBE – Chair of Camden STEAM, formerly Chair of Goldsmiths University and CEO and Chair of Creative Skillset.

Kay Carberry CBE – former Assistant General Secretary of the British Trades Union Congress (TUC).

Margaret Curran – former Member of Parliament for Glasgow East and formerly Minister within the Scottish Executive.

Thangam Debbonaire – former Member of Parliament for Bristol West and former Shadow Secretary of State.

Julie Elliott – former Member of Parliament for Sunderland Central and former

David Evans – former Labour Party Regional Director, Assistant General Secretary and General Secretary of the Labour Party 2020-2024.

Sue Gray – former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister and former Cabinet Office Second Permanent Secretary.

Theresa Griffin – former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for North West England.

Anji Hunter – Senior Advisor at Edelman, and former Head of Government Relations in Downing Street.

Carwyn Jones – former Member of the Senedd (MS) for Bridgend and First Minister of Wales.

Mike Katz – National Chair of Jewish Labour Movement and a former Camden Councillor.

Gerard Lemos CMG CBE – Social Policy expert and Chair of English Heritage, Chair of National Savings & Investments (NS&I), and Chair of London Institute of Banking and Finance.

Alison Levitt KC – Master of the Bench of the Inner Temple. Previously Principal Legal Advisor to the Director of Public Prosecutions and a Circuit Judge specialising in serious crime, including rape.

Anne Longfield CBE – Campaigner for children and formerly served as the Children’s Commissioner for England. Founder and Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives.

Deborah Mattinson – former Director of Strategy to Sir Keir Starmer. Co-founder of BritainThinks.

Steve McCabe – former Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hall Green and Birmingham Selly Oak, and former Government Whip.

Claude Moraes OBE – former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for London and chair of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee.

Wendy Nichols – UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Convenor and Branch Secretary and Labour Councillor.

Simon Pitkeathley – Currently the Chief Executive of Camden Town Unlimited and Euston Town, formerly the Mayor of London’s ‘Champion for Small Business’.

Dame Anne Marie Rafferty DBE FRCN – Professor of nursing policy and former

Dame Anne Marie Rafferty DBE FRCN – Professor of nursing policy and former President of the Royal College of Nursing.

Krish Raval OBE – Founding Director of Faith in Leadership.

Marvin Rees OBE – former Mayor of Bristol and Head of Bristol City Council. Former journalist, voluntary sector manager and NHS public health manager.

Revd Dr Russell David Rook OBE – Partner at the Good Faith Partnership and Anglican priest.

Phil Wilson – former Member of Parliament for Sedgefield, and former Opposition Assistant Whip.

The 7th Baron Carew 1938-2024

 The 7th Baron Carew died 18 December, 2024, aged 86.

Lord Carew, sometime a Captain, Royal Horse Guards, is a former international show jumping rider; Member, Irish Olympic 3-Day Event Team 1968 and 1972; President, Equestrian Federation 1979-84; Chairman, Fédération Equestré International 3-Day Event Committee 1989-97

Patrick Thomas Conolly-Carew was born 6 March, 1938, son of the 6th Baron Carew, CBE (1905-1994), ADC to the Governor of Bermuda 1931-36; served in World War II 1939-45 as Capt and Brevet Maj, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry ; National Chairman, British Legion 1963-66; CBE 1966; British Government Trustee, Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust; President, Irish Olympic Horse Society; CStJ, by his wife the former Lady Sylvia Gwendoline Eva Maitland (1913-1991), the only daughter of the 15th Earl of Lauderdale (1891-1953).

He succeeded his father, 27 June, 1994, as 7th Baron Carew (Peerage of Ireland, cr 13 June, 1834), and 7th Baron Carew (cr 9 July, 1838, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom).

He married 30 April, 1962, Celia Mary Cubitt (born 7 December, 1939), scion of the Barons Ashcombe, second daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon Charles Guy Cubitt (1903-1979), and his wife the former Rosamond Mary Edith Cholmeley (1904-1984), scion of the Cholmeley baronets, by whom he had issue, a son, the Hon William Patrick Conolly-Carew (born 27 March, 1973), and three daughters, the Hon Virginia, the Hon Nicola, and the Hon Camila, The son now succeeds to both baronies.

Lady Carew is a cousin of HM Queen Camilla.

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Squadron Leader Christopher Charles Blount, LVO, RAF 1925-2024

Christopher Charles Blount, LVO, RAF, died 18 December, 2024, aged 99.

Blunt, courtier, equerry to Queen Elizabeth II, was a pilot who performed one of the first successful ejections from an inverted plane.

He was born 6 February, 1925, son of Air Vice Marshal Charles Hubert Boulby Blount, CB, OBE, MC, RAF (1893-1940), and his wife the former Beatrice Joan Lempriere (1892-1985); and married 12 November, 1957, the Hon Susan Victoria Cobbold (1933-2021), second daughter of the 1st Baron Cobbold, KG, GCVO, PC, DL (1904-1987), and his wife the former Lady Margaret Hermione Millicent Bulwer-Lytton (1905-2004), daughter of the 2nd Earl of Lytton, KG, GCSI, GCIE, GCStJ, PC, DL (1876-1947), by whom he had two sons, James and Oliver, and two daughters, Catherine and Pamela.

Blount was an equerry to Queen Elizabeth II from 1954 to 1957. He accompanied the Queen on a tour of Nigeria in early 1956 and a state visit to Portugal the following year and enjoyed every minute of his time, especially at Sandringham and Balmoral. A lifelong friend of Princess Margaret, who was known for her admiration of RAF officers, Blount liked to say he was little more than a “spare hand” around the royal household, but was proud to have had the chance to serve the Queen in the early years of her reign.

Christopher Charles Blount was born in London in 1925 to a family that became steeped in flying and service in the RAF. His father, Charles, who had served in the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and was a founder member of the RAF, went on to become an air vice-marshal. He was killed in a flying accident at Mill Hill in 1940. Blount’s elder brother, John, was shot down in a Spitfire over the island of Texel on the coast of the Netherlands in 1941 and spent the remainder of the war as a PoW. He went on to become an air commodore and was captain of the Queen’s Flight before being killed in a helicopter crash in 1967. Blount’s mother, Beatrice Joan (née Lempriere), was originally from Melbourne in Australia. Her brother-in-law, Frank Debenham, was a geologist on Scott’s ill-fated 1910 Antarctic expedition. Blount,was a relative of the singer James Blunt (who has changed the spelling of his surname).

The Blounts made their home in a Jacobean manor house at Barkway in Hertfordshire and had four children: James is a former diplomat who works in business risk management; Ollie is a retired investment banker; Katie runs an interior design business; and Pammy is a travel journalist. Susan Blount died 14 December, 2021, aged 88.

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Christabel Isabel Mary Scott 1942-2024

 Christabel Isabel Mary Scott (nee Ind), who died at her home in North Yorkshire, aged 82, was a scion of that landed gentry family, and descended from the Marquesses of Sligo.

She was born 2 October, 1942, the elder daughter of Harold Hugh Brodie Ind (1914-1977), and his wife the former Phyllis Marion Alice Browne (1913-2008), scion of the Marquesses of Sligo, and married 21 February, 1970, Wing Cdr Robin Worthington Scott (born 1937),  scion of the landed gentry family of Scott of Dittisham Court, a younger son of Lieutenant-Colonel Claude Worthington Scott, OBE, MC (1907-1978), and his wife the former Beryl Guthe, scion of that North Yorkshire landed family, of Kepwick Hall. Mrs Scott survived her husband by 12 days. He died 6 Dec, 2024.

She leaves issue, two sons, Gervase (born 1971), and Nicholas (born 1972).

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Godfrey Hamilton Bland 1943-2024

 Godfrey Hamilton Bland died 7 December, 2024, aged 81.

He was born 3 July, 1943, the second son of Capt James Frankin McMahon Bland (1905-1984), sometime head of that Irish landed gentry family, and his wife the former Jess Buchan Brodie (1908-1984); and married 5 July, 1969, Olga Mary Hohler (1940-2019), scion of that landed gentry family, daughter of Edward Christopher Hohler (1917-1997), and his wife (Mary Alice Olga Sofia) Jane Lane (1919-2014), daughter of Robert Charlton Lane (1873-1943), and his wife Olga Mary Adelaide FitzGeorge (1877-1928), daughter of Sir Adolphus Augustus Frederick FitzGeorge, KCVO (1846-1922), natural son of HRH Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (1819-1904), cousin of Queen Victoria and grandson of King George III.

He leaves two sons, Richard and Alexander, and a daughter, Olga.

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Belinda Mary Prudence Hodson (née Panton)

 Belinda Mary Prudence Hodson (née Panton) died 7 December, 2024, aged 100.

She was born in 1924, daughter of Colonel Gerald Richard Vivian Panton (1889-1972), and his wife the former Sybil Gertrude Odlum (1893-1984); and married 10 January, 1948, Capt. David Thomas Hodson (born 13 March, 1920, d.     ), son of the Rev. Reginald Victor Hodson (1887-1976), and his wife the former Mary Joanna Hedderwick (1897-1988), by whom she had issue, a son, Andrew, and three daughters, Lucinda, Teresa and Virginia.

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Paul Jonathan Olsen Knight 1966-2024

 Paul Jonathan Olsen Knight died 10 December, 2024, aged 58.

He was born in 1966, son of Peter Knight and his wife the former Shirley Tomlinson; and married in 1992, Caroline Mary Anne Lamb (born 6 June, 1966), scion of the Barons Rochester, 2nd daughter of the Hon Kenneth Henry Lowry Lamb (1923-1995), and his wife the former Elizabeth Anne Saul (1926-2020), by whom he had issue.

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Sally Berry (nee Cairnes) 1942-2024

 Sally Berry died 12 December, 2024, aged 82. She was a descendant of the Croft baronets, and scion of the Cairnes Irish landed family.

She was born Sally Cairnes,  9 November, 1942, third daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel John Elliot Cairnes (1904-k/a 1943), and his wife the former June Jameson. She married 3 December, 1966, Major Anthony Edward Berry, by whom she had a son, Nicholas (born 1 May, 1968), and a daughter, Suzanna Claire (born 19 Feb, 1972).

Sir Herbert Croft, 9th Baronet > Lucy Barbara Croft > John Elliot Cairnes > Sally Cairnes

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John Richard Blatch 1931-2024

 John Richard Batch, who died 11 December, 2024, aged 93, was the husband of the late Baroness Blatch, CBE, PC, sometime Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the House of Lords, who died 31 May, 2005, aged 67.

He was born in 1931, a son of George Henry Blatch (1887-1964), and his wife the former Madeline Mary Whitticom (1901-1953), and married in 1963, Emily May Triggs (born 24 July, 1937), daughter of Stephen Joseph and Sarah Triggs, by whom he had issue, two sons and a daughter.

Baroness Blatch's career: WRAF 1955-59; Ministry of Aviation, 1959-63; Member of the Board of Peterborough Development Corporation, 1984-89; Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, 1981-85; European Economic and Social Committee, 1986-87; Conservative Local National Local Govt Advisory Committee, 1988-92; Baroness in Waiting (Government Whip) House of Lords, 1990; Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Environment, 1990-91; Minister of State, Department of the Environment, 1991-92; Home Office, 1994-97; Opposition front bench spokesman on education and employment, 1997-2000; Deputy Leader of the Opposition House of Lords from 2000; Vice-President, Local Government Assoc., from 2000; Chairman, Anglo-American Community Relations Committee, RAF Alconbury, 1985-91; President, National Benevolent Institution from 1989; Member, Air League Council, from 1998; Member, Air Cadet Council from 1998; Trustee, Dorman Museum Appeal, Middlesbrough, from 1997; Trustee, RAF Museum, from 1998; President, Shakespeare at The George, Huntingdon, from 1995; Patron, Huntingdon Male Voice Choir, from 1997, &c.

Baroness Blatch was appointed CBE in 1983, and sworn of the Privy Council in 1993. She was raised to the peerage (for life) in 1987 as Baroness Blatch, of Hinchingbrooke, in the County of Cambridgeshire.

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Rev Andrew Alexander Macintosh (died 5 Dec, 2024)

 The Rev Andrew Alexander Macintosh, Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, former Tutor, Dean and President, died 5 December, 2024, aged 87. 

He was a son of the Rev Felix Macintosh; and married 8 September, 1962, Mary Joan Browning, BEM (born 12 November, 1938), daughter of Colonel George William Browning, OBE, Welsh Guards, and his wife the former Rosemary Sybil Hughes (1909-1995), scion of the Hughes baronets, by whom he had two sons, George (b 1967), Thomas (b 1974), and a daughter, Rachel (b 1964).

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Lyon/Beale engagement

 The engagement was announced 14 December, 2024, between Alastair Sebastian Russell Lyon (born 18 September, 1994), son of Sebastian Lyon, of Fulham, London, and his wife the former Flora Rachel Nicholson (born 18 Oct, 1957), & Molly Annette Beale (born 1996), daughter of Mr and Mrs Jeremy Beale of Harlton, Cambridgeshire.

Alastair Lyon is a descendant of the Meyrick baronets:-

Brig-Gen Sir Frederick Meyrick, 2nd Baronet (1862-1932) > Rachel Eva Meyrick (1905-1995) > Esther Mary Lithgow (1930-2022) > Flora Rachel Nicholson (b 1957) >Alastair Lyon (b 1994)

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Oliver/Arnott engagement

The engagement was announced 14 December, 2024, between Angus Michael Yool Oliver (born 1996), eldest son of Paul James Yool Oliver, of Stoke, Hampshire, and his wife the former Susan Mary (Susie) Millard, & Isabella Anastasia Arnott (born 25 May, 1996), scion of the Arnott baronets, youngest daughter of Stephen John Arnott (born 19 February, 1962), of Aldbourne, Wiltshire, & his wife the former Katherine Jane Keep Thompson.

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Dunne/Fee engagement

The engagement was announced 14 December, 2024, between Ms Matilda Rose (Tilly) Dunne (born 29 June, 1992), scion of that landed gentry family, daughter of Philip Martin Dunne (born 1958), and his wife the former Domenica Margaret Anne Fraser (born 1960), scion of the Barons Lovat, and Ms Helen Fee, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Fee of Corballis, Meath, Ireland.

Tilly Dunne's father, merchant banker Philip Dune, a former army officer, was a friend and companion of Diana, Princess of Wales, who accompanied her to the wedding of the present Duke of Beaufort to Tracy Ward in 1987, and 'he marshalled his considerable forces of charm to entertain Diana on a trip to top skiing resort Klosters in 1987'.

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Alexander Niarchos (born 25 Nov, 2024)

 Darya Alexandrovna [Dasha] Niarchos [nee Zhukova, born 8 June, 1981], wife since 2019 of Stavros Niarchos [born 17 April, 1985], has given birth to a son, Alexander, 25 November, 2024, a brother for Philip and Victoria.

Stavros Niarchos is the son of Philip Niarchos [born 1954], and his former wife Victoria Christina Guinness [born 30 January, 1960], scion of the banking branch of the brewing dynasty, and is a grandson of the Greek shipping billionaire Stavros Niarchos [1909-96]. 

The 3rd Baron Churston [1873-1930] > Hon Joan Yarde-Buller [1908-97] > Patrick Guinness [1931-65] >Victoria Guinness [born 1960] > Stavros Niarchos [b 1985] > Alexander Niarchos [b 2024]

Dasha Zhukova is the former wife of billionaire Roman Abramovich [b 24 Oct, 1966], by whom she has a son, Aaron and a daughter, Leah.

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Jennifer Margaret Smith-Bingham (Died 1 Dec 2024)

 Jennifer Margaret Smith-Bingham (née Carey), died 1 December, 2024.

She was born in 1935, a daughter of Rupert Sausmarez Carey (1904-1981), OBE, of East Hoe Manor, Hambledon, Hampshire, and his wife the former Margaret Stewart Scott, and married 1stly, 28 January, 1960 (div 1967), as his 2nd wife, the Hon Luke Robert White (born 15 March, 1927), son and heir of the 4th Baron Annaly (1885-1970), and his wife Lady Lavinia Emily Spencer (1899-1955), Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, daughter of the 6th Earl Spencer (1857-1922). Her 1st husband succeeded his father 4 May, 1970, as 5th Baron Annaly, and died 30 Sept, 1990. Jennifer married 2ndly, 1967, Charles Arthur Smith-Bingham (1931-2003), scion of that landed gentry family. Her second husband died 1 June, 2003.

From her marriage to the late Lord Annaly she leaves issue, the Hon Doone Patricia (born 16 June, 1961), and the Hon Caroline (born 8 Feb 1963). From her marriage to Smith-Bingham, she leaves two sons, Rupert Charles (born 1969), and Hugo Garland Smith-Bingham (born 1972).

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Major Michael Arbuthnot Leslie Young (1930-2024)

 Maj. Michael Arbuthnot Leslie Young, The Life Guards, died 4 December, 2024, aged 94. He was descended from the Arbuthnot baronets.

He was born 5 November, 1930, the son of Peter Leslie Young (1908-1970), and his first wife the former Pamela Clare Gaitskell (who died 1993); and married 2 April, 1966, Susanna Elizabeth Barclay (born 18 December, 1940), scion of that landed gentry family, daughter of Theodore David Barclay (1906-1981), head of that landed gentry family, and his wife the former Anne Millard Bennett (1912-1996), by whom he had a son, Christopher and daughter, Mary.

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August Timothy Gray (born 4 Dec 2024)

 The Hon Daisy Alicia Wallis Gray (born 1988, nee Bell), wife of Andrew Gray, and daughter of the late life peer the Baron Bell (1941-2019), gave birth to a son, August Timothy, 4 Dec 2024

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Codrington/Kennard engagement

 The engagement was announced 14 December 2024, between Rory Alexander Codrington (born 1992), scion of that landed gentry family, younger son of Stephen Mark Codrington (born 1957), of Brightwalton, Berkshire, and his wife the former Ursula Dawson, and Olivia Eleanor Kennard (born 1993), scion of the Kennard baronets, youngest daughter of  Vivian Adam Mytton Kennard (born 13 Dec, 1958), of Chilfrome, Dorset, and his wife the former Georgina Ames.

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Anne Granville Godfrey-Faussett (died 2024)

 Anne Granville Godfrey-Faussett died at Kelso, 29 November, 2024, aged 85.

She was the former Anne Granville Murray, daughter of Colonel Granville Murray, of Waterside House, Weir, Dumfriesshire, and married 1962, Capt Richard Hugh Godfrey-Faussett (1932-2023), a scion of that landed gentry family, of Heppington, born 28 June, 1932, son of Brigadier Bryan Trevor Godfrey-Faussett, CB, DSO, OBE, MC (1896-1970), and his wife the former Katherine Monica Paterson (1899-1987), he died 11 January, 2023.

Mrs Godfrey-Faussett leaves issue, two sons, Christopher and Matthew and a daughter, Islay.  The elder son Christopher married in 1995, Lady Diana Bowes-Lyon (b 1966), daughter of the 17th Earl of Strathmore & Kinghorne (1928-1987), and a cousin of the King.

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Richard Makepeace Martineau 1938-2024

 Richard Makepeace Martineau, who died 10 December, 2024, aged 86, was a scion of that landed family, of Clapton Court, and a distant cousin of HRH The Princess of Wales, who shares his Martineau ancestry.

He was born in Apr 1938, son of John Edmund Martineau (1904-1982) and his wife the former Catherine Makepeace Thackeray Ritchie (1911-1995); and married 1stly, 1964, Theresa Ashton, by whom he had issue, a son, John (b 1967), and two daughters, Antonia (1969), and Imogen (1976); he married 2ndly, in September, 1981, Diane Calvert (born 7 Oct, 1941), daughter of Major Robert Henry Calvert (1912-1987), of Horsham, Sussex, scion of that landed gentry family, by his wife the former Monica Buxton (1916-2007).

Diane Martineau (nee Calvert) is a kinswoman of HM Queen Camilla, who is of Calvert descent. [The Queen's great grandmother, Lady Ashcombe, wife of of the 2nd Baron Ashcombe was nee Maud Calvert.]

John Martineau = Louisa Adeane > Richard Martineau (1870-1943) = Mary Dorothy Cator (1868-1956) > John Edmund Martineau (1904-1982)> Richard Makepeace Martineau (1938-2024)

The 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley > Hon Matilda Abigail Stanley > Louisa Adeane (as above)

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Lady Lucinda Louise Mackay 1941-2024

 The Lady Lucinda Louise Mackay, who died 25 November, 2024, aged 82, was a scion of the Earls of Inchcape.

She was born 13 December, 1941, daughter of the 3rd Earl of Inchcape (1917-1994), and his first wife, the former Aline Thorn Hannay, widow of F/O Patrick Claude Hannay AAF (ka. 24 May 1940), the only daughter of Sir Richard Arthur Pease, 2nd Baronet., by his first wife Jeannette Thorn Kissel, 2nd daughter of Gustave Edward Kissel, of New York, USA.

She married 1983 (div 1987), David Bogie, Sheriff of Grampian, and later resumed her maiden name.

Lady Lucinda leaves two brother, the 4th Earl of Inchcape (born 23 Jan, 1943), and the Hon James Mackay (born 28 May, 1947), and two half-brothers, the Hon Shane Mackay (born 18 Apr, 1973) and the Hon Ivan Mackay (born 6 May, 1976).

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Morrison/Sharp engagement

 The engagement was announced 12 December, 2024, between Edward Guy J. Morrison (born 1990), descended from the Faber landed family, of Ampfield House, son of Guy Martin James Morrison (born 1957), of Evancoyd, Powys, by his 2nd wife the former Penelope A. Mackenzie, and Olivia L. Sharp, younger daughter of Mr & Mrs Robert Sharp, of Heriot, Scottish Borders.

Edward's father Guy married firstly, 24 Sept, 1983 (div 1987), the Hon Charlotte Anne Monckton (born 16 Apr, 1955), daughter of the 9th Viscount Galway (1929-71), and his heiress wife the Lady Theresa Jane Fox-Strangways (1932-89), daughter of the 7th Earl of Ilchester (1905-1964). He married Penelope Mackenzie in 1988.

Thomas Henry Faber (b 1860-1922) > Aileen Coppard Faber (1896-1972) > Martin John Faber Morrison (1923-2004) > Guy Martin James Morrison (b 1957) > Edward Morrison (b 1990)

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Lord Edward Alexander Somerset 1958-2024

 Lord Edward Somerset, who died 4 December, 2024, aged 66, was a scion of the Dukes of Beaufort.

Edward Alexander Somerset was born 1 May, 1958, the second son of the 11th Duke of Beaufort (1928-2017), and his first wife the Lady Caroline Jane Thynne (1928-1995), daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bath (1905-1992); and married 2 Oct, 1982 (div.), the Hon (Georgina) Caroline Davidson (born 16 May, 1958), eldest daughter of the 2nd Viscount Davidson (1928-2012), and his 1st wife the former Margaret Birgitta Norton, by whom he had issue, two daughters, Francesca and Rose.

In 2014 Lord Edward was jailed for a series of assaults on his wife over a period of two decades. He was sentenced to two years by a judge at Bristol Crown Court after he admitted four counts of causing actual bodily harm to his wife, Caroline. After the case Det Sgt Simon Brickwood from Avon and Somerset Police public protection unit said: “Domestic abuse affects people of in all walks of lives, regardless of their background or personal circumstances. “It is very often a hidden crime with victims unable to speak out and friends and loved ones unaware of what is going on behind closed doors. “In this case, Lord Somerset (sic) subjected his wife to a series of violent and aggressive acts which saw her punched and kicked on several occasions, resulting in some permanent injuries.” He added: “I hope victims of domestic abuse are able to use this successful conviction as a catalyst to report offences to us. Don’t endure a life sentence of suffering – pick up the phone and speak to us.” The court heard some of the attacks, which included him kicking, punching and dragging her by her hair, happened at the couple’s home on the Badminton estate between 1990 and 2012. A police investigation was launched when she was admitted to hospital in October 2012 with injuries to her ribs. Senior Crown Prosecutor Rob Allen said: “On account of her loyalty to her husband and family, Lady Caroline (sic) suffered in silence for many years. It took a phone call from concerned medical staff at a Bristol hospital following the most recent incident for the abuse to finally be brought to the attention of the police.” “This case is a reminder that domestic violence permeates all sections of our society. It also highlights the devastating consequences that this type of abuse has on victims and their families,” he said. “Despite record conviction rates more than one woman per week is killed by a current or former male partner.

The funeral takes place 19 December and the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Badminton, close to the family seat at Badminton House.

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Pearson/Phillpotts engagement

 The engagement was announced 11 December, 2024, between Hamish Arthur L. Pearson (born 1995), son of Mr & Mrs Nicholas Pearson, of High Littleton, Somerset, and Lara Georgina Windham Phillpotts (born 21 April, 1995), daughter of Simon Vivian Surtees Phillpotts, of Dorstone, Herefordshire, and his wife the former Emma Rose Dymock Windham (born 6 March, 1959), scion of that landed gentry family, descended from the Dukes of Bedford.

The 6th Duke of Bedford (1766-1839) > Lord Charles Russell (1807-1894) > Clarissa Russell (d 1908) > Lt-Col Henry Windham (1873-1958) > William Windham (1926-2021) > Emma Windham (b 1959) > Lara Phillpotts (b 1995)

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Mary Ann Campbell of Airds (nee Campbell-Preston) 1940-2024

 Mary Ann Campbell of Airds, who died 4 December, 2024, aged 84, was the widow of Alastair Lorne Campbell (1937-2022), 13th of Airds, head of that Scots landed gentry family.

She was born in 1940, elder daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel George Patrick Campbell-Preston, MBE, DL (1911-1960), of that Scots landed family, by his wife Dame Frances Olivia Campbell-Preston, DCVO (1918-2022). His mother, who died at the age of 104, was one of the last witnesses to a vanished age. Not only was she Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s oldest surviving lady-in-waiting – she served Queen Elizabeth from 1965 until her death in 2002. She was also Joyce Grenfell’s sister-in-law, and her late husband, Patrick Campbell-Preston, was in Colditz with Douglas Bader. It was in 1965 that she was suddenly asked to be a Woman of the Bedchamber – or a lady-in-waiting – to the Queen Mother by Sir Martin Gilliat, Patrick Campbell-Preston’s fellow prisoner-of-war, who became the Queen Mother’s Private Secretary. 

She married 18 September, 1960, Alastair Lorne Campbell (born 11 July, 1937), son of Brigadier Lorne Maclaine Campbell of Airds, VC (1902-1991), and his wife the former Amy Muriel Jordan Campbell (1905-1950). Her husband succeeded his father as head of that old Scots landed family, 25 May, 1991, and was a former Scottish officer of arms and author. Campbell of Airds was appointed Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary in 1987. In 2008, he was appointed Islay Herald Extraordinary. As an active member of the Highland Society of London, Airds published a short history of the society in 1978. He was also author of several books on the history of Clan Campbell. He died 10 November, 2022, aged 85.

Mrs Campbell of Airds leaves issue, three sons, Hugh, John and James, and a daughter, Lucy.

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The Baron Lloyd of Berwick, PC, DL 1929-2024

 The Baron Lloyd of Berwick, PC, DL, who died 8 December, 2024, aged 95, was a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, and a life peer.

Anthony John Leslie Lloyd was born 9 May, 1929, the son of John Edward Boydell Lloyd (who died 1987), and his wife the former Leslie Johnston Fleming (1900-1965), and was educated at Eton.

He served in the Coldstream Guards (1948); Fellow of Peterhouse (1953) (Hon Fellow, 1981), Fellow of Eton 1974-86; Called to the Bar at the Inner Temple (1955) (Bencher, Inner Temple, 1976, Treasurer, Inner Temple, 1999); QC (1967); Attorney-General to HM King Charles III (when Prince of Wales) 1969-77; Judge of the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division, 1978-84; a Lord Justice of Appeal, 1984-93; Vice-Chairman of the Parole Board 1984-85; Member, Criminal Law Revision Committee (1981); Chairman of the Sussex Association for the Rehabilitation of Offenders, 1985-91; President, the Sussex Downsmen (1995), Vice-Pres, Maritime Law Association; Member, Top Salaries Review Board 1971-77; Chairman, Joint Ecclesiastical Committee from 2003; a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, 1993-99; Chairman of the Security Commission, 1992-99; &c.

He was knighted in 1978, sworn of the Privy Council in 1984; raised to the peerage for life in 1993, as Baron Lloyd of Berwick, of Ludlay in the County of East Sussex,

He married in 1960, Jane Helen Violet Shelford (born 1935), daughter of Cornelius William Shelford (1908-2001), of Chailey Place, Lewes, Sussex, by his wife the former Helen Beatrice Hilda Schuster (born 1910).

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Lady Leonora Eliza Cressida Spencer-Churchill (born 7 Dec 2024)

  The Marchioness of Blandford (nee Camilla Elizabeth Antonia Thorp, born 1987), wife of George John Godolphin Spencer-Churchill, styled Marquess of Blandford (born 28 July, 1992), son and heir of the 12th Duke of Marlborough (born 24 Nov, 1955), of Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, by his former first wife Rebecca Mary Few Brown, gave birth to a second daughter, the Lady Leonora Eliza Cressida Spencer-Churchill, 7 December, 2024, a sister for Lady Olympia Arabella Kitty Spencer-Churchill, who was born 10 September, 2020.

The Marchioness of Blandford is the eldest daughter of James Nicholas Thorp, by his wife the former Philippa Clare Thomas, and is a great niece of the actor, Richard Thorp [1932-2013], who appeared for many years as Alan Turner in the long running soap, Emmerdale.

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Wing Commander Robin Worthington Scott 1937-2024

 Wing Cdr Robin Worthington Scott died 6 December, 2024, aged 86.

He was a scion of the landed gentry family of Scott of Dittisham Court, a younger son of Lieutenant-Colonel Claude Worthington Scott, OBE, MC (1907-1978), and his wife the former Beryl Guthe, scion of that North Yorkshire landed family, of Kepwick Hall.

He married 21 February, 1970, Christabel Isabel Mary Ind (born 2 Oct, 1942), scion of that landed gentry family, daughter of Harold Hugh Brodie Ind (1914-1977), and his wife the former Phyllis Marion Alice Browne (1913-2008), scion of the Marquesses of Sligo, by whom he had issue, two sons, Gervase (born 1971), and Nicholas (born 1972).

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Edmond Francis Dorset Fellowes 1935-2024

 Edmond Francis Dorset Fellowes died 3 December, 2024, aged 89. He was a scion of that landed family, of Court Hall.

He was born in 1935, son of Thomas Balfour Fellowes (1891-1974) and his wife the former Anne Evelyn Frances Twysden (1898-1987), scion of the Twysden baronets; and married in 1972, as her second husband, Patricia Margaret Daisy Onslow (born 23 May, 1941), scion of the Onslow baronets, former wife of Christopher Mackenzie Kennedy, and daughter of Douglas Arthur George Onslow (1901-1966), by his wife the former Margaret Forbes Kilgour Rayner (died 1985).

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Fraser/Gillespie marriage

   The marriage took place, 11 October, 2024, between the Hon Alexander William Malise Fraser, Master of Saltoun (born 5 July, 1990), the only son of Capt Mark Malise Nicolson (born 24 Sept, 1954), of Cairnbulg Castle, Fraserburgh, by his wife Katharine Ingrid Mary Isabel Fraser, Lady Saltoun (born 11 Oct, 1957), and Chloe S. Gillespie, 27, the only daughter of Mr John Davies Gillespie, of Harrison, New York, and Ms Andrea Varrell Borden, of Barrington, Rhode Island.

 Xander Fraser is a descendant of Queen Victoria:-

Queen Victoria (1819-1901) > Prince Arthur Duke of Connaught (1850-1942) > Princess Patricia of Connaught (1886-1974) > Capt Alexander Ramsay of Mar (1919-2000) > The Lady Saltoun (b 1957) > Hon Alexander Fraser (b 1990)

The bride-to-be's mother, Andrea Varrell Borden, married John Davies Gillespie, on 18 June, 1989, at North Stonington, Connecticut. Mr Gillespie is a son of George J. Gillespie III, a US lawyer. They divorced in 2019. 

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Alfred Robert Archibald Jackson (born 8 Nov, 2024)

Lucinda Jackson (nee Alderson), wife of George Edward Stainton Jackson (born 1990), gave birth to a second son, Alfred Robert Archibald, 8 Nov, 2024, a brother for William Alexander Edward, who was born 25 May, 2023.

George Jackson is the eldest son of Hugo Edward Stainton Jackson (born Nov 1960), and his wife the former Serena Jane Birkmyre (born 17 June, 1960), second daughter of Sir Archibald Birkmyre, 3rd Baronet (1923-2001).

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James Roland Fleming 1944-2024

 James Roland Fleming, who died 22 November, 2024, aged 89, was a scion of the Fleming landed gentry family, of Nettlebed, co Oxford, and cousin of the James Bond creator Ian Fleming.

James Fleming was a novelist, publisher, editor, farmer and forester in Gloucestershire and Caithness.

He was born 26 February, 1944, the eldest son of Maj. Richard Evelyn Fleming (1910-1977), and his wife the former Hon Dorothy Charmian Hermon-Hodge (1913-2001), daughter of the 2nd Baron Wyfold (1880-1942), and his wife, Dorothy Fleming (who died 1976).

He married in 1975, Kathryn Alice (Kate) Rooksby, by whom he had two sons, Christian (born 1977), and Thomas (born 1980).

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Rory Ivo Sebastian Hill (born 11 Nov 2024)

Edwina Lavender (Teddy) Hill (nee Wolstenholme, born 1991), wife of Harry S.H. Hill, gave birth to a son, Rory Ivo Sebastian, 11 November, 2024.

Harry Hill is the elder son of Mr Simon Hill, of Clapham, London, and Mrs Mark Lawson-Statham, of Burcot, Oxfordshire.

Teddy Hill is the younger daughter of [Anthony] Richard Ashmore Wolstenholme [born 1956], of Thompson, Norfolk, and his wife the former Katharine Juliet Garnier [born 16 Oct, 1958].

Some of Rory Hill's aristocratic ancestry:-

The 8th Baron Walsingham [1884-1965] > Hon Lavender de Grey [1923-2010] > Katharine Garnier [b 1958] > Edwina Wolstenholme [b 1991] > Rory Hill (b 2024)

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Ottilie Elaine Frances Styles (born 19 Oct 2024)

  Isabella Styles [née Onslow, born 1990], wife of David Kristian Styles [born 1978], gave birth to a daughter, Ottilie Elaine Frances, 19 Oct, 2024, a sister for Ophelia Emily Phyllida, who was born 22 January, 2022.

Isabella is a scion of the of Onslow baronets, daughter of the Hon Richard Alan Douglas Onslow (born 1956), of Tarrant Gunville, Dorset, by his late wife the former Phyllida K. Moore, and a granddaughter of Cranley Onslow (d 2001), sometime Conservative MP for Woking, and a Minister of State, Foreign Office in the Thatcher administration, who was created a life peer as Baron Onslow of Woking, in 1997. Cranley Onslow married Lady June Hay, a daughter of the 14th Earl of Kinnoull.

David Styles is a son of Mr & Mrs Christopher Styles, of Sixpenny Handley, Dorset.

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Roy/Bampfylde engagement

 The engagement was announced 7 December, 2024, between Capt Jamie Paul Roy (born 1993), Irish Guards, son of Paul D. Roy, of Windlesham, Surrey, and his wife the former Susan Elkies, and Camilla Rose (Millie) Bampfylde (born 1994), scion of the Barons Poltimore, daughter of Richard Ian David Bampfylde (born 3 July, 1953), of Inkpen, Berkshire, and his 2nd wife the former Charlotte Mary Christian (born 12 Apr, 1957).

Millie Bampfylde is a great-granddaughter of the 6th Baron Poltimore (1888-1978).

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Elston/Mountain engagement

 The engagement was announced 7 December, 2024, between Edward James B. Elston (born 1992), eldest son of Mr Howard J. Elston (born 1954), of Netton, Wiltshire, and his former wife, Mrs Ed Mead (nee Briony Jago born 1961), of Ibberton, Dorset, and Camilla Margaret (Millie) Mountain (born 1 April, 1993), daughter of Sir Edward Brian Stanford Mountain, 4th Baronet (born 19 March, 1961), of Delfur, Moray, and his wife the former Charlotte Sarah Jesson Pownall.

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Benjamin Guy Dudley Ryder 1934-2024

 Benjamin Guy Dudley Ryder, who died 27 November, 2024, aged 90, was a scion of the Earls of Harrowby.

He was born 19 May, 1934, eldest son (twin with his brother James) of Major Dudley Claud Douglas Dudley Ryder (1901-1986), and his first wife the former Nancy Edith Baker (later wife of Lord Ronald Graham, a younger son of the 6th Duke of Montrose. She died 1985). 

He was descended paternally from the 1st Earl of Harrowby (1762-1847).

He married 8 Oct, 1960, Philippa Mary Cunningham, daughter of Alan Maitland Cunningham, by whom he had issue, two sons, Douglas and Guy, and a daughter, Vanessa.

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Lady Gow 1925-2024

 Lady Gow, who died 1 December, 2024, aged 99, was the widow of General Sir (James) Michael Gow, GCB (1924-2013), and a scion of the Scott baronets of Beauclerc.

Lady Gow (née Scott), was born 12 March, 1925, as Jane Emily Scott, the eldest daughter of Capt Mason Hogarth Scott, RN (1900-1971), and his wife the Hon Irene Florence Seely (1902-1977), daughter of John Edward Bernard Seely, the 1st Baron Mottistone, CB, CMG, DSO, TD, PC, DL (1868-1947).

Her father was a paternal grandson of Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (1826-1910), the building contractor and publisher. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Scott began his profession as a mason, before setting up his own building firm, completing many major architectural projects in the North East of England and notable railway stations in London. His publishing house, Walter Scott Publishing Co. brought classic literature to the masses for a low price.

Jane Scott married 3 Oct, 1946, James Michael Gow (born 3 June, 1924), son of J.C. Gow, of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and a great-grandson of the artist James Gow. Her husband commanded the British Army of the Rhine, and served as equerry to Field Marshal HRH The Duke of Gloucester, which gave him the savoir faire of the Royal Household, a valuable asset for a Guards officer, he became regimental adjutant of the Scots Guards (1957-60), &c. Michael Gow died 26 March, 2013.

Lady Gow leaves issue, a son, Roderick, and four daughters, Susan, Anna, Belinda, and Clunie.

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Sebastian Charles Robertson Bullough (born 18 Nov 2024)

 Carinthia Alexandra Bullough (nee Pearson, born 1993), wife of Finèan Mark Aidan Robertson Bullough [born 4 January, 1992], gave birth to a son, Sebastian Charles Robertson, 18 November, 2024.

Finèan is a son of Mark Bullough [born 1955], of Clapton Court, near Crewkerne, Somerset, by his wife the former Suzannah Frances [Suzi] Moynahan.

Carinthia is a scion of the Viscounts Cowdray, daughter of the Hon Charles Anthony Pearson [born 5 March, 1956], of Pitshill, Tillington, West Sussex, and his wife the former Benedicte Iuul, and a granddaughter paternally of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray [1910-95].

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Macklin/Wauchope engagement

 The engagement was announced 5 December, 2024, between Max Michael Macklin (born 1995), son of Mr William Henry Macklin (born 1967), of Little London, Hampshire, and Mrs Samantha Louise Bryant (nee Hawker, born 1968), of Padworth Common, Berkshire, and Lydia Anne Wauchope (born 1997), daughter of Maj. Francis Alasdair Wauchope (born 22 February, 1959), of Frilsham, Berkshire, and his wife the former Jessica Rosemary Hudson (born 1963).

Sir William Gull, 2nd Baronet (1860-1922) > Dorothea Susan Gull (1897-1980) > Susan Anne Knollys (1927-2018) > Jessica Rosemary Hudson (b 1963) > Lydia Wauchope

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Beatrice Amelia Joy Davey (born 25 Nov 2024)

  (Lucinda) Joy Davey (née Bristow, born 1989), wife of Alexander George D. Davey (born 1987), gave birth to a daughter, Beatrice Amelia Joy, 25 November, 2024, a sister for Arabella Olivia Joy (born 2020), and for Araminta Maisie Joy (born 1 Oct, 2022).

Alex Davey is a son of Francis Conway Davey (born 1957), of Hascombe, Surrey, and his wife the former Caryl Anne Claire Eastick (born 1958).

(Lucinda) Joy Davey is a daughter of George Edward Fitzroy Bristow (born 18 Sept, 1961), a grandson of the 2nd Baron Luke, and his wife the former Juliet Joy Knocker.

The 2nd Baron Luke (1905-96) > Hon Caroline Lawson Johnston (b 1935) >  George Bristow (b 1961) > Lucinda Joy Bristow > Beatrice Davey (b 2024)

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Sebastian Charles Robertson Bullough (born 18 Nov 2024)

Carinthia Alexandra Bullough (nee Pearson, born 1993), wife of Finèan Mark Aidan Robertson Bullough [born 4 January, 1992], gave birth to a son, Sebastian Charles Robertson Bullough, 18 November, 2024.

Carinthia is a scion of the Viscounts Cowdray, daughter of the Hon Charles Anthony Pearson [born 5 March, 1956], of Pitshill, Tillington, West Sussex, and his wife the former Benedicte Iuul, and is a granddaughter paternally of the 3rd Viscount Cowdray [1910-95].

Finèan is a son of Mark Bullough [born 1955], of Clapton Court, near Crewkerne, Somerset, by his wife the former Suzannah Frances [Suzi] Moynahan.

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Sally Patricia Villiers 1945-2024

 Sally Patricia Villiers, who died 1 December, 2024, aged 79, was the wife of Charles Nigel Villers,s cion of the Earls of Clarendon.

She was Sally Patricia Magnay, born at Windsor, in 1945, daughter of Capt David Magnay (1902-1968), and his wife the former Kathleen Maud Woods (1899-1993); and married 1970, Charles Nigel Villiers (born 25 January, 1941), son of Capt Robert Alexander Villiers, CBE (1908-1990), and his wife the former Elizabeth Mary Friend (who died 1985), and she leaves a son Christopher (born 1976), and a daughter, Caroline (born 1974).

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Philip Edward d'Abo 1941-2024

 Philip Edward d'Abo, who died 19 November, 2024, aged 83, was a scion of that landed gentry family.

He was born 19 June, 1941, the eldest son of Major Edward Nassau Nicolai d'Abo (1914-2003), and his wife the former Dorothy Primrose Harbord (1919-2011), scion of the Barons Suffield, descended from the 3rd Baron; and married in 1972, Fay Mary St Claire Barbour, daughter of William Barbour, by whom he had issue, two daughters, Camilla (born 1973), and Lucy (born 1977).

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Mott/Leechman marriage

The marriage took place 26 October, 2024, at St Margaret's Church, Westminster, between the Baron Mott, OBE (born 15 January, 1973), Conservative life peer, son of Mr David Mott, and his wife the former Carol Strawson, and Olivia Leechman, sometime special adviser to the former prime minister Rishi Sunak, daughter of Robert Leechman and his wife the former Moira Lavan.

In the 2023 Special Honours, Darren James Mott was made a life peer and appointed as a lord-in-waiting and whip for the Sunak ministry in the House of Lords.  His peerage was gazetted in the name, style and title of Baron Mott, of Chatteris in the County of Cambridgeshire.

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Benjamin David Amherst Cecil 1968-2024

 Benjamin David Amherst Cecil, who died in Los Angeles, 29 November, 2024, aged 56, was a scion of the Barons Amherst of Hackney (scions of the Cecil Marquesses of Exeter).

He was born 6 August, 1968, the second son of David Henry Amherst Cecil (1943-2000), and his first wife the Hon Fiona Elizabeth Cameron Corbett (born 14 November, 1942), daughter of the 2nd Baron Rowallan (1895-1977); and was a nephew of the legendary racehorse trainer Sir Henry Cecil (1943-2013), his father's twin brother.

He married 1stly, 14 March, 1998 (div) Jenine Sahadi, daughter of Fred Sahadi, of California; and married 2ndly, 2006, Kirsty Wunsch, daughter of Bill Wunsch, of Pennsylvania. From his second marriage he leaves a son, Hugo (born 16 May, 2010), and a daughter, Francesca (born 8 Apr, 2009).

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Vesper Vivien Diana Coleman (born 21 Nov 2024)

 Lady Alexandra Penelope Coleman [nee Lindesay-Bethune, born 1988], wife of Jack Coleman, gave birth to a daughter, Vesper Vivien Diana, 21 November, 2024, a sister for Nicholas Tankerville Wallace, who was born 9 November, 2019, and for James Horatio Somerled, born 15 August, 2021.

Lady Alexandra is the second daughter of the 16th Earl of Lindsay [born 19 November, 1955], of Fife, Scotland, by his wife the Countess of Lindsay [nee Diana Mary Chamberlayne-Macdonald, born 12 September, 1961].

Jack Coleman is a son of Mr & Mrs Terry Coleman, of Clapham.

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Edmund Francis Townshend (born 22 Aug 2024)

 Alice Louisa Townshend [née Campbell-Lamerton, born 1988], wife of Henry Roscoe [Harry] Townshend [born 1984], gave birth to a son, Edmund Francis, 22 August, 2024, a brother for Florence Olivia, born 5 Feb, 2019, and for Jemima Sophia, who was born 25 September, 2020, and for Wilbur George, born 30 June, 2022.

Harry Townshend is a son of James Reginald Townshend [born 1954], by his 1st wife the former Olivia Mora Matthey [1957-2009], and Alice is a daughter of Jeremy Campbell-Lamerton, by his wife the former Mary Louise Thorneycroft [born 1961], descended maternally from the Poland of Bramshott landed gentry family, and the Barons Stafford.

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Sir (John) Richard Walter Reginald Carew Pole, 13th Baronet, OBE, DL 1938-2024

 Sir Richard Carew Pole, 13th Baronet, OBE, DL, died at his home in Cornwall, 1 December, 2024, aged 85.

Sir Richard, of Antony House, Torpoint, Cornwall, was a landowner and chartered surveyor. The Old Etonoan served as a lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards, 1958-63; Assistant Surveyor, Law & Fiennes Chartered Surveyors 1967-72; Director South West Venture Capital, 1985-87; Director, the Eden Project 1999-2001; Member of the Regional Board, West of England, subsequently Portman Building Society 1989-91; Chairman, Devon and Cornwall Police Authority 1985-87 (Member 1973-89); Member: South West Area Electricity Board 1981-90; National Trust Committee for Devon & Cornwall  1979-83; President: Surf Life Saving Assoc of GB 1976-86; President Royal Cornwall Agricultural Show 1981; Member of the Council of the RHS and then President, 2001; Trustee, National Heritage Memorial Fund, 1991-2000; Trustee, Countryside Commission 1991-96; Trustee, Tate Gallery 1993-2003; Chairman, Steering Committee, Combined Univs in Cornwall (2000); Governor: Seale Hayne Agricultural College 1979-89; Governor, Plymouth College 1985-96; Member of the Board of the Theatre Royal Plymouth 1985-97; Trustee of the Eden Trust 1996-; Trustee, Trusthouse Charitable Foundation 1999-; Trustee of the Pilgrim Trust; County Councillor, Cornwall 1973-93; High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1979; DL Cornwall, 1988; Liveryman, Fishmongers' Co 1960; &c.

He was born 2 December, 1938, son of Sir John Gawen Carew Pole, 12th Baronet (1902-1993), and his 1st wife the former Cynthia Mary Burns (died 1977), descended from the Dukes of Portland.

He succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his father, 26 January, 1993.

He married firstly, 27September, 1966 (div. 1974) the Hon Victoria Marion Ann Lever (1945-2021), an Extra Lady in Waiting to HRH The Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips from 1974, daughter of the 3rd and last Viscount Leverhulme, KG (1915-2000); and married 2ndly, in 1974, Mary Dawnay, DCVO (born 15 Apr, 1936), Lady in Waiting to HRH The Princess Anne, Princess Royal from 1970, scion of the Viscounts Downe, daughter of Lt-Col Ronald Dawnay (1908-90), and his wife Lady Elizabeth Katherine Grey (1908-41), daughter of the 5th Earl Grey.

From his second marriage Sir Richard leaves issue, two sons, Tremayne and John. The elder son, Tremayne John Carew Pole (born 22 February, 1974), succeeds as 14th baronet (created 1628).

The Baroness Wilkins 1946-2024

 Baroness Wilkins, who died 1 December, 2024, aged 78, was a Labour life peer, and member of the House of Lords from 1999 to 2015.

Rosalie Catherine Wilkins was born 6 May, 1946, daughter of Eric Frederick Wilkins and his wife Marjorie Phyllis Elizabeth Wilkins; and was educated at the University of Manchester (BA).

Career: PA to the Director, Central Council for the Disabled, 1971-74; Information Officer MIND (National Association for Mental Health) 1974-78; presenter/researcher , Link magazine programme and documentaries, ATV network and Central Television 1975-88; freelance video and documentary producer/presenter on disability issues 1988-96; Information Officer , National Centre for Independent Living 1997-99; awarded the Snowdon Award (for outstanding work for the benefit of disabled people), Action Research, 1983, &c.

She was created a life peer in 1999 and her peerage was gazetted in the name, style and title of Baroness Wilkins, of Chesham Bois in the County of Buckinghamshire. She retired from the Lords in 2015.

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Crichton-Stuart/Monro engagement

 The engagement was announced 3 December, 2024, between Hugh Bertram Crichton-Stuart (born 20 March, 1973),scion of the Marquesses of Bute, the second son of the late Lord James Charles Crichton-Stuart (1935-1982), and his second wife the former Anna-Rose Bramwell (born 1940, later Mrs Peter Knatchbull-Hugessen, of Ropley, Hampshire, wife of a scion of the Barons Brabourne, and now Mts George Barclay), & Christine Monro, only daughter of Mr George Melville Monro and Mrs Dawn Monro, of Cape Town, South Africa.

It will be Hugh Crichton-Stuart's second marriage. He married firstly, 11 Sept, 1999, Kerry Anne Reid, daughter of Leo Gavin Reid, by whom he has issue, two daughters, Philippa and Katherine.

His late father, Lord James Crichton-Stuart, third son of the 5th Marquess of Bute (1907-56), was married firstly to the former Sarah Croker Poole (b 28 January, 1940), who was later wife of His Highness The Aga Khan, and is now known as the Begum Salima Aga Khan.

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Hon (John) Nicholas Tollemache 1941-2024

 The Hon Nicholas Tollemache, who died 28 November, 2024, in Los Angeles, United States, aged 83, was a scion of the Barons Tollemache.

Nicholas Tollemache was educated at Eton and Cambridge, and he took part in the Oxford & Cambridge Boat Race, and was a Blue in the Cambridge crew rowing at no. 7 in the race in April, 1962. Cambridge rowed to victory over their rivals winning by five lengths. 

John Nicholas Tollemache was born 13 June, 1941, the second son of the 4th Baron Tollemache, MC, DL (1910-1975), and his wife the former Dinah Susan Jamieson (1918-1998), daughter of Sir Archibald Auldjo Jamieson KBE MC, of The Drove House, Thornham, co. Norfolk, by his wife Doris Pearce, daughter of Capt Henry Pearce RN; and was a younger brother of the 5th Baron Tollemache, DL (born 13 Dec, 1939), of Helmingham Hall, Stowmarket, Suffolk.

He married firstly, 17 Sep 1971 (div. 1974) Heide Eva Wiedeck, daughter of Gunther Wiedeck, of Bonn, Germany, and married 2ndly, in 1982,  Dietlinde Hannelore Riegel, daughter of Hannelore Riegel, of Muncih, Germany. He had no issue from either marriage, and is survived by his three brothers.

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Sir Martyn Evan Evans-Bevan, 2nd Baronet 1932-2024

Sir Martyn Evan Evans-Bevan, 2nd Baronet, died 5 November, 2024, aged 92.

The baronet, educated at Uppingham, entered the family business Evan Evans Bevan and Evans Bevan Ltd in 1953; and was High Sheriff of Breconshire  in 1967; Liveryman, Worshipful Company of Farmers; Freeman of the City of London. His home was Spring Valley, Rue de Creux, Baillot St Ouen, Jersey, Channel Islands.

He was born 1 April, 1932, son of Sir David Martyn Evans-Bevan, 1st Baronet (1902-1973), created a baronet in 1958, by his wife the former Eira Winifred Glanley (who died 2001); and succeeded to the baronetcy on his father's death, 9 September, 1973.

He married 12 October, 1957, Jennifer Jane Marion Stevens, daughter of Robert Hugh Stevens, by whom he had four sons, David, Richard, Thomas and Huw. The eldest son, David Gawain Evans-Bevan (born 16 September, 1961), succeeds as third baronet.

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Pitman/Fenn engagement

 The engagement was announced 2 December, 2024, between Alexander James Pitman (born 15 February, 1992), scion of that landed gentry family, son of the late Lieutenant-Colonel (John) Hugh Pitman, OBE (1935-2023), and his second wife the former Helen Ruth Mary White (born 1957), of Leighterton, Gloucestershire & Lucy Elizabeth Fenn (born 1995), eldest daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Johhny Fenn, of Pokhara, Nepal, and his wife the former Mary L. Cave.

Alexander's aunt, Lavinia Pitman (born 18 Apr, 1941) married as her first husband, the 5th Baron Fermoy (1939-84), uncle of Diana, Princess of Wales. Alexander's late father was married firstly to Rosemary Dickinson (1940-2010), who was later wife of Brig Andrew Henry Parker Bowles, first husband of HM Queen Camilla.

Lucy's father has been long associated with the Gurkhas, and his duties took him to East Timor and Iraq, before being posted back to the UK as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Brigade of Gurkhas.

On promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, Johnny Fenn was appointed British Military Advisor to ECOWAS in Nigeria, before completing his military service as the Field Director of The Gurkha Welfare Trust in Pokhara, Nepal.

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