John Grimston, 6th Earl of Verulam
John Grimston, 6th Earl of Verulam (17 July 1912 – 15 April 1973),[1] styled the Honourable John Grimston until 1960, was a British peer and Conservative Member of Parliament (MP).
Early life
He was born John Grimston on 17 July 1912 in St Albans, Hertfordshire. The future Lord Verulam was the second son of The 4th Earl of Verulam and Lady Violet Constance Maitland Brabazon. He was educated at Oundle School and Christ Church, Oxford.[2] He was a tobacco farmer in Southern Rhodesia for two years before becoming director and general manager of Enfield Rolling Mills in 1938.[2]
Royal Air Force
Verulam had joined Royal Air Force Reserve of Officers in 1930 as a pilot, he was injured in an aircraft accident in 1933.[2] In 1937 he joined the Auxiliary Air Force and served in Coastal Command during the second world war as a pilot.[2]
Politician
He was elected to the House of Commons as MP for St Albans at by-election in 1943,[3][4] but was defeated at the 1945 general election by the Labour candidate Cyril Dumpleton.[4] However, he ousted Dumpleton from the seat at the 1950 general election,[5] and held it until he retired from the House of Commons at the 1959 general election.[1] In 1960 he succeeded his elder brother in the earldom and entered the House of Lords.
Family
Lord Verulam married Marjorie Ray Duncan, daughter of Walter Atholl Duncan, in 1938. The couple had five children. He died in April 1973, aged 60, and was succeeded in his titles by his only son.
- Lady Elizabeth Harriot Grimston (1939-1987); married to Viscount Pollington (who later became, in 1980, The 8th Earl of Mexborough; b. 1931), divorced in 1972; two children.
- Lady Hermione Frances Grimston (b. 1941)
- Lady Romayne Bryony Grimston (b. 1946)
- John Duncan Grimston, 7th Earl of Verulam (b. 1951); married to Dione Smith, 4 children including the heir apparent Viscount Grimston
- Lady Iona Charlotte Grimston (b. 1953); second wife of The 8th Marquess Conyngham, an Anglo-Irish peer who owns Slane Castle.
Notes
- 1 2 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 1)
- 1 2 3 4 "Earl of Verulam - Former Tory MP for St Albans". The Times (58760). London. 17 April 1973. p. 18.
- ↑ New M.P. For St. Albans, The Times, Wednesday 6 October 1943; page 2
- 1 2 Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 375. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ↑ "UK General Election results February 1950". Richard Kimber's political science resources. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
References
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
- Lundy, Darryl. "FAQ". The Peerage.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Verulam
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Francis Edward Fremantle |
Member of Parliament for St Albans 1943 – 1945 |
Succeeded by Cyril Dumpleton |
| Preceded by Cyril Dumpleton |
Member of Parliament for St Albans 1950 – 1959 |
Succeeded by Victor Goodhew |
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by James Brabazon Grimston |
Earl of Verulam 1960–1973 |
Succeeded by John Duncan Grimston |