Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill

Geoffrey Denis Erskine Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill , CBE , PC (born October 15, 1921 in London , † April 23, 2011 in Westminister ) was a British peer , politician and businessman .

Origin and family

Russell was born on October 15, 1921, the son of John Hugo Russell, 3rd Baron Ampthill (1896–1973) and Christabel Hulme Hart († 1976). Christabel Hulme Hart often went out with various young men in London in her husband's absence and sometimes also spent the night with them. In June 1921 she discovered that she was pregnant. John Russell questioned paternity because the marriage allegedly never consummated and sought divorce .

At the first hearing in 1922, the court rejected the possible paternity of two friends of Christabel Hulme Hart. However, it disagreed on the possibility that Geoffrey's father was not John Russell. This complained again and named Edgar Mayer, another friend of his wife, as a possible father. A second jury found Christabel Hulme guilty of adultery “with an unknown man” in 1923, but not with Mayer; in these proceedings John Russell was granted the right to divorce. The decision was revoked in 1924, after Christabel Hulme approached the House of Lords for review , because a child born during the marriage of the parties was not simply based on a spouse's testimony that the marriage was going on had not been executed, could be declared illegitimate. The marriage thus lasted until 1937, when Christabel Hulme Hart agreed to a divorce shortly after John Russell inherited his title.

Education and career

Russell initially attended the Stowe School , a private school in Stowe in the county of Buckinghamshire . After completing his school career, Russell initially spent a few months traveling in Hungary , Switzerland and Monte Carlo before joining the Irish Guards . In 1941 he was called up for military service, where he served with the Irish Guards until 1944, most recently as captain since 1944 . In 1944 he was assigned to France with the Guards Armored Division , a British armored division . There he was wounded and initially returned to England to recover. Most recently he was stationed with the Allied land forces in Norway until October 1945 .

From 1947 to 1951 he was General Manager at Fortnum & Mason . From 1952 to 1958 he was chairman ( Chairman ) of New Providence Hotel Co Ltd , which was then a luxury hotel, chaired by Russell Nassau in the Bahamas built. In 1953, Russell also turned to the theater industry. He was managing director and owner of the theater production company Linnet & Dunfee , where he produced the premiere of the musical Salad Days , several plays by Terence Rattigan and other theatrical hits in London's West End .

At United News & Media plc , previously United Newspapers , which among other things published the Yorkshire Post, several local newspapers and various magazines, he was director from 1981 to 1996 and from 1991 to 1996 deputy chairman ( Deputy Chairman ). From 1985 to 1998 he was Director of Express Newspapers plc and from 1989 to 1998 Deputy Chairman there .

Russell was director of the investment company Dualvest from 1980 to 1987 and director of the Leeds Castle Foundation from 1980 to 1982 . From 1991 to 1998 he was Chairman of the London Helicopter Emergency Service .

Membership in the House of Lords

In 1973 Russell inherited the title of Baron Ampthill from his father . His claim to a seat in the House of Lords was challenged by John Hugo Trenchard Russell, the eldest son by the third marriage of John Hugo Russell, 3rd Baron Ampthill . Therefore, the Committee of Privileges had to decide whose claim was legitimate and upheld the House of Lords' original decision to appoint George Russell.

He gave his inaugural address on July 14, 1976. Since he was able to take up his membership in 1976, Russell was active in the House of Lords as a crossbencher , ie as a non-party member of parliament.

From 1981 to 1992 he was Deputy Chairman of Committees , from 1992 to 1994 Chairman ( Chairman ). From 1983 to 1999 he was Deputy Speaker . With several special committees ( Select Committee ) he was chairman ( Chairman ); of which 1987 in the Channel Tunnel Bill and 1996 in the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Bill . Even after the reform of the House of Lords in 1999, Russell had a seat there as one of the 90 members elected by the Hereditary Peers . He last spoke up on May 13, 2008. He last took part in a vote on March 3, 2010.

Honors

Russell was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1986. His father had already received this honor. In 1995 he became a member of the Privy Council .

Family and death

Russell was married twice. In 1946 he married Susan Winn and they divorced in 1971. They had three sons and a daughter together. In 1969 one of the sons was killed in a traffic accident. In 1971 Russell married Elisabeth Mallon, from whom he divorced in 1987. He died at his Westminster home on April 23, 2011, at the age of 89 .

Web links

• Geoffrey Russell at Hansard (English)
• Geoffrey Denis Erskine Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill on thepeerage.com , accessed August 20, 2015.
• Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill at theyworkforyou
• Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill at The Public Whip
• Lord Ampthill obituary in The Telegraph, April 26, 2011

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Descendants of Stephen Russell, of Weymouth ( Memento of the original from September 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Descendants of Stephen Russell on Worldroots.com , accessed May 27, 2011  
2. ↑ Controversial lord Ampthill dies aged 89 articles in the Bedfordshire News of April 29, 2011
3. ↑ What Mother a Virgin? Times article , March 8, 1976
4. ↑ LORD AMPTHILL - DEPUTY SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS Article of the Express dated April 30, 2011
5. ↑ Ampthill, Baron (UK, 1881) Title of Baron Ampthill and his bearers on Cracroftsperage , accessed May 15, 2011

predecessor	Office	successor
John Russell	Baron Ampthill 1973-2011	David Russell