John St. Aubyn, 4th Baron St. Levan

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John Francis Arthur St. Aubyn, 4th Baron St. Levan ( February 23, 1919 - April 7, 2013 ) was a British peer and politician .

Life

Family and military service

He was born the son of Francis Cecil Ord St. Aubyn, 3rd Baron St. Levan (1895–1978) and his wife Clementina Gwendolen Catharine Nicolson (1896–1995). After the death of his father on July 10, 1978, he inherited the title of Baron St. Levan .

He attended Eton College in Berkshire, England . He spent his childhood in his parents' household in London and on St. Michael's Mount ; the tidal island then belonged to his great-uncle. After graduating in Eton, he studied at Trinity College of the University of Cambridge , where he in 1938 the Naval Cadets joined. In 1940 he graduated from the University of Cambridge with a Bachelor of Arts (BA).

When he learned of the evacuation of the troops at the Battle of Dunkirk , he and a cadet friend boarded the train from Cambridge to Chatham to volunteer for military service. He was posted to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve at Ramsgate . As the evacuation was still in full swing, he received his first command as captain on a Belgian merchant ship at the age of 21 . Under his command, despite heavy German artillery fire, more than 150 soldiers were taken on board and safely escorted back to Great Britain. He was then a Lieutenant on a minesweeper in the context of the Arctic convoys of World War II (Arctic convoys), the military essential goods to the Soviet Union , combined brought. As part of his command, he also came to Arkhangelsk . Towards the end of the Second World War he was given command of the prospect minesweeper . His task was to guide ten German tow trains with poison gas safely through the Norwegian fjords .

In 1942 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his military achievements . In 1948 he retired with the rank of first lieutenant ( Lieutenant ) from the service with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

Profession and St. Michaels Mount

After the Second World War he finished his law studies at the University of Cambridge. From 1948 he practiced as a solicitor in London; at the time he lived in an elegant apartment in Knightsbridge , which was used as a venue for social events and parties.

He was particularly known for his commitment to environmental protection , the preservation of the landscape and natural habitats. In 1954 he managed, with the help of a hitherto unique agreement with the British National Trust , to leave the administration of St. Michael's Mount Tourist Trade in family hands. In 1975 he took over the management from his father. In the following years he made St. Michaels Mount one of the most popular tourist attractions in Great Britain. St. Michaels Mount has consistently been one of the National Trust's 10 most-visited properties, with over 250,000 visitors annually.

He was one of the pioneers in Operation Neptune , initiated by the National Trust , with the aim of protecting Cornwall's pristine coastline for future generations. He also actively supported the National Trust's conservation work, such as the rebuilding of the causeway that connected the tidal island of St. Michael's Mount to the mainland.

He authored a book on St. Michael's Mount called the Illustrated History of St. Michael's Mount .

honors and awards

In 1974 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). In 1974 he became High Sheriff of Cornwall. Between 1977 and 1992 was Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of Cornwall. From 1992 to 1994 he was Vice-Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall.

In 1997 he was named Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (K.St.J.).

On April 1, 2013, a few days before his death, he was honored as a veteran of the Arctic Convoys with the Medal of the Arctic Star . In recognition of his services and for his life's work, the National Trust awarded him its highest honor, the Octavia Hill Medal .

Membership in the House of Lords

With the inheritance of the title of Baron St. Levan, he became an official member of the House of Lords on July 10, 1978 . At the House of Lords he spoke only on Cornwall affairs. He gave his inaugural address on April 4, 1984. The Hansard documents his speeches from 1984 to 1997. In February 1997, he last spoke in the House of Lords. His membership in the House of Lords ended in 1999 with the House of Lords Act 1999 .

Private

In December 1970 he married Susan Maria Marcia Kennedy, daughter of Major General Sir John Noble Kennedy. Together with her, he renovated and modernized the family estate of St. Michael's Mount. He lived on St. Michael's Mount until 2003. After the death of his wife († 2003) he moved to the mainland, but remained closely connected to the family estate as a patron, sponsor and supporter.

The title heir is his nephew, James St. Aubyn (* 1950). He had bequeathed the family seat to him in his will.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e The 4th Lord St Levan's obituary in: The Daily Telegraph, April 7, 2013
  2. ↑ a b c d John Francis Arthur St. Aubyn, 4th Baron St. Levan of St. Michaels Mount on thepeerage.com , accessed September 18, 2016.
  3. ↑ John Francis Arthur [St Aubyn , 4th Baron Saint Levan, DSC ] family tree at Cracroft's Peerage ; Retrieved April 10, 2013
  4. ↑ Areas of Outstanding Beauty: Protection Text of the speech of April 4, 1984
predecessor Office successor
Francis St. Aubyn Baron St. Levan
1978-2013 		James St. Aubyn
personal data
SURNAME St. Aubyn, John, 4th Baron St. Levan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES St. Aubyn, John Francis Arthur, 4th Baron Saint Levan (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British peer and politician
DATE OF BIRTH February 23, 1919
DATE OF DEATH April 7, 2013