Henry Bentinck, 11th Earl of Portland
Encyclopedia
Henry Noel Bentinck, 11th Earl of Portland, 7th Count Bentinck und Waldeck Limpurg (2 October 1919 – 30 January 1997) was a non-conformist intellectual
, concerned about the environment
.
Henry Bentinck was born in 1919. He was Count
/Graf
Bentinck und Waldeck Limpurg of the Holy Roman Empire
with a Royal Licence of 1886 to use the title in England. His father Robert Charles, Count Bentinck (1875-1932) died when he was only 12. He was a descendant of The Hon. William Bentinck, 1st Graf Bentinck (1704-1774), younger son of William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland
, and half-brother of Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland
. His mother Lady Norah Ida Emily Noel, eldest daughter of Charles William Francis Noel, 3rd Earl of Gainsborough
, died when he was 19.
He was educated at Harrow
and Sandhurst Military College, but left after only a term amidst press headlines - "Count missing from Sandhurst". He worked as a cowboy in California for a year, returning to England in 1939 and marrying Pauline Ursula Mellowes in 1940. He registered as a conscientious objector
, but after the death of a close friend he joined the family regiment, the Coldstream Guards
, as a private soldier. He was soon commissioned as an officer and served with distinction in Italy at Camino
. He was wounded twice, and a prisoner of war until 1945, when he rejoined the regiment in Trieste
.
After the war he was a producer at the BBC
, where he met Professor Nathaniel Shaler
, who had forecast ecological catastrophe as early as the 1900s. This led to emigration from 1952 to 1955, and working as a jackaroo
on a sheep station in Tasmania
.
He rejoined the BBC, as producer of the Today programme
presented by Jack de Manio
and other series. At this time he wrote his first book Anyone Can Understand the Atom. In 1959 he joined J Walter Thompson
as an advertising producer, working on over 600 commercials.
He moved to Devon
in 1974 with his second wife Jenny Hopkins to run a self-sufficient organic smallholding
and guest-house for six years. Later he struck up a close friendship with James Lovelock
the creator of the Gaia hypothesis
, and published Life is a Sum.
In 1990, on the death of his distant cousin, the Duke of Portland
, he succeeded to the earldom of Portland through his descent from the first Earl. He used his maiden speech in the House of Lords
to address environmental issues.
He married secondly, Jenifer Hopkins, in 1974.
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
, concerned about the environment
Environment (biophysical)
The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...
.
Henry Bentinck was born in 1919. He was Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
/Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
Bentinck und Waldeck Limpurg of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
with a Royal Licence of 1886 to use the title in England. His father Robert Charles, Count Bentinck (1875-1932) died when he was only 12. He was a descendant of The Hon. William Bentinck, 1st Graf Bentinck (1704-1774), younger son of William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland
William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland
Hans William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland, Baron Bentinck of Diepenheim and Schoonheten, KG, PC was a Dutch and English nobleman who became in an early stage the favourite of William, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder in the Netherlands, and future King of England. He was steady, sensible, modest...
, and half-brother of Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland
Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland
Henry Bentinck, 1st Duke of Portland , styled Viscount Woodstock from 1689 until 1709, was a British politician and colonial statesman....
. His mother Lady Norah Ida Emily Noel, eldest daughter of Charles William Francis Noel, 3rd Earl of Gainsborough
Earl of Gainsborough
Earl of Gainsborough is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation ended in extinction when the sixth Earl died without heirs...
, died when he was 19.
He was educated at Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and Sandhurst Military College, but left after only a term amidst press headlines - "Count missing from Sandhurst". He worked as a cowboy in California for a year, returning to England in 1939 and marrying Pauline Ursula Mellowes in 1940. He registered as a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
, but after the death of a close friend he joined the family regiment, the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
, as a private soldier. He was soon commissioned as an officer and served with distinction in Italy at Camino
Camino
Camino is a free, open source, GUI-based Web browser based on Mozilla's Gecko layout engine and specifically designed for the Mac OS X operating system...
. He was wounded twice, and a prisoner of war until 1945, when he rejoined the regiment in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
.
After the war he was a producer at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, where he met Professor Nathaniel Shaler
Nathaniel Shaler
Nathaniel Southgate Shaler was an American paleontologist and geologist who wrote extensively on the theological and scientific implications of the theory of evolution.-Biography:...
, who had forecast ecological catastrophe as early as the 1900s. This led to emigration from 1952 to 1955, and working as a jackaroo
Jackaroo (trainee)
A Jackaroo is a young man working on a sheep or cattle station, to gain practical experience in the skills needed to become an owner, overseer, manager, etc. The word originated in Queensland, Australia in the Nineteenth Century and is still in use in Australia and New Zealand in the twenty-first...
on a sheep station in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
He rejoined the BBC, as producer of the Today programme
Today programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
presented by Jack de Manio
Jack de Manio
Jack de Manio MC and Bar was a British journalist, best known as a radio presenter....
and other series. At this time he wrote his first book Anyone Can Understand the Atom. In 1959 he joined J Walter Thompson
JWT
JWT is one of the largest advertising agencies in the United States and the fourth-largest in the world. It is one of the key companies of Sir Martin Sorrell's WPP Group and is headquartered in New York. The global agency is led by Worldwide Chairman and Global CEO Bob Jeffrey who took over the...
as an advertising producer, working on over 600 commercials.
He moved to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
in 1974 with his second wife Jenny Hopkins to run a self-sufficient organic smallholding
Smallholding
A smallholding is a farm of small size.In third world countries, smallholdings are usually farms supporting a single family with a mixture of cash crops and subsistence farming. As a country becomes more affluent and farming practices become more efficient, smallholdings may persist as a legacy of...
and guest-house for six years. Later he struck up a close friendship with James Lovelock
James Lovelock
James Lovelock, CH, CBE, FRS is an independent scientist, environmentalist and futurologist who lives in Devon, England. He is best known for proposing the Gaia hypothesis, which postulates that the biosphere is a self-regulating entity with the capacity to keep our planet healthy by controlling...
the creator of the Gaia hypothesis
Gaia hypothesis
The Gaia hypothesis, also known as Gaia theory or Gaia principle, proposes that all organisms and their inorganic surroundings on Earth are closely integrated to form a single and self-regulating complex system, maintaining the conditions for life on the planet.The scientific investigation of the...
, and published Life is a Sum.
In 1990, on the death of his distant cousin, the Duke of Portland
Victor Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland
Victor Frederick William Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland , the younger brother of Ferdinand William Cavendish-Bentinck, 8th Duke of Portland, was a British diplomat and held the post of Ambassador to Poland...
, he succeeded to the earldom of Portland through his descent from the first Earl. He used his maiden speech in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
to address environmental issues.
Family
He was married to Pauline Mellowes from 1940 until her death in 1967; they had three children:- Lady Sorrel Deidre Bentinck (born 22 Feb 1942)
- Lady Anna Cecilia Bentinck (born 18 May 1947)
- Timothy Charles Robert Noel Bentinck, 12th Earl of PortlandTim Bentinck, 12th Earl of PortlandTimothy Charles Robert Noel Bentinck, 12th Earl of Portland, 8th Count Bentinck und Waldeck Limpurg is an English peer and member of the House of Bentinck...
(born 1 Jun 1953)
He married secondly, Jenifer Hopkins, in 1974.