John Whyte-Melville-Skeffington, 13th Viscount Massereene
Encyclopedia
John Clotworthy Talbot Foster Whyte-Melville-Skeffington, 13th Viscount Massereene and 6th Viscount Ferrard DL
(22 October 1914 – 27 December 1992) was a British
politician and landowner. He was also Baron of Loughneagh (1660, Ireland), 6th Baron Oriel (1790, Ireland), and 6th Baron Oriel (1821, UK), and served as a Deputy Lieutenant for County Antrim
. He succeeded his father in 1956 and regularly attended the House of Lords
.
, in 1939 Whyte-Melville-Skeffington married Annabelle Kathleen, daughter of the late Henry D. Lewis, of Combwell Priory, Kent. They had one son and one daughter. He was a lieutenant in the Black Watch
regiment 1933-36, and again in 1939, invalided out in 1940 due to wounds received in action. He served in the Small Vessels Pool, Royal Navy
, in 1944. He was Gold Staff Officer at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
in 1953.
, Conservative Division. He was a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Delegation to Spain in 1960, and Commodore of the House of Lords Yacht Club, 1972 - 1985. He was Joint Deputy Chairman (1965 - 1970) and Whip of the Conservative Peers Committee (IUP) in the House of Lords
1965 - 1970.
Lord Masserene and Ferrard was responsible for introducing to Parliament the Deer Act in 1963, the Export of Animals for Research Bill 1968, the Riding Establishments Act 1970, the Valerie Mary Hill and Alan Monk (Marriage Enabling) Bill 1984, and moved debates on Overseas Information Services and other matters. He was Commissioner to the Hunterston Ore Terminal
Hearing, Glasgow, 1973. In 1976, he was on the parliamentary delegation to Malawi
, and the same year served on the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Anglian Water
Authority Bill.
He was for over twenty years an active member of the Conservative Monday Club
. In 1981, he succeeded the 6th Marquess of Salisbury
as Club President, a post he held until January 1991, when he stood down "because of my age" (Mail on Sunday, 3 February 1991).
-Isle of Mull
, 1968. He was a Freeman of the City of London
, and a liveryman of the Shipwrights' Company. He was one of the original pioneers in the commercial development of Cape Canaveral
, and a director of numerous companies.
He was for some time a member of the Senechal Council of Canterbury Cathedral
, a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron
, and a Vice-President of the Kent branch of the Royal British Legion. He was also chairman of the Victoria League, Kent.
, Kent
. The Norman Keep of the Castle, which is the oldest building in the village and still inhabited, dates from 1174 and was said to have been built for King Henry II. But archaeological excavations carried out in the 1920s suggest that it stands on the foundations of a much older Anglo-Saxon
fortification, possibly dating from the 5th century, and there is evidence of earlier Roman habitation in the vicinity.
The Jacobean
building, now known as the Castle, was constructed in 1616 for Sir Dudley Digges, reputedly to a design by Inigo Jones
. It is one of the finer mansions in the south-east and commands exceptional views across the valley of the River Stour, Kent
. The gardens, originally laid out by John Tradescant the elder
, were redesigned in the 18th century under the guidance of Capability Brown
and include a fine terrace leading down to a fishing lake. The walls to the grounds also date from this time (1720), although the two gatehouses were only added in the present century.
He also owned the Knock estate on the Isle of Mull
, as well as estates in Ireland
, notably Antrim Castle
near the Six Mile Water in county Antrim, Ulster
. It was set alight in a night time raid by the Irish Republican Army
(IRA) in 1922 and destroyed. Massereene was in the castle with his parents at the time. All that remains is an octagonal tower.
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(22 October 1914 – 27 December 1992) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician and landowner. He was also Baron of Loughneagh (1660, Ireland), 6th Baron Oriel (1790, Ireland), and 6th Baron Oriel (1821, UK), and served as a Deputy Lieutenant for County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
. He succeeded his father in 1956 and regularly attended 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....
.
Early years
Educated at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, in 1939 Whyte-Melville-Skeffington married Annabelle Kathleen, daughter of the late Henry D. Lewis, of Combwell Priory, Kent. They had one son and one daughter. He was a lieutenant in the Black Watch
Black Watch
The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
regiment 1933-36, and again in 1939, invalided out in 1940 due to wounds received in action. He served in the Small Vessels Pool, Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, in 1944. He was Gold Staff Officer at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1953.
Political activities
Viscount Masserene and Ferrard was President of Brighton Kemptown Conservative Association, and Vice-President and Treasurer of the Ashford, KentAshford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
, Conservative Division. He was a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Delegation to Spain in 1960, and Commodore of the House of Lords Yacht Club, 1972 - 1985. He was Joint Deputy Chairman (1965 - 1970) and Whip of the Conservative Peers Committee (IUP) 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....
1965 - 1970.
Lord Masserene and Ferrard was responsible for introducing to Parliament the Deer Act in 1963, the Export of Animals for Research Bill 1968, the Riding Establishments Act 1970, the Valerie Mary Hill and Alan Monk (Marriage Enabling) Bill 1984, and moved debates on Overseas Information Services and other matters. He was Commissioner to the Hunterston Ore Terminal
Hunterston Terminal
Hunterston Terminal, in North Ayrshire, Scotland, is a coal-handling port located at Fairlie on the Firth of Clyde, and operated by Clydeport. It lies adjacent to Hunterston estate, site of Hunterston Castle....
Hearing, Glasgow, 1973. In 1976, he was on the parliamentary delegation to Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, and the same year served on the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Anglian Water
Anglian Water
Anglian Water is a privatised water company that operates in the East of England. Named for East Anglia, apart from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire it also covers Lincolnshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, a small part of north Nottinghamshire and Greater London...
Authority Bill.
He was for over twenty years an active member of the Conservative Monday Club
Conservative Monday Club
The Conservative Monday Club is a British pressure group "on the right-wing" of the Conservative Party.-Overview:...
. In 1981, he succeeded the 6th Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 6th Marquess of Salisbury
Robert Edward Peter Gascoyne-Cecil, 6th Marquess of Salisbury , styled Viscount Cranborne from 1947 to 1972, was a British landowner and Conservative politician....
as Club President, a post he held until January 1991, when he stood down "because of my age" (Mail on Sunday, 3 February 1991).
Business and other activities
Lord Massereene was the driver of the leading British car in the Le Mans Grand Prix D'endurance in 1937, and promoted the first scheduled air service between Glasgow-ObanOban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
-Isle of Mull
Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....
, 1968. He was a Freeman of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, and a liveryman of the Shipwrights' Company. He was one of the original pioneers in the commercial development of Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
, and a director of numerous companies.
He was for some time a member of the Senechal Council of Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron
Royal Yacht Squadron
The Royal Yacht Squadron is the most prestigious yacht club in the United Kingdom and arguably the world. Its clubhouse is located in Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom...
, and a Vice-President of the Kent branch of the Royal British Legion. He was also chairman of the Victoria League, Kent.
Estates
A very extensive landowner, his English seat was at Chilham CastleChilham Castle
Chilham Castle is a manor house and keep in the village of Chilham, between Ashford and Canterbury in the county of Kent, England. The polygonal Norman keep of the Castle, the oldest building in the village, dates from 1174; still inhabited, it was said to have been built for King Henry II...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. The Norman Keep of the Castle, which is the oldest building in the village and still inhabited, dates from 1174 and was said to have been built for King Henry II. But archaeological excavations carried out in the 1920s suggest that it stands on the foundations of a much older Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
fortification, possibly dating from the 5th century, and there is evidence of earlier Roman habitation in the vicinity.
The Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
building, now known as the Castle, was constructed in 1616 for Sir Dudley Digges, reputedly to a design by Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones is the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
. It is one of the finer mansions in the south-east and commands exceptional views across the valley of the River Stour, Kent
River Stour, Kent
The River Stour is the river in Kent, England that flows into the English Channel at Pegwell Bay. Above Plucks Gutter, where the Little Stour joins it, the river is normally known as the Great Stour. The upper section of the river, above its confluence with the East Stour at Ashford is sometimes...
. The gardens, originally laid out by John Tradescant the elder
John Tradescant the elder
John Tradescant the elder , father of John Tradescant the younger, was an English naturalist, gardener, collector and traveller, probably born in Suffolk, England...
, were redesigned in the 18th century under the guidance of Capability Brown
Capability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
and include a fine terrace leading down to a fishing lake. The walls to the grounds also date from this time (1720), although the two gatehouses were only added in the present century
He also owned the Knock estate on the Isle of Mull
Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....
, as well as estates in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, notably Antrim Castle
Antrim Castle
Antrim Castle or Massereene Castle was a castle in Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was erected in stages between 1610 and 1666. It was destroyed in 1922 and finally demolished in the 1970s.- History:...
near the Six Mile Water in county Antrim, Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
. It was set alight in a night time raid by the Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA) in 1922 and destroyed. Massereene was in the castle with his parents at the time. All that remains is an octagonal tower.
Publications
- Massereene & Ferrard, The Viscount, The Lords - The History of the House of LordsHouse of LordsThe 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....
and its function and role in the 20th century, (Foreword by The Lord ChancellorLord ChancellorThe Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
, Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St MaryleboneQuintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St MaryleboneFor the businessman and philanthropist, see Quintin Hogg Quintin McGarel Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone, KG, CH, PC, QC, FRS , formerly 2nd Viscount Hailsham , was a British politician who was known for the longevity of his career, the vigour with which he campaigned for the Conservative...
), London, 1973, ISBN 0-85632-018-8 .