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 James Grimston, 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, and he was injured in an aircraft accident in 1933.^[2] In 1937 he joined the Auxiliary Air Force and served in Coastal Command during World War II as a pilot.^[2]

Politician[]

He was elected to the House of Commons as MP for St Albans at the 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 and Clara Ray née Parks, in 1938. The couple had five children, listed below. 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[]

^ ^a ^b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 1)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Earl of Verulam - Former Tory MP for St Albans". The Times. No. 58760. London. 17 April 1973. p. 18.
^ New M.P. For St. Albans, The Times, Wednesday 6 October 1943; page 2
^ ^a ^b 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. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. 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 ^{[self-published source]}^{[better source needed]}
Lundy, Darryl. "FAQ". The Peerage.^{[unreliable source]}

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

[rayment-1] Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 1)

[obit-2] "Earl of Verulam - Former Tory MP for St Albans". The Times. No. 58760. London. 17 April 1973. p. 18.

[3] New M.P. For St. Albans, The Times, Wednesday 6 October 1943; page 2

[craig1918-1949-4] 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.

[kimber-1950-5] "UK General Election results February 1950". Richard Kimber's political science resources. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2010.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]