Dermot Chichester, 7th Marquess of Donegall

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Dermot Richard Claud Chichester, 7th Marquess of Donegall, LVO (18 April 1916 – 19 April 2007) was an Irish soldier, landowner and member of the House of Lords.

Chichester was the second son of Arthur Chichester, 4th Baron Templemore, whom he succeeded in the Barony. He was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst. He served in the Second World War as a captain with the 7th Queen's Own Hussars in Egypt. He was reported missing in action and believed to have been killed, but had been captured in Libya in November 1942 during the North African Campaign. He remained a prisoner of war in Italy until escaping in June 1944. He was promoted Major that year, and retired from the British Army in 1949, but served for several years with the Leicestershire Yeomanry.

His elder brother, Arthur, having been killed in 1942 serving with the Coldstream Guards, Chichester succeeded his father as 5th Baron Templemore in 1953. In 1975, he also succeeded his distant cousin as 7th Marquess of Donegall, being the descendant of Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Templemore (who in turn was decended from Sir Arthur Chichester a former Lord Deputy of Ireland), grandson of Arthur Chichester, 1st Marquess of Donegall. He also inherited other titled, and was Lord High Admiral of Lough Neagh.

He became a member of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms in 1966, and was its Standard Bearer from 1984 to 1986. He was appointed LVO in 1986, and was for many years an active member of the Conservative Monday Club. He was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, and master of the Wexford Hounds. He also bred horses, including The Proclamation, winnder of the Punchestown champion hurdle in 1989, and Dunbrody Millar, winner of the Topham Trophy at Aintree in 2007.

In 1946, he married Lady Josceline Gabrielle Legge (died 1995), daughter of William Legge, 7th Earl of Dartmouth. They had a son, Patrick Chichester (born 1952) and two daughters. The Marquess lived at the family home of Dunbrody Park, County Wexford.

[edit] References

• Copping, Robert, The Monday Club - Crisis and After May 1975, page 25, published by the Current Affairs Information Service, Ilford, Essex, (P/B).
• Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 20 July 2007

Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by Edward Chichester	Marquess of Donegall 1975–2007	Succeeded by Patrick Chichester
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Arthur Chichester	Baron Templemore 1953–2007	Succeeded by Patrick Chichester