Henry Milles-Lade, 5th Earl Sondes
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Henry Milles-Lade (born 1 May 1940, died 2 December 1996) was the fifth and final holder of the title Earl Sondes, of Lees Court in Kent. He inherited the title upon the death of his father in 1970 and the peerage became extinct when he died without an heir. [1]
The fifth earl was considered a colourful character. In his pre-teen years he was a page at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II but was later expelled from Eton College for operating gambling books. He owned racehorses and greyhounds, but his strongest connection with sport was with Kent's only professional football club, Gillingham F.C., where he served as vice-chairman of the board of directors. [2] Indeed upon his retirement from the role, a large clock was erected at the club's Priestfield Stadium and dubbed the "Lord Sondes Clock" in his honour. The clock was removed as part of ground redevelopment work in the 1990s and its current whereabouts are unknown.
The Earl was married four times. [2] His wives included the New York socialite Sharon Hammond, [3] whom he married in 1981, [4] and another American, Phyllis Kane, who survived him and inherited Lees Court, which she transformed into an agricultural business growing pharmaceutical and biofuel crops. The Earl was buried in the church in the village of Sheldwich in Swale. [5]
