William Ewart Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose (23 June 1879 – 15 June 1954) was a British newspaper publisher.
The second of three brothers born in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, Berry started his working life as a journalist and established his own paper, Advertising World, in 1901. Berry made his fortune with the publication of the World War I magazine The War Illustrated, which at its peak had a circulation of 750,000. In partnership with his younger brother, Gomer (the elder brother was Seymour Berry, 1st Baron Buckland), he purchased The Sunday Times in 1915 and served as its editor-in-chief until 1937. In 1919 the pair also purchased the Financial Times.
In 1924 the Berry brothers and Sir Edward Iliffe set up Allied Newspapers and purchased the Daily Dispatch, the Manchester Evening Chronicle, the Sunday Chronicle, the Sunday News, and the Sunday Graphic, as well as a string of other newspapers across the country. In Cardiff they merged four newspapers into the Western Mail. In 1927 they purchased The Daily Telegraph from the 2nd Baron Burnham, with William Berry also becoming its editor-in-chief. In 1937 they also purchased its rival, The Morning Post.
He bought out his partners in 1937 and amalgamated The Morning Post with The Daily Telegraph, with himself as chairman and editor-in-chief. His sons Seymour, the 2nd Viscount, and subsequently Michael, continued to run the newspaper until 1986.
Berry was created a Baronet in the 1921 Birthday Honours.[1] He was created Baron Camrose, of Long Cross in the County of Surrey, on 19 June 1929,[2] and Viscount Camrose, of Hackwood Park in the County of Southampton, on 20 January 1941.[3] He was succeeded by his son, John Seymour Berry.
Lord Camrose provided financial assistance to Sir Winston Churchill after the Second World War. He and another ten wealthy well-wishers each donated £5,000 to the Churchills, allowing them to keep their home, Chartwell, on the condition that it would be presented to the nation upon their deaths.
| Peerage of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| New creation | Viscount Camrose 1939–1954 |
Succeeded by John Seymour Berry |
| New creation | Baron Camrose 1929–1954 |
|
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New creation | Baronet (of Hackwood Park) 1941–1954 |
Succeeded by John Seymour Berry |