Ralph Grey, Baron Grey of Naunton

Flag of the Governor of Northern Ireland

Ralph Francis Alnwick Grey, Baron Grey of Naunton, GCMG GCVO OBE GCStJ PC (15 April 1910 – 17 October 1999) was the last Governor of Northern Ireland.

Ralph Grey was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on 15 April 1910. He began his career as a law clerk and barrister and solicitor, and joined the Colonial Administrative Service in 1936. This took him into civil service, and he served as Governor of British Guiana from 1958 to 1964 and of the Bahamas from 1964 to 1968.

He was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1951.

He became a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) in 1955, a Knight Commander (KCMG) in 1959[1] and, finally, a Knight Grand Cross (GCMG) in 1964.[2]

He was first appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) in 1956,[3] and a Knight Grand Cross (GCVO) in 1973.[4]

He was made Baron Grey of Naunton, of Naunton in the County of Gloucestershire, on 17 September 1968.[5]

Lord Grey of Naunton was the last Governor of Northern Ireland, from 1968 to 1973, having been appointed on 31 July 1968.[6] The position was abolished when the Northern Ireland parliament and government was abolished in 1973.

He had served as Chairman of the Central Council of the Royal Overseas League (1976–81), and was Lord Prior of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (1988–91). From 1984 to 1993, he was Chancellor of the University of Ulster.

He provided an introduction to the Standard Settings of Pipe Music of the Royal Irish Rangers. (1975)

References

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 41589. p. 4. 1 January 1959.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 43200. p. 4. 1 January 1964.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 40726. p. 1374. 6 March 1956.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 45984. p. 6476. 2 June 1973.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 44678. p. 10018. 17 September 1968.
  6. ↑ "A Chronology of the Conflict – 1968". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 11 July 2009.
Government offices
Preceded by
Sir Patrick Renison		 Governor of British Guiana
1958–1964 		Succeeded by
Sir Richard Luyt
Preceded by
Sir Robert Stapeldon de Stapeldon		 Governor of the Bahamas
1964–1968 		Succeeded by
Sir Francis Cumming-Bruce
Preceded by
Lord Erskine of Rerrick		 Governor of Northern Ireland
1968–1973 		Succeeded by
Office abolished