Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy
| Maurice Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Edmund Maurice Burke Roche 15 May 1885 Chelsea, London |
| Died | 8 July 1955 (aged 70) |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Harvard University |
| Title | 4th Baron Fermoy |
| Predecessor | 3rd Baron Fermoy |
| Successor | 5th Baron Fermoy |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth Roche, Baroness Fermoy |
| Children |
Mary Cynthia Roche Frances Shand Kydd Edmund Roche, 5th Baron Fermoy |
| Parent(s) |
James Roche, 3rd Baron Fermoy Frances Ellen Work |
| Relatives |
Cynthia Roche (sister) Diana, Princess of Wales (granddaughter) |
Edmund Maurice Burke Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy (15 May 1885 – 8 July 1955) was a British Conservative Party politician, an Irish peer and the maternal grandfather of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Life and career
Roche was born on 15 May 1885 in Chelsea, London, the elder of twin sons of the Hon. James Roche (later Baron Fermoy) and his American wife, Frances Ellen Work.[1]
He was educated at Harvard University and graduated in 1909.[2] He returned to England on succeeding to his father's Irish peerage in 1920.[3] He was a naturalized American citizen but resumed British nationality following his succession to the title.[2]
He rented Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk from the royal family. At the 1924 general election, he contested and won the local parliamentary constituency, King's Lynn, holding the seat until he stood down at the 1935 general election.[3] He was also elected the town's mayor in 1931.[4]
On 17 September 1931, Lord Fermoy married Ruth Sylvia Gill (the youngest daughter of Col. William Gill) at St. Devenick’s, Bieldside, Aberdeenshire[1] and they had three children:
- Hon. Mary Cynthia (b. 1934), married (1) Hon. Sir Anthony Berry (divorced 1966), (2) Denis Geoghegan (divorced 1980), (3) Michael Gunningham (divorced 1989)
- Hon. Frances Ruth (1936–2004), married (1) Edward Spencer, Viscount Althorp (divorced 1969), (2) Peter Shand Kydd
- Hon. Edmund James Burke (1939–1984), later the 5th Baron Fermoy.
Lord Fermoy joined the Royal Air Force in 1939 at the start of World War II but when the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for King’s Lynn was killed on active service in 1943, he resigned his commission and stood for re-election. He retired from politics when Parliament was dissolved for the 1945 general election.[3]
Lord Fermoy collapsed in a shop at King’s Lynn, Norfolk in June 1955 and died three weeks later.[3] He was succeeded by his only son.
Legacy
His life was the subject of the book Lilac Days, by Gavan Naden and Maxine Riddington (HarperCollins (ISBN 0-00-719863-9)), where it was revealed he had a 30-year affair with an American, Edith Travis.
References
- 1 2 Williamson, D The Ancestry of Lady Diana Spencer In: Genealogist’s Magazine, 1981; vol. 20 (no. 6) p. 192-199 and vol. 20 (no. 8) p. 281-282
- 1 2 "Queen heads lists guests at wedding". The Montreal Gazette (Montreal). 1 June 1954. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 The Times, 9 July 1955; p. 8 col. D
- ↑ The Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Lord Fermoy
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by George Woodwark |
Member of Parliament for King's Lynn 1924–1935 |
Succeeded by Somerset Maxwell |
| Preceded by Somerset Maxwell |
Member of Parliament for King's Lynn 1943–1945 |
Succeeded by Frederick Wise |
| Peerage of Ireland | ||
| Preceded by James Roche |
Baron Fermoy 1920–1955 |
Succeeded by Edmund Roche |