Lord Herbert Vane-Tempest

Portrait of Lord Herbert Vane-Tempest

Lord Herbert Lionel Henry Vane-Tempest KCVO VD (6 July 1862 – 26 January 1921) was a British company director. He was a director of the Cambrian Railways and died in the Abermule train collision in January 1921.

Life

Lord Herbert was born into, on his father's side, an aristocratic family of partial Ulster-Scots descent, being the son of the 5th Marquess of Londonderry and his wife, Mary Cornelia Edwards, and brother of the 6th Marquess of Londonderry. He was born on 6 July 1862.[1]

Lord Herbert was a Justice of the Peace of both Montgomeryshire and Merionethshire. He was awarded the Volunteer Officers' Decoration and was appointed Knight Commander, Royal Victorian Order. He was a Major and Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel in the Durham Artillery Militia.[1]

In 1905, Lord Herbert became a director of the Cambrian Railways.[2] The following year, he inherited Plas Machynlleth and a considerable fortune from his mother, Mary.[3] In 1910, Lord Herbert was appointed the High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire.[1] Also in 1910, he became a director of a new company set up to revive the moribund Mawddwy Railway.[4]

Death

On Wednesday, 26 January 1921, Lord Herbert joined the east-bound express train from Aberystwyth at Machynlleth. Just before noon, the train was approaching Abermule where it was due to cross the west-bound stopping train from Whitchurch, Shropshire. Due to a failure by the staff at Abermule, the train from Whitchurch was allowed to proceed westward while the express train was approaching the station. The two trains collided west of Abermule station. Seventeen people were killed, including Lord Herbert, aged 58. He was buried in Machynlleth on Saturday, 29 January.[5]

Winston Churchill was Lord Herbert's first cousin once removed and inherited several thousand pounds from a trust set up by Lord Herbert's grandmother (Churchill's great-grandmother), Frances Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry, to aid her male descendants who were not due to inherit the family titles, as Lord Herbert died a bachelor. Churchill was able to put this inheritance towards the purchase of Chartwell.[6]

Lord Herbert Vane-Tempest

References

  1. ^ a b c Mosley, Charles (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage (107th ed.). Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd.
  2. ^ Johnson, Peter (2013). The Cambrian Railways - a new history. Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 978 0 86093 644 2.
  3. ^ "Court and Society". Belfast News-Letter. 1 February 1921.
  4. ^ Christiansen, Rex; Miller, R. W. (1968). The Cambrian Railways 1889-1968. Vol. 2. Newton Abbot: David & Charles.
  5. ^ The Scotsman, 31/1/1921.
  6. ^ Manchester, William (1983). The Last Lion: Winston Churchill: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932. Vol. 1. London: Michael Joseph Ltd.