Basil Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough
Encyclopedia
Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough, Bt
, KG
, CBE
, MC
, PC
, HML
(9 June 1888 – 18 August 1973) was an Ulster Unionist politician who became the third Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
in 1943 and held office until 1963.
He had previously held several ministerial positions in the Government of Northern Ireland
, and has been described as "perhaps the last Unionist leader to command respect, loyalty and affection across the social and political spectrum of the movement". He has also been described as one of the most hardline anti-Catholic leaders of the Ulster Unionist Party.
, County Fermanagh
. He was the eldest son of Sir Arthur Douglas Brooke, 4th Baronet, whom he succeeded as 5th Baronet
on the latter's death in 1907. He was a nephew of Field Marshal Viscount Alanbrooke
, Chief of the Imperial General Staff during World War II, who was only five years his senior. Brookeborough's sister, Sheelah, married Sir Henry Mulholland
; their son would succeed as Baron Dunleath
. He was educated for five years at St. George's School in Pau, France
and then at Winchester College
(1901–05).
, Brooke was commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers on 26 September 1908 as a Second Lieutenant
. He transferred to the 10th Hussars in 1911. He was awarded the Military Cross
and Croix de Guerre
with palm for his service during World War I
. In 1920 he left the British Army
to farm his estate at Colebrooke.
In 1921 he was elected to the Senate of Northern Ireland
, but he resigned the following year to become Commandant of the Ulster Special Constabulary
in their fight against the IRA
. He was created CBE
in 1921.
In 1929 he was elected to the Northern Ireland House of Commons as Ulster Unionist Party MP for the Lisnaskea
division of County Fermanagh
. In the words of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography;
Brooke addressed an Orange Institution
rally on 12 July 1933, where he said:
Graham Walker writes (p. 149)"...Brookeborough's achievements over twenty years were substantial: the Unionist Party maintained essential unity, the anti-partitionist project was thwarted, and a potentially difficult post-war relationship with Britain under Labour was managed to the long-term benefit of Northern Ireland's full participation in the welfare state and new educational opportunities..."
In 1952 Sir Basil, whilst Prime Minister, was raised to the peerage as Viscount Brookeborough
, the title taken from the village named after the Brookes. Although a peer he retained his seat in the House of Commons at Stormont
and remained PM for another decade.
As Northern Ireland's economy began to de-industrialise in the mid-1950s, leading to high unemployment amongst the Protestant working classes, Brookeborough faced increasing disenchantment amongst Unionist Party backbenchers for what was regarded as his indifferent and ineffectual approach to mounting economic problems. As this disenchantment grew, British civil servants and some members of the Unionist Party combined to exert discreet and ultimately effective pressure on Brookeborough to resign to make way for Terence O'Neill
who was Finance Minister.
In 1963, his health having worsened, he resigned (at the age of 75) as Prime Minister. But he remained a member of the Northern Ireland House of Commons until the 1969 general election
, becoming the Father of the House
in 1965. During his last years in the legislature he publicly opposed the liberal policies of his successor as PM, Terence O'Neill
, who actively sought to improve relationships with the Republic of Ireland
, and who attempted to grant the demands of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
.
Brookeborough was noted for his casual style towards his Ministerial duties. Terence O'Neill later wrote of him: "he was good company and a good raconteur, and those who met him imagined that he was relaxing away from his desk. However they did not realise that there was no desk."
. He was also made an honorary LLD of Queen's University, Belfast.
From 1970 to 1973, years in which the Stormont institution came under its greatest strain and eventually crumbled, Brookeborough made only occasional forays into political life. In 1972 he appeared next to Mr William Craig on the balcony of the Stormont Parliament building, a diminutive figure beside the leader of the Vanguard movement who was rallying right-wing Unionists against the Government. He opposed the Westminster White Paper on the future of Northern Ireland and caused some embarrassment to his son, Captain John Brooke, the Unionist chief whip and an ally of Brian Faulkner
by speaking against the Faulkner Government's proposals.
In 1971, following Lady Brookeborough's death in 1970, Lord Brookeborough married Sarah Eileen Bell (Mrs Cecil Calvert). He was 83.
Lord Brookeborough died at his home in Colebrooke on 18 August 1973. His remains were cremated at Roselawn cemetery, Belfast, three days later, and in deference to his wishes his ashes were scattered on the demesne. In its obituary, The Times remarked that “Brookeborough was a man of courage, conviction and great charm. But his political sense was seriously found wanting by the intransigence with which he excluded the Roman Catholic minority from responsibility and participation.” The obituary continued remarking that Brookeborough was “[a] staunch representative of the Anglo-Irish
aristocracy and an unyielding believer in the Protestant Ascendancy
...The sectarian strife now tearing at the fabric of Northern Ireland's society is in part attributable to the immobility imposed in his long period of political leadership.”
Brookeborough’s estate was valued at £406,591.83: probate, 5 December 1975, CGPLA NIre. • £42,793 in England and Wales: probate, 7 November 1973, CGPLA Eng. & Wales.
His only surviving son, John Warden Brooke, succeeded to the viscountcy.
(1897–1970), second daughter and co-heir of Captain Charles Warden Surgison, of Cuckfield Park, Sussex. They were married on 3 June 1919 at St George's, Hanover Square. Their families were already close due to Miss Surgison's sister being married to Sir Basil's cousin. Following their marriage the Brookes went to live at Colebrooke. They had three sons, two of whom were killed in action during the Second World War.
Lady Brookeborough died in 1970 and the following year, aged 83, Brookeborough married Sarah Eileen Bell Calvert, daughter of Henry Healey, of Belfast, and widow of Cecil Armstrong Calvert FRCS, director of neurosurgery
at the Royal Victoria Hospital
, Belfast
. She died in 1989.
In his private life, he was a man of the simplest and most modest tastes and habits. His greatest recreation was farming, and he won many awards. But he also liked shooting, fishing, and golf.
for "Distinguished Service in the Field" on 3 June 1916. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre
Having been appointed CBE
in 1921, Brooke was, on 1 July 1952, raised to the House of Lords
as Viscount Brookeborough, of Colebrooke, County Fermanagh
. He was appointed a Knight of the Garter in 1965. He held the office of Vice-Admiral of Ulster between 1961 and 1973. He held the office of Lord Lieutenant of County Fermanagh and was Custos Rotulorum
of County Fermanagh between 1963 and 1969.
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, KG
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
, PC
Privy Council of Northern Ireland
The Privy Council of Northern Ireland was a formal body of advisors to the sovereign and was a vehicle for the monarch's prerogative powers in Northern Ireland. It was modelled on the Privy Council of the United Kingdom....
, HML
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
(9 June 1888 – 18 August 1973) was an Ulster Unionist politician who became the third Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was the de facto head of the Government of Northern Ireland. No such office was provided for in the Government of Ireland Act 1920. However the Lord Lieutenant, as with Governors-General in other Westminster Systems such as in Canada, chose to appoint someone...
in 1943 and held office until 1963.
He had previously held several ministerial positions in the Government of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, and has been described as "perhaps the last Unionist leader to command respect, loyalty and affection across the social and political spectrum of the movement". He has also been described as one of the most hardline anti-Catholic leaders of the Ulster Unionist Party.
Early life
Basil Stanlake Brooke was born on 9 June 1888 at his family's 1100 acres (4.5 km²) estate, Colebrooke Park, BrookeboroughBrookeborough
Brookeborough is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It lies between Enniskillen and Belfast just off the A4 trunk road, about five miles from the County Tyrone boundary....
, County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
. He was the eldest son of Sir Arthur Douglas Brooke, 4th Baronet, whom he succeeded as 5th Baronet
Viscount Brookeborough
Viscount Brookeborough, of Colebrooke in the County of Fermanagh, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1952 for the Ulster Unionist politician and Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, The Rt. Hon. Sir Basil Brooke, 5th Baronet....
on the latter's death in 1907. He was a nephew of Field Marshal Viscount Alanbrooke
Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke
Field Marshal The Rt. Hon. Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke, KG, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO & Bar , was a senior commander in the British Army. He was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff during the Second World War, and was promoted to Field Marshal in 1944...
, Chief of the Imperial General Staff during World War II, who was only five years his senior. Brookeborough's sister, Sheelah, married Sir Henry Mulholland
Sir Henry Mulholland, 1st Baronet
Sir Henry George Hill Mulholland, 1st Baronet PC , was a Northern Ireland politician.Mulholland was the third son of Henry Lyle Mulholland, 2nd Baron Dunleath, and Norah Louisa Fanny Ward...
; their son would succeed as Baron Dunleath
Baron Dunleath
Baron Dunleath, of Ballywalter in the County of Down, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1892 for the businessman and former Conservative Member of Parliament for Downpatrick, John Mulholland. The Mulholland family were involved in the cotton and linen industry in...
. He was educated for five years at St. George's School in Pau, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and then at Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
(1901–05).
Military career
After graduating from the Royal Military Academy SandhurstRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, Brooke was commissioned into the Royal Fusiliers on 26 September 1908 as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. He transferred to the 10th Hussars in 1911. He was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
and Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with palm for his service during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In 1920 he left the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
to farm his estate at Colebrooke.
Political career
Brooke had a very long political career. When he resigned the Premiership of Northern Ireland in March, 1963, he was Northern Ireland's longest serving Prime Minister, having held office for two months short of 20 years. He had also established a United Kingdom record by holding government office continuously for 33 years.In 1921 he was elected to the Senate of Northern Ireland
Senate of Northern Ireland
The Senate of Northern Ireland was the upper house of the Parliament of Northern Ireland created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It was abolished with the passing of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.-Powers:...
, but he resigned the following year to become Commandant of the Ulster Special Constabulary
Ulster Special Constabulary
The Ulster Special Constabulary was a reserve police force in Northern Ireland. It was set up in October 1920, shortly before the founding of Northern Ireland. It was an armed corps, organised partially on military lines and called out in times of emergency, such as war or insurgency...
in their fight against the IRA
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
. He was created CBE
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
in 1921.
In 1929 he was elected to the Northern Ireland House of Commons as Ulster Unionist Party MP for the Lisnaskea
Lisnaskea
Lisnaskea is the second-biggest settlement in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 2,739 people in the 2001 Census. The town is built around the long main street, which bends at almost 90 degrees along its course.- History :...
division of County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
. In the words of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography;
Cabinet Minister
Brooke became Minister of Agriculture in 1933. By virtue of this appointment, he also acquired the title of Privy Councillor of Northern Ireland. From 1941 to 1943 he was Minister of Commerce.Brooke addressed an Orange Institution
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
rally on 12 July 1933, where he said:
As Prime Minister
In 1943 he succeeded John M. Andrews as Prime Minister.Graham Walker writes (p. 149)"...Brookeborough's achievements over twenty years were substantial: the Unionist Party maintained essential unity, the anti-partitionist project was thwarted, and a potentially difficult post-war relationship with Britain under Labour was managed to the long-term benefit of Northern Ireland's full participation in the welfare state and new educational opportunities..."
In 1952 Sir Basil, whilst Prime Minister, was raised to the peerage as Viscount Brookeborough
Viscount Brookeborough
Viscount Brookeborough, of Colebrooke in the County of Fermanagh, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1952 for the Ulster Unionist politician and Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, The Rt. Hon. Sir Basil Brooke, 5th Baronet....
, the title taken from the village named after the Brookes. Although a peer he retained his seat in the House of Commons at Stormont
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
and remained PM for another decade.
As Northern Ireland's economy began to de-industrialise in the mid-1950s, leading to high unemployment amongst the Protestant working classes, Brookeborough faced increasing disenchantment amongst Unionist Party backbenchers for what was regarded as his indifferent and ineffectual approach to mounting economic problems. As this disenchantment grew, British civil servants and some members of the Unionist Party combined to exert discreet and ultimately effective pressure on Brookeborough to resign to make way for Terence O'Neill
Terence O'Neill
Terence Marne O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of the Maine, PC was the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party...
who was Finance Minister.
In 1963, his health having worsened, he resigned (at the age of 75) as Prime Minister. But he remained a member of the Northern Ireland House of Commons until the 1969 general election
Northern Ireland general election, 1969
-References:*...
, becoming the Father of the House
Father of the House
Father of the House is a term that has by tradition been unofficially bestowed on certain members of some national legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the term refers to the oldest member, but in others it refers the longest-serving member.The...
in 1965. During his last years in the legislature he publicly opposed the liberal policies of his successor as PM, Terence O'Neill
Terence O'Neill
Terence Marne O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of the Maine, PC was the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party...
, who actively sought to improve relationships with the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, and who attempted to grant the demands of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was an organisation which campaigned for equal civil rights for the all the people in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
.
Brookeborough was noted for his casual style towards his Ministerial duties. Terence O'Neill later wrote of him: "he was good company and a good raconteur, and those who met him imagined that he was relaxing away from his desk. However they did not realise that there was no desk."
Later life and death
In his retirement Brookeborough developed commercial interests; as chairman of Carreras (Northern Ireland), a director of Devenish Trade, and president of the Northern Ireland Institute of DirectorsInstitute of Directors
The Institute of Directors is a UK-based organisation, established in 1903 and incorporated by royal charter in 1906 to support, represent and set standards for company directors...
. He was also made an honorary LLD of Queen's University, Belfast.
From 1970 to 1973, years in which the Stormont institution came under its greatest strain and eventually crumbled, Brookeborough made only occasional forays into political life. In 1972 he appeared next to Mr William Craig on the balcony of the Stormont Parliament building, a diminutive figure beside the leader of the Vanguard movement who was rallying right-wing Unionists against the Government. He opposed the Westminster White Paper on the future of Northern Ireland and caused some embarrassment to his son, Captain John Brooke, the Unionist chief whip and an ally of Brian Faulkner
Brian Faulkner
Arthur Brian Deane Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick, PC was the sixth and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from March 1971 until his resignation in March 1972...
by speaking against the Faulkner Government's proposals.
In 1971, following Lady Brookeborough's death in 1970, Lord Brookeborough married Sarah Eileen Bell (Mrs Cecil Calvert). He was 83.
Lord Brookeborough died at his home in Colebrooke on 18 August 1973. His remains were cremated at Roselawn cemetery, Belfast, three days later, and in deference to his wishes his ashes were scattered on the demesne. In its obituary, The Times remarked that “Brookeborough was a man of courage, conviction and great charm. But his political sense was seriously found wanting by the intransigence with which he excluded the Roman Catholic minority from responsibility and participation.” The obituary continued remarking that Brookeborough was “[a] staunch representative of the Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
aristocracy and an unyielding believer in the Protestant Ascendancy
Protestant Ascendancy
The Protestant Ascendancy, usually known in Ireland simply as the Ascendancy, is a phrase used when referring to the political, economic, and social domination of Ireland by a minority of great landowners, Protestant clergy, and professionals, all members of the Established Church during the 17th...
...The sectarian strife now tearing at the fabric of Northern Ireland's society is in part attributable to the immobility imposed in his long period of political leadership.”
Brookeborough’s estate was valued at £406,591.83: probate, 5 December 1975, CGPLA NIre. • £42,793 in England and Wales: probate, 7 November 1973, CGPLA Eng. & Wales.
His only surviving son, John Warden Brooke, succeeded to the viscountcy.
Personal life and family
He married, firstly, Cynthia MaryCynthia Brooke, Viscountess Brookeborough
Dame Cynthia Mary Sergison Brooke, Viscountess Brookeborough, was the daughter of Captain and Mrs. Charles Warden Sergison.-Personal life:She married Viscount Brookeborough , son of Sir Arthur Douglas Brooke, 4th Bt. and Gertrude Isabella Batson, on 3 June 1919...
(1897–1970), second daughter and co-heir of Captain Charles Warden Surgison, of Cuckfield Park, Sussex. They were married on 3 June 1919 at St George's, Hanover Square. Their families were already close due to Miss Surgison's sister being married to Sir Basil's cousin. Following their marriage the Brookes went to live at Colebrooke. They had three sons, two of whom were killed in action during the Second World War.
Lady Brookeborough died in 1970 and the following year, aged 83, Brookeborough married Sarah Eileen Bell Calvert, daughter of Henry Healey, of Belfast, and widow of Cecil Armstrong Calvert FRCS, director of neurosurgery
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
at the Royal Victoria Hospital
Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast
The Royal Victoria Hospital is a hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. She died in 1989.
In his private life, he was a man of the simplest and most modest tastes and habits. His greatest recreation was farming, and he won many awards. But he also liked shooting, fishing, and golf.
Children
By his first wife Lord Brookeborough had the following children:- Lieutenant Basil Julian David Brooke (18 April 1920 - March 1943 - Killed in actionKilled in actionKilled in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
) - John Warden Brooke, 2nd Viscount Brookeborough (9 November 1922 - 5 March 1987)
- Lieutenant Henry Alan Brooke (29 October 1923 - April 1945 - killed in action)
Awards and decorations
He was awarded the Military CrossMilitary Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for "Distinguished Service in the Field" on 3 June 1916. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
Having been appointed CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1921, Brooke was, on 1 July 1952, raised to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as Viscount Brookeborough, of Colebrooke, County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
. He was appointed a Knight of the Garter in 1965. He held the office of Vice-Admiral of Ulster between 1961 and 1973. He held the office of Lord Lieutenant of County Fermanagh and was Custos Rotulorum
Custos rotulorum
Custos rotulorum is the keeper of an English county's records and, by virtue of that office, the highest civil officer in the county...
of County Fermanagh between 1963 and 1969.