Brian Lewis, 2nd Baron Essendon
Encyclopedia
Brian Edmund Lewis, 2nd Baron Essendon (7 December 1903 – 18 July 1978), also known as Bug, was a British
motor-racing driver, company director, baronet, and peer.
Born in Edmonton, Middlesex, he was the only son of first Lord Essendon
, the shipping magnate, by his wife Eleanor (d.1967), daughter of R. H. Harrison of West Hartlepool
. In 1938, he married Mary Duffil, widow of Albert Duffil, daughter of G. W. Booker of Los Angeles
.
Educated at Malvern
, and Pembroke College, Cambridge
, he was a Director of Furness Withy
(the family shipping firm), Barry Aikman Travel Ltd and Godfrey Davis & Co Ltd.
He raced Frazer Nash
es in England in the 1920s and entered a private Maserati 8CM at the Swiss
Grand Prix 1935. As The Times put it in 1978:
In the late 1930s, he was a motoring correspondent of the News Chronicle
and a President of the Guild of Motoring Writers.
Lord Essendon succeeded his father in the peerage and baronetcy in 1944.
His main recreation was golf
. He was a member of the Bath Club
in London.
He lived in London and at Avenue Eglantine 5, Lausanne, Switzerland. He died in Lausanne, Switzerland.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
motor-racing driver, company director, baronet, and peer.
Born in Edmonton, Middlesex, he was the only son of first Lord Essendon
Frederick Lewis, 1st Baron Essendon
Frederick Lewis, 1st Baron Essendon , known as Sir Frederick Lewis, Bt, between 1918 and 1932, was a British shipping magnate.-Biography:...
, the shipping magnate, by his wife Eleanor (d.1967), daughter of R. H. Harrison of West Hartlepool
West Hartlepool
This article refers to the place; for the Rugby Football Club see West Hartlepool R.F.C.West Hartlepool refers to the western part of the what has since the 1960s been known as the borough of Hartlepool in North East England...
. In 1938, he married Mary Duffil, widow of Albert Duffil, daughter of G. W. Booker of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Educated at Malvern
Malvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
, and Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
, he was a Director of Furness Withy
Furness Withy
Furness Withy was a major British transport business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange.-History:The Company was founded by Christopher Furness and Henry Withy in 1891 in Hartlepool. This was achieved by the amalgamation of the Furness Line of steamers with the business of Edward Withy and...
(the family shipping firm), Barry Aikman Travel Ltd and Godfrey Davis & Co Ltd.
He raced Frazer Nash
Frazer Nash
Frazer Nash was a British sports car manufacturer and engineering company founded by Archibald Frazer-Nash in 1922. It produced sports cars incorporating a unique multi-chain transmission before World War II and also imported BMW cars to the UK. After the war it continued producing sports cars with...
es in England in the 1920s and entered a private Maserati 8CM at the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Grand Prix 1935. As The Times put it in 1978:
- 'Along with a distinguished band that included Lord HoweFrancis Curzon, 5th Earl HoweFrancis Richard Henry Penn Curzon, 5th Earl Howe, CBE, PC, VD was a British naval officer, Member of Parliament, motor racing driver and promotor. In the 1918 UK General Election he won the Battersea South seat as the candidate of the Conservative Party, which he held until 1929...
, Sir Henry BirkinHenry BirkinSir Henry Ralph Stanley "Tim" Birkin, 3rd Baronet was a British racing driver, one of the "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s.-Background and family:...
, and the Earl of MarchFrederick Gordon-Lennox, 9th Duke of RichmondFrederick Charles Gordon-Lennox, 9th Duke of Richmond, 9th Duke of Lennox, 4th Duke of Gordon was a British peer, engineer, racing driver and motor racing promoter....
, later the Duke of Richmond, he was one of a bunch of titled and talented amateurs who did much for the image of British motor racing in the 1920s and 1930s, albeit mainly at the wheel of foreign cars.'
In the late 1930s, he was a motoring correspondent of the News Chronicle
News Chronicle
The News Chronicle was a British daily newspaper. It ceased publication on 17 October 1960, being absorbed into the Daily Mail. Its offices were in Bouverie Street, off Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 8DP, England.-Daily Chronicle:...
and a President of the Guild of Motoring Writers.
Lord Essendon succeeded his father in the peerage and baronetcy in 1944.
His main recreation was golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. He was a member of the Bath Club
Bath Club
The Bath Club was a sports-themed London gentlemen's club in the twentieth century. It was established in 1894 at 34 Dover Street. Its swimming pool was a noted feature, and it is thought that the swimming pool of the fictional Drones Club was based on this. Sir Henry "Chips" Channon was a member....
in London.
He lived in London and at Avenue Eglantine 5, Lausanne, Switzerland. He died in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Racing
- 1930 (Talbot), 1932 (Talbot), 1933 (Alfa Romeo) Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
(third each time). - 1933: Mannin Moar / Nice Grand Prix / Mountain
- 1934: 1st Mannin Moar / famous TT duel with E. R. Hall on Belfast's old ArdsArds PeninsulaThe Ards Peninsula is a peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland which separates Strangford Lough from the North Channel of the Irish Sea, on Ireland's northeast coast. A number of towns and villages are located on the peninsula, such as the seaside town of Donaghadee, with the surrounding area...
circuit. - 1935: 1st Mannin Moar / 5th Marne Grand Prix / Did Not Finish Nice Grand Prix / Did Not Finish Swiss Grand Prix / NC* Donington Grand Prix
- 1936: 15th Vanderbilt Cup
- 1937: 1st Mannin Moar (Alfa Romeo).
External links
- Cricket Archive profile of Brian Lewis. www.acscricket.com. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- Historic Racing profile of Brian Lewis. www.historicracing.com. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- List of famous students at Pembroke College, Cambridge : Brian Lewis, 2nd Baron Essendon www.listaba.com. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
- "historicracing.com: 188 - Fitted out in a nice bespoke suit and tie here we find 'Bug' ready to tackle the outer circuit at Brooklands in 1930." www.facebook.com. Retrieved 3 May 2010.