Brinsley Le Poer Trench, 8th Earl of Clancarty
Encyclopedia
William Francis Brinsley Le Poer Trench, 8th Earl of Clancarty, 7th Marquess of Heusden (18 September 191118 May 1995) was a prominent ufologist
. He was an Irish peer
, as well a nobleman in the Dutch nobility.
.
From 1956 to 1959 Clancarty edited the Flying Saucer Review and founded the International Unidentified Object Observer Corps. He also found employment selling advertising space for a gardening magazine housed opposite Waterloo Station
.
In 1967, he founded Contact International and served as its first president. He also served as vice-president of the British UFO Research Association
(BUFORA). Clancarty was an honorary life member of the now defunct Ancient Astronauts Society which supported the ideas put forward by Erich von Däniken
in his 1968 book Chariots of the Gods?.
In 1975 he succeeded to the earldom on the death of his half-brother, giving him a seat in the British Parliament. He used his new position to found a UFO Study Group at the House of Lords
, introducing Flying Saucer Review to its library and pushing for the declassification of UFO data.
Four years later he organised a celebrated debate in the House of Lords on UFOs which attracted many speeches on both sides of the question. In one debate, Lord Strabolgi
, for the Government, declared that there was nothing to convince him that any alien spacecraft had ever visited the Earth.
He lived most of his life in South Kensington
and died in Bexhill-on-Sea
in 1995, leaving his extensive collection of papers to Contact International.
He was succeeded to the earldom by his nephew Nicholas Le Poer Trench
(b. 1952).
theory, he discussed his ideas about the hollow earth in his book Secret of the Ages: UFOs from Inside the Earth. He also claimed that he could trace his descent from 63,000BC, when beings from other planets had landed on Earth
in spaceships.
Most humans, he said, were descended from these aliens
: "This accounts for all the different colour skins we've got here," he said in 1981. A few of these early aliens did not come from space, he explained, but emerged through tunnels from a civilisation which "still existed beneath the Earth's crust." There were seven or eight of these tunnels altogether, one at the North Pole
, another at the South Pole
, and others in such places as Tibet
. "I haven't been down there myself," Clancarty said, "but from what I gather [these beings] are very advanced."
, Noah
any many of the other characters from the Bible
originally lived on mars
. Trench believed that Adam and Eve
were experiment creations of extraterrestrials. His claim was that the Biblical description of the Garden of Eden
was inconsistant with what was on earth
and as mars contained canals, that the Garden of Eden must of been located on Mars. He further claimed that the north polar ice cap melted on mars, and this caused the descendants of Adam and Eve to move to earth.
Trench also claimed to know a former U.S. test pilot who said he was one of six persons present at a meeting between President Eisenhower
and a group of aliens, which allegedly took place at Edwards Air Force Base
on April 4, 1954. Clancarty reported that the test pilot told him "Five different alien craft landed at the base. Three were saucer-shaped and two were cigar shaped... the aliens looked something like humans, but not exactly."
Ufology
Ufology is a neologism coined to describe the collective efforts of those who study reports and associated evidence of unidentified flying objects . UFOs have been subject to various investigations over the years by governments, independent groups, and scientists...
. He was an Irish peer
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
, as well a nobleman in the Dutch nobility.
Biography
He was the fifth son of the William Frederick Le Poer Trench, 5th Earl of Clancarty and Mary Gwatkin Ellis. He was educated at the Pangbourne Nautical CollegePangbourne College
Pangbourne College is a coeducational independent school located in the civil parish of Pangbourne, just South West of the village, in the English County of Berkshire....
.
From 1956 to 1959 Clancarty edited the Flying Saucer Review and founded the International Unidentified Object Observer Corps. He also found employment selling advertising space for a gardening magazine housed opposite Waterloo Station
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
.
In 1967, he founded Contact International and served as its first president. He also served as vice-president of the British UFO Research Association
British UFO Research Association
The British UFO Research Association or BUFORA is a UK organisation formerly registered as "BUFORA Ltd"; dedicated to investigating UFO phenomenon in the British Isles...
(BUFORA). Clancarty was an honorary life member of the now defunct Ancient Astronauts Society which supported the ideas put forward by Erich von Däniken
Erich von Däniken
Erich Anton Paul von Däniken is a Swiss author best known for his controversial claims about extraterrestrial influences on early human culture, in books such as Chariots of the Gods?, published in 1968...
in his 1968 book Chariots of the Gods?.
In 1975 he succeeded to the earldom on the death of his half-brother, giving him a seat in the British Parliament. He used his new position to found a UFO Study Group at 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....
, introducing Flying Saucer Review to its library and pushing for the declassification of UFO data.
Four years later he organised a celebrated debate in the House of Lords on UFOs which attracted many speeches on both sides of the question. In one debate, Lord Strabolgi
David Montague de Burgh Kenworthy, 11th Baron Strabolgi
David Montague de Burgh Kenworthy, 11th Baron Strabolgi was a Labour Party peer and the holder of one of Scotland's most ancient titles of nobility.-Education:...
, for the Government, declared that there was nothing to convince him that any alien spacecraft had ever visited the Earth.
Private life
Clancarty married first, in 1940, Diana, daughter of Sir William Younger, Bt. This marriage was dissolved in 1947. He married secondly, in 1961, Mrs Wilma Belknap and that marriage was dissolved in 1969. His third marriage was in 1974, to Mrs Mildred Allewyn Spong (née Bensusan). She died in 1975 but Clancarty remarried a fourth time, in 1976, to Mrs May Beasley.He lived most of his life in South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
and died in Bexhill-on-Sea
Bexhill-on-Sea
Bexhill-on-Sea is a town and seaside resort in the county of East Sussex, in the south of England, within the District of Rother. It has a population of approximately 40,000...
in 1995, leaving his extensive collection of papers to Contact International.
He was succeeded to the earldom by his nephew Nicholas Le Poer Trench
Nicholas Le Poer Trench, 9th Earl of Clancarty
Nicholas Le Poer Trench, 9th Earl of Clancarty, 8th Marquess of Heusden is an Irish peer, as well a nobleman in the Dutch nobility. He serves as an elected Crossbench member of the British House of Lords....
(b. 1952).
Hollow earth
Trench was a firm believer in flying saucers, and in particular, the Hollow EarthHollow Earth
The Hollow Earth hypothesis proposes that the planet Earth is either entirely hollow or otherwise contains a substantial interior space. The hypothesis has been shown to be wrong by observational evidence, as well as by the modern understanding of planet formation; the scientific community has...
theory, he discussed his ideas about the hollow earth in his book Secret of the Ages: UFOs from Inside the Earth. He also claimed that he could trace his descent from 63,000BC, when beings from other planets had landed on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
in spaceships.
Most humans, he said, were descended from these aliens
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
: "This accounts for all the different colour skins we've got here," he said in 1981. A few of these early aliens did not come from space, he explained, but emerged through tunnels from a civilisation which "still existed beneath the Earth's crust." There were seven or eight of these tunnels altogether, one at the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, another at the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
, and others in such places as Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. "I haven't been down there myself," Clancarty said, "but from what I gather [these beings] are very advanced."
Other claims
According to Trench in his book The Sky People, Adam and EveAdam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
, Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
any many of the other characters from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
originally lived on mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. Trench believed that Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve were, according to the Genesis creation narratives, the first human couple to inhabit Earth, created by YHWH, the God of the ancient Hebrews...
were experiment creations of extraterrestrials. His claim was that the Biblical description of the Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
was inconsistant with what was on earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
and as mars contained canals, that the Garden of Eden must of been located on Mars. He further claimed that the north polar ice cap melted on mars, and this caused the descendants of Adam and Eve to move to earth.
Trench also claimed to know a former U.S. test pilot who said he was one of six persons present at a meeting between President Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
and a group of aliens, which allegedly took place at Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino County, California, in the Antelope Valley. It is southwest of the central business district of North Edwards, California and due east of Rosamond.It is named in...
on April 4, 1954. Clancarty reported that the test pilot told him "Five different alien craft landed at the base. Three were saucer-shaped and two were cigar shaped... the aliens looked something like humans, but not exactly."
External links
- Obituary and memorial service report, Daily Telegraph, 22 May and 28 June 1995.