George Bingham, Lord Bingham
Encyclopedia
George Charles Bingham, Lord Bingham (born 21 September 1967) is a British peer, the only son of Richard John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, and his wife, the Countess of Lucan, born Veronica Mary Duncan. He has two sisters: Lady Frances Bingham (born 1964) and Lady Camilla Bloch (born 1970), a barrister
who married QC
Michael Bloch in 1998. They are descendants of George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan, one of those responsible for the fiasco that led to the Charge of the Light Brigade
.
Their father disappeared in November 1974 after the murder of their nanny Sandra Rivett. It is believed that Lucan murdered Rivett in mistake for his estranged wife with whom he was involved in a bitter custody battle, though others, including his son, contest this.
In articles from the BBC
and the Evening Standard
announcing his arrest on assault charges on 10 September 1998, George's occupation was given as merchant banker. He was educated at Eton College
and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
.
documentary Lord Bingham claimed that he does not believe his father was responsible for Sandra Rivett's death.
Following her murder in 1974, George and his sisters were raised, in Buckinghamshire, by their mother's sister, Christina Shand Kydd, and her husband, William. Lady Lucan had custody following the murder but custody was later transferred to William Shand Kydd who had been a friend of their father, in October 1982. A statement made by George when he was fifteen that he would find it "much more congenial to live as part of the family of his aunt and uncle" caused division within the family and resulted in Lady Lucan no longer having custody and he and his sisters becoming estranged from their mother. Lady Lucan's elder daughter was by that time eighteen years of age and they were all at boarding school.
The Countess of Lucan herself stands by her belief and sworn statement that her husband murdered Sandra Rivett, raising the point that he was named as the killer in the inquest held into her death (the last time an inquest jury was allowed to make such an accusation). She was not invited to the wedding of her daughter Camilla in 1998. It was later discovered that it was not a wedding but a Service of Blessing following a civil ceremony. Sandra Rivett was herself a mother and Lady Lucan stated that "It's an outrage!" that her children "seem quite unaware that there is a young man about their ages who has not had a quarter of the advantages they have enjoyed and who now has to read how well the children of the man who murdered his mother have done."
. This was not authorised by the Lord Chancellor
because he had not made out his case. Probate was granted on 11 August 1999 and Lady Lucan gave this information to The Times
newspaper on 27 October 1999. This allowed executors to finalise details relating to the Lucan estate.
No death certificate
has yet been granted, however, although Lord Lucan has been declared "officially dead". As a result, while Lord Bingham may be presumed to be the 8th Earl of Lucan
, it is still not officially recognised. This does not prevent him from styling himself the 8th Earl of Lucan.
in the west of Ireland
span the course of 200 years and the 3rd Earl owned 62000 acres (250.9 km²) there. The 4th Earl
sold the family estate and handed over his cricket pitch
, now the town's mall, and other sites for churches and schools to the people of the town. However, the ground rents on most of the properties were retained by the family.
Following the presumed death of the 7th Earl, leaseholders or tenants at Castlebar
stopped paying ground rent
s.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
who married QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
Michael Bloch in 1998. They are descendants of George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan, one of those responsible for the fiasco that led to the Charge of the Light Brigade
Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. The charge was the result of a miscommunication in such a way that the brigade attempted a much more difficult objective...
.
Their father disappeared in November 1974 after the murder of their nanny Sandra Rivett. It is believed that Lucan murdered Rivett in mistake for his estranged wife with whom he was involved in a bitter custody battle, though others, including his son, contest this.
In articles from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
announcing his arrest on assault charges on 10 September 1998, George's occupation was given as merchant banker. He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
.
Unfortunate legacy
In a Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
documentary Lord Bingham claimed that he does not believe his father was responsible for Sandra Rivett's death.
Following her murder in 1974, George and his sisters were raised, in Buckinghamshire, by their mother's sister, Christina Shand Kydd, and her husband, William. Lady Lucan had custody following the murder but custody was later transferred to William Shand Kydd who had been a friend of their father, in October 1982. A statement made by George when he was fifteen that he would find it "much more congenial to live as part of the family of his aunt and uncle" caused division within the family and resulted in Lady Lucan no longer having custody and he and his sisters becoming estranged from their mother. Lady Lucan's elder daughter was by that time eighteen years of age and they were all at boarding school.
The Countess of Lucan herself stands by her belief and sworn statement that her husband murdered Sandra Rivett, raising the point that he was named as the killer in the inquest held into her death (the last time an inquest jury was allowed to make such an accusation). She was not invited to the wedding of her daughter Camilla in 1998. It was later discovered that it was not a wedding but a Service of Blessing following a civil ceremony. Sandra Rivett was herself a mother and Lady Lucan stated that "It's an outrage!" that her children "seem quite unaware that there is a young man about their ages who has not had a quarter of the advantages they have enjoyed and who now has to read how well the children of the man who murdered his mother have done."
Succession
In 1998, Lord Bingham applied to take his father's seat in the House of LordsHouse 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....
. This was not authorised by the Lord Chancellor
Derry Irvine, Baron Irvine of Lairg
Alexander Andrew Mackay Irvine, Baron Irvine of Lairg, PC, QC , known as Derry Irvine, is a British lawyer and political figure who served as Lord Chancellor under his former pupil barrister Tony Blair....
because he had not made out his case. Probate was granted on 11 August 1999 and Lady Lucan gave this information to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper on 27 October 1999. This allowed executors to finalise details relating to the Lucan estate.
No death certificate
Death certificate
The phrase death certificate can describe either a document issued by a medical practitioner certifying the deceased state of a person or popularly to a document issued by a person such as a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death as later...
has yet been granted, however, although Lord Lucan has been declared "officially dead". As a result, while Lord Bingham may be presumed to be the 8th Earl of Lucan
Earl of Lucan
Earl of Lucan was a title in the Peerage of Ireland which has been possessed by two related Irish families in creations of 1691 and 1795. The current holder is presumed to be Richard Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan, who vanished in 1974....
, it is still not officially recognised. This does not prevent him from styling himself the 8th Earl of Lucan.
Property
The family's connections with CastlebarCastlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
in the west of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
span the course of 200 years and the 3rd Earl owned 62000 acres (250.9 km²) there. The 4th Earl
Charles Bingham, 4th Earl of Lucan
Charles George Bingham, 4th Earl of Lucan KP , styled Lord Bingham from 1839 to 1888, was the eldest son of George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan and Lady Anne Brudenell. His maternal grandparents were Robert Brudenell, 6th Earl of Cardigan and Penelope Anne Cooke.He married Lady Cecilia Catherine...
sold the family estate and handed over his cricket pitch
Cricket pitch
In the game of cricket, the cricket pitch consists of the central strip of the cricket field between the wickets - 1 chain or 22 yards long and 10 feet wide. The surface is very flat and normally covered with extremely short grass though this grass is soon removed by wear at the ends of the...
, now the town's mall, and other sites for churches and schools to the people of the town. However, the ground rents on most of the properties were retained by the family.
Following the presumed death of the 7th Earl, leaseholders or tenants at Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
stopped paying ground rent
Ground rent
Ground rent, sometimes known as a rentcharge, is a regular payment required under a lease from the owner of leasehold property, payable to the freeholder. A ground rent is created when a freehold piece of land or a building is sold on a long lease...
s.