Victor Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol
Encyclopedia
Victor Frederick Cochrane Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol (6 October 1915–10 March 1985), was a British aristocrat
and businessman. He is notable for having served a jail term for jewel theft. He was Chancellor of the International Monarchist League
and, prior to his tax exile
in Monaco, was a member of the House of Lords
.
The 6th Marquess of Bristol
was the only son of Herbert Arthur Robert Hervey, 5th Marquess of Bristol, and Lady Jean Cochrane, the daughter of the 12th Earl of Dundonald
. His godmother
was Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain. He held the titles of Earl of Bristol, Earl Jermyn, and Baron Hervey of Ickworth
in Suffolk
. He was Hereditary High Steward of the Liberty of Bury St Edmunds, was patron of thirty (clerical) livings, and held estates in Suffolk, Essex
, Lincolnshire
, and also in Dominica
, in the West Indies. He was educated at Eton College
and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
.
Lord Bristol was a harsh father to his oldest son, according to friends of the latter. "He treated his son and heir with indifference and contempt," said Anthony Haden-Guest
. Marquess of Blandford
summed up the relationship: "Victor created the monster that John became."
boys known as the Mayfair Playboys, who assaulted and robbed a jeweller from Cartier
, as a result of which two of them were sentenced to being flogged with the cat-o'-nine-tails.
In 1939 he was gaoled for three years for two Mayfair
jewellery robberies, made when he was 22 years old. The court recorder observed: 'The way of the amateur criminal is hard. But the way of the professional is disastrous.'. In his youth he was called "Mayfair's Number One Playboy," having sold an article about his life and exploits to the newspapers. He was also known as "the Reptile".
to both sides, ultimately selling the Republicans out to Franco; his bankruptcy may have resulted from an arms deal which went wrong. He nevertheless continued in his arms-dealing activities and was Francisco Franco
's principal agent for many years. Bristol went on to amass a fortune, both inherited and earned, estimated to be in excess of £50 million.
In 1970 he was recorded as having a great many business interests. He was at one time chairman of the following: Estates Associates Ltd., Ickworth Forestry Contractors Ltd., V.L.C. Associates Ltd., Marquis of Bristol & Co., Eastern Caravan Parks Ltd., Sleaford Investments Ltd., The Bristol Publishing Company, Radio Maria Ickworth Automatic Sales Ltd., Bristol International Airways Ltd., Dominca Enterprises Co., and World Liberty Plots. He was also involved in other companies. He owned the Ickworth Stud, Suffolk
, and Emerald Hillside Estates, in Dominica
. He was vice-president of the UK Taxpayers Union, a council member of the National Yacht Harbour Association, and a member of the West India Committee.
From 1975 until his death, he was Chancellor of the International Monarchist League
. He was also a long-standing member of the Conservative Monday Club
.
Bristol, his third wife and family moved to Monte Carlo
, Monaco
, in early 1979 as tax exile
s. He died there on 10 March 1985, aged 69 and was buried in Menton
, France. On his grave was inscribed his motto "Je n'oublieray jamais" ("I will never forget"). In October 2010 his son repatriated his remains, which were reburied in the family vault at Ickworth Church after a service in St Leonard's Church at Horringer
.
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
and businessman. He is notable for having served a jail term for jewel theft. He was Chancellor of the International Monarchist League
International Monarchist League
The International Monarchist League is an organisation dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the monarchical system of government and the principle of monarchy worldwide...
and, prior to his tax exile
Tax exile
A tax exile is one who chooses to leave a country with a high tax burden and instead to reside in a foreign nation or jurisdiction which takes a lower portion of earnings. Going into tax exile is a means of tax mitigation or avoidance.-Legal status:...
in Monaco, was a member of 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....
.
The 6th Marquess of Bristol
Marquess of Bristol
Marquess of Bristol is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the Hervey family since 1826. The Marquess's subsidiary titles are: Earl of Bristol , Earl Jermyn, of Horningsheath in the County of Suffolk , and Baron Hervey, of Ickworth in the County of Suffolk...
was the only son of Herbert Arthur Robert Hervey, 5th Marquess of Bristol, and Lady Jean Cochrane, the daughter of the 12th Earl of Dundonald
Earl of Dundonald
Earl of Dundonald is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.The Earldom was created in 1669 for the Scottish soldier and politician William Cochrane, 1st Earl of Dundonald, along with the subsidiary title of Lord Cochrane of Paisley and Ochiltree, with remainder to his heirs male, failing which to his...
. His godmother
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
was Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain. He held the titles of Earl of Bristol, Earl Jermyn, and Baron Hervey of Ickworth
Ickworth House
Ickworth House is a country house outside Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. It is a neoclassical structure topped by a giant rotunda in a park extending to 1800 acres. It is in the care of the National Trust, and, as part of the Ickworth House, Park & Garden property, is open to the...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. He was Hereditary High Steward of the Liberty of Bury St Edmunds, was patron of thirty (clerical) livings, and held estates in Suffolk, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, and also in Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
, in the West Indies. 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 at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal 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...
.
Family
The Marquess married three times:- At the age of 34, on 6 October 1949 (divorced 1959), Pauline Bolton, daughter of a Kent businessman ; and had issue Frederick William John Augustus Hervey, 7th Marquess of BristolJohn Hervey, 7th Marquess of BristolFrederick William John Augustus Hervey, 7th Marquess of Bristol , also known as John Jermyn and John Hervey, was a British aristocrat and businessman, notable for his wealth, drug addiction, imprisonment on drugs charges, homosexuality and flamboyant lifestyle.-Family:John was born five years into...
(known as John), gaoled twice on drugs offences, died childless aged 44; - At the age of 45, 23 April 1960, Lady Anne Juliet Dorothea Maud Wentworth FitzwilliamLady Juliet TadgellLady Juliet Tadgell , previously the Marchioness of Bristol, is a British heiress, race horse breeder and landowner...
, aged 25, only child of Peter Wentworth-FitzWilliam, 8th Earl FitzWilliamPeter Wentworth-FitzWilliam, 8th Earl FitzWilliamWilliam Henry Lawrence Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, DSO , styled Viscount Milton before 1943, was a British soldier and aristocrat.-Biography:...
, with issue a son, Lord Nicholas HerveyLord Nicholas HerveyLord Frederick William Charles Nicholas Wentworth Hervey was the only child born to the 6th Marquess of Bristol by his second wife Lord Frederick William Charles Nicholas Wentworth Hervey (26 November 1961–26 January 1998) was the only child born to the 6th Marquess of Bristol by his second...
, Eton CollegeEton CollegeEton 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 Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
graduate, diagnosed with schizophrenia, died by his own hand aged 36, childless. - At the age of 60, in 1974, Yvonne Marie Sutton, aged 29 and his private secretary, with issue Frederick William Augustus Hervey, 8th Marquess of Bristol (known as Frederick), and the socialite actress/models, Lady Victoria HerveyLady Victoria HerveyLady Victoria Frederica Isabella Hervey is an English model, socialite, aristocrat and former "It girl".- Background :Lady Victoria is the elder daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol and his third wife Yvonne Marie Sutton. She is the older sister of the 8th Marquess of Bristol and of Lady...
and Lady Isabella HerveyLady Isabella HerveyLady Isabella Frederica Louisa Hervey is a British socialite, model, and actress. She is the youngest daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol and his third wife Yvonne Marie Sutton, half-sister of the 7th Marquess of Bristol, and Lord Nicholas Hervey, both deceased, and sister of the 8th Marquess...
(the face of PlayboyPlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
UK).
Lord Bristol was a harsh father to his oldest son, according to friends of the latter. "He treated his son and heir with indifference and contempt," said Anthony Haden-Guest
Anthony Haden-Guest
Anthony Haden-Guest is a British-American writer, reporter, cartoonist, art critic, poet, and socialite who lives in New York and London. He is a frequent contributor to major magazines and has had several books published.-Family:...
. Marquess of Blandford
Jamie Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford
Charles James Spencer-Churchill, Marquess of Blandford , commonly known as Jamie Blandford, is an English aristocrat and the heir apparent to the Dukedom of Marlborough ....
summed up the relationship: "Victor created the monster that John became."
Criminal dealings
Victor Hervey was suspected of being the Pink Panther of his day and the ringleader of a gang of former public schoolPublic School (UK)
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
boys known as the Mayfair Playboys, who assaulted and robbed a jeweller from Cartier
Cartier SA
Cartier S.A., commonly known as Cartier , is a French luxury jeweler and watch manufacturer. The corporation carries the name of the Cartier family of jewellers whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces including the "Bestiary" , the diamond necklace created for Bhupinder...
, as a result of which two of them were sentenced to being flogged with the cat-o'-nine-tails.
In 1939 he was gaoled for three years for two Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
jewellery robberies, made when he was 22 years old. The court recorder observed: 'The way of the amateur criminal is hard. But the way of the professional is disastrous.'. In his youth he was called "Mayfair's Number One Playboy," having sold an article about his life and exploits to the newspapers. He was also known as "the Reptile".
Business dealings
Prior to receiving his trust income, The Hon. Victor Hervey went bankrupt in 1937, aged just 21, with debts of £123,955, (approximately £ today). He had been selling guns during the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
to both sides, ultimately selling the Republicans out to Franco; his bankruptcy may have resulted from an arms deal which went wrong. He nevertheless continued in his arms-dealing activities and was Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's principal agent for many years. Bristol went on to amass a fortune, both inherited and earned, estimated to be in excess of £50 million.
In 1970 he was recorded as having a great many business interests. He was at one time chairman of the following: Estates Associates Ltd., Ickworth Forestry Contractors Ltd., V.L.C. Associates Ltd., Marquis of Bristol & Co., Eastern Caravan Parks Ltd., Sleaford Investments Ltd., The Bristol Publishing Company, Radio Maria Ickworth Automatic Sales Ltd., Bristol International Airways Ltd., Dominca Enterprises Co., and World Liberty Plots. He was also involved in other companies. He owned the Ickworth Stud, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, and Emerald Hillside Estates, in Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
. He was vice-president of the UK Taxpayers Union, a council member of the National Yacht Harbour Association, and a member of the West India Committee.
From 1975 until his death, he was Chancellor of the International Monarchist League
International Monarchist League
The International Monarchist League is an organisation dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the monarchical system of government and the principle of monarchy worldwide...
. He was also a long-standing member of the Conservative Monday Club
Conservative Monday Club
The Conservative Monday Club is a British pressure group "on the right-wing" of the Conservative Party.-Overview:...
.
Bristol, his third wife and family moved to Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, in early 1979 as tax exile
Tax exile
A tax exile is one who chooses to leave a country with a high tax burden and instead to reside in a foreign nation or jurisdiction which takes a lower portion of earnings. Going into tax exile is a means of tax mitigation or avoidance.-Legal status:...
s. He died there on 10 March 1985, aged 69 and was buried in Menton
Menton
Menton is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Situated on the French Riviera, along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ....
, France. On his grave was inscribed his motto "Je n'oublieray jamais" ("I will never forget"). In October 2010 his son repatriated his remains, which were reburied in the family vault at Ickworth Church after a service in St Leonard's Church at Horringer
Horringer
Horringer is a village and civil parish in the St Edmundsbury district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located on the A143 around two miles south-west of Bury St Edmunds, in 2005 its population was 890.-Demography:...
.
Sources
- Burkes Peerage, Baronetage, and KnightageBurke's PeerageBurke's Peerage publishes authoritative, in-depth historical guides to the royal and titled families of the United Kingdom, such as Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, and of many other countries. Founded in 1826 by British genealogist John Burke Esq., and continued by his son, Sir John...
. Edited by Peter Townend, 105th edition. London, 1970, p. 345. - The Monarchist, 1985, number 66, Norwich, UK (Memorial on p.3).
- De-la-Noy, Michael. The House of Hervey. London, 2001. ISBN 1-84119-309-7
- The Real Pink Panther: Lord Victor Hervey - a TV documentary aired on Channel 4 on March 2, 2009.