Robert Edwin McAlpine, Baron McAlpine of Moffat (23 April 1907 – 7 January 1990), grandson of Sir Robert McAlpine, 1st Baronet, was a British construction magnate who headed Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd.

Career

Edwin was the second son of William Hepburn McAlpine. In common with his elder brother Tom and younger brother Malcolm, he joined the family firm when he left

Oundle School Oundle School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils 11–18 situated in the market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire, England. The school has been governed by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City ...

at the age of 18, becoming a partner in the 1950s. In 1955, he became deputy chairman of the Nuclear Power Plant Co., becoming the chairman four years later, overseeing the construction of seven nuclear power stations for Sir Robert McAlpine. He was knighted in 1963 and was made a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

as Baron McAlpine of Moffat, of Medmenham in the County of

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

on 21 February 1980. He inherited the family baronetcy in 1983 on the death of his brother Tom. He was an enthusiastic racehorse breeder and owned his own stud at

Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, west of Maidenhead, southeast of Oxford and west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buc ...

, was chairman of

Sandown Park Racecourse Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts 5 Grade One National Hunt races and one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse racing ...

and was a frequent gambler.

Family

On 8 December 1930 McAlpine married Ella Mary Gardner Garnett (d. 1987). They had four children: Patricia (b. 1932),

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

(1936–2018), (Robert) Alistair (1942–2014), and David (b. 1946). The sons also joined the family firm.

Career

Family

Arms

References

Further reading