John Eustace Vesey, 6th Viscount de Vesci (25 February 1919 – 13 October 1983), was an Irish peer.

Early life

He was the son of Lt. Col. Hon. Thomas Eustace Vesey and Lady Cecily Kathleen Browne, daughter of Valentine Browne, 5th Earl of Kenmare. He was the great-grandson of

Thomas Vesey, 3rd Viscount de Vesci Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Vesey, 3rd Viscount de Vesci and 4th Baron Knapton (21 September 1803 – 23 December 1875), was an Anglo-Irish peer and Conservative politician. Background de Vesci was the son of The 2nd Viscount de Vesci and Franc ...

. His father was an Eton and

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

-educated Lieutenant Colonel in the

Irish Guards The Irish Guards (IG) is one of the Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army and is part of the Guards Division. Together with the Royal Irish Regiment (1992), Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish infant ...

who fought and was wounded twice in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Career

He became the Viscount de Vesci of Abbey Leix on 16 August 1958. He succeeded his paternal uncle, the 5th Viscount, who was survived by his widow, Lois (daughter of Sir Cecil Edmund Lister-Kaye, 4th Bt., and widow a first time of the 5th Earl of Rosse and mother of the 6th Earl of Rosse). A soldier in the

, he fought in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and was captured. He lived at Abbey Leix House on the

River Nore The River Nore ( ) is one of the principal rivers (along with the River Suir and River Barrow) in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region of Ireland. The river drainage basin, drains approximately of Leinster and Munster, that encom ...

County Laois County Laois ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medieval kingdom. Hist ...

. In 1967, he sold the De Vesci Collection that was housed at Abbey Leix House to the

National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...

. This acquisition added 1,648 books (about 2,900 volumes) and 54 serials (about 390 volumes) to the National Library of Australia.

Marriage and children

He was the brother-in-law of

Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon (7 March 1930 – 13 January 2017) was a British photographer. He is best known internationally for his portraits of world notables, many of them published in '' Vogue'', '' Vanity Fa ...

, having married Snowdon's older sister, Susan Anne Armstrong-Jones, on 20 May 1950. She was the daughter of barrister

Ronald Armstrong-Jones Major Ronald Owen Lloyd Armstrong-Jones, (''né'' Jones; 18 May 1899 – 27 January 1966) was a British barrister and soldier. He was the father of Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, and father-in-law of Princess Margaret, younger da ...

and of

Anne Parsons, Countess of Rosse Anne Parsons, Countess of Rosse (''née'' Messel, previously Armstrong-Jones; 8 February 1902 – 3 July 1992), was an English socialite and one of the founders of The Victorian Society. She was the mother of Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of ...

. When she married Lord de Vesci, she converted to Catholicism. Her wedding dress was designed by her mother. The reception was held at the home of her paternal grandmother, Lady Armstrong-Jones, in

Lancaster Gate Lancaster Gate is a mid-19th century development in the Bayswater district of central London, immediately to the north of Kensington Gardens. History It consists of two long terraces of houses overlooking the park, with a wide gap between t ...

. The couple had four children: # Hon. Emma Frances Vesey (born 17 March 1951) # Hon. Catherine Anne Vesey (born 19 May 1953) # Thomas Eustace Vesey, 7th Viscount de Vesci (born 8 October 1955) # Hon. Georgina Mary Vesey (2 September 1963 – 14 March 1965) Miss Catherine Vesey was one of the bridesmaids at the wedding of

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...

and

Antony Armstrong-Jones Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon (7 March 1930 – 13 January 2017) was a British photographer. He is best known internationally for his portraits of world notables, many of them published in ''Vogue'', '' Vanity Fai ...

on 24 March 1960. Lady de Vesci died from cancer three years after her husband, in May 1986.

Other titles

He was the 8th baronet of the Vesey of Abbey Leix, which

baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

was created on 28 September 1698.

References

1919 births 1983 deaths Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland British World War II prisoners of war Irish Guards officers British Army personnel of World War II {{Ireland-viscount-stub