Laurence Michael Harvey Parsons, 6th Earl of Rosse, KBE (28 September 1906 – 5 July 1979) was an Anglo-Irish peer.

Early life and education

Parsons was the son of

William Edward Parsons, 5th Earl of Rosse William Edward Parsons, 5th Earl of Rosse (14 June 1873 – 10 June 1918) was an Irish peer and British Army officer. He was known as Lord Oxmantown until 1908. Early life He was the son of Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse and Frances Cas ...

, whom he succeeded in 1918, and Frances Lois Lister-Kaye, daughter of Sir Cecil Edmund Lister-Kaye, 4th Bt. and Lady Beatrice Adeline Pelham-Clinton. Lord Rosse was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

and Christ Church, Oxford (B.A., 1929; M.A. 1931). At Oxford, Parsons was member of the Railway Club, which included: Henry Yorke,

Roy Harrod Sir Henry Roy Forbes Harrod (13 February 1900 – 8 March 1978) was an English economist. He is best known for writing '' The Life of John Maynard Keynes'' (1951) and for the development of the Harrod–Domar model, which he and Evsey Domar dev ...

Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath Henry Frederick Thynne, 6th Marquess of Bath (26 January 1905 – 30 June 1992), styled Lord Henry Thynne until 1916 and Viscount Weymouth between 1916 and 1946, was a British aristocrat, landowner, and Conservative Party politician. Bac ...

David Plunket Greene David Plunket Greene (19 November 1904 – 24 February 1941), together with his brother Richard and sister Olivia, was part of the Bright Young Things who inspired the novel ''Vile Bodies'' to Evelyn Waugh, a family friend. Biography David Plun ...

Edward Henry Charles James Fox-Strangways, 7th Earl of Ilchester Edward Henry Charles James "Harry" Fox-Strangways, 7th Earl of Ilchester (1 October 1905 – 21 August 1964) was a British peer and philanthropist. He also held the subsidiary titles of Baron Strangways and Baron Ilchester and Stavordale ...

, Brian Howard, Michael Parsons,

John Sutro John Sutro (23 April 1903 – 18 June 1985) was a British film producer. He produced seven films between 1941 and 1951. He was a member of the jury at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival. Education At Oxford Sutro conceived the Railw ...

Hugh Lygon Hugh Patrick Lygon (2 November 190419 August 1936) was the second son of William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp, and is often believed to be the inspiration for Lord Sebastian Flyte in Evelyn Waugh's ''Brideshead Revisited''. He was a friend of Waugh's ...

Harold Acton Sir Harold Mario Mitchell Acton (5 July 1904 – 27 February 1994) was a British writer, scholar, and aesthete who was a prominent member of the Bright Young Things. He wrote fiction, biography, history and autobiography. During his stay in C ...

Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne Bryan Walter Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne, (27 October 1905 – 6 July 1992) was an heir to part of the Guinness family brewing fortune, and a lawyer, poet and novelist. He was briefly married to Diana Mitford. Early life He was born to ...

Patrick Balfour, 3rd Baron Kinross John Patrick Douglas Balfour, 3rd Baron Kinross (25 June 1904 – 4 June 1976) was a Scottish historian and writer noted for his biography of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and other works on Islamic history. Early life Balfour was born on 25 June 1 ...

Mark Ogilvie-Grant Charles Randolph Mark Ogilvie-Grant (15 March 1905 – 13 February 1969) was a British diplomat and a botanist and one of the earliest members of the Bright Young Things. Despite his earliest frivolous past, he became a hero during the 1940–19 ...

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. The members of the Railway Club dined in black-tie aboard the Penzance-Aberdeen Express between Oxford and Leicester.

Career

Lord Rosse fought in the Second World War, reaching the rank of captain in the Irish Guards. He was appointed Member, Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) in 1945. Lord Rosse held the office of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dublin between 1949 and 1964 and was Pro-Chancellor of the university from 1965 to 1979.

Recognition

He was elected a Fellow of Royal Society of Arts (F.R.S.A.), a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

(F.S.A.), and a

Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (Whatever shines should be observed) , predecessor = , successor = , formation = , founder = , extinction = , merger = , merged = , type = NGO ...

(F.R.A.S). He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (K.B.E.) in the 1974 New Year Honours. Lord Rosse was active in the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

Marriage and children

Rosse married Anne Messel, daughter of Lt.-Col. Leonard Charles Rudolph Messel and Maud Frances Sambourne, on 19 September 1935. They had two children: *

Brendan Parsons, 7th Earl of Rosse William Clere Leonard Brendan Parsons, 7th Earl of Rosse (often known simply as Brendan Rosse; born 21 October 1936), is an Anglo-Irish peer. He is also 10th Baronet Parsons, of Birr Castle. Biography Lord Rosse was the eldest son of Laur ...

(born 21 October 1936), married Alison Margaret Cooke-Hurle, daughter of Major John Davey Cooke-Hurle and had issue. *

Hon. ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific Style (ma ...

Desmond Oliver ''Martin'' Parsons (23 December 1938 – 16 July 2010),Google Groups — PARSONS, Hon (Desmond Oliver) Martin (1938-2010)
/ref> married Aline Edwina Macdonald, daughter of George Alexander Macdonald and had issue. Anne Messel, by her first marriage to Ronald Armstrong-Jones, was the mother of Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, who in 1960 married Princess Margaret, sister of

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

References

The Peerage.com

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rosse, Lawrence Parsons, 6th Earl of 1906 births 1979 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Earls of Rosse (1806 creation) Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Irish Guards officers