Edmund Maurice Burke Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy (15 May 1885 – 8 July 1955) was a British

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

politician who held a title in the Peerage of Ireland. He was the maternal grandfather of

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

Life and career

Roche was born on 15 May 1885 in Chelsea, London, the elder of twin sons of the Hon. James Roche (later 3rd

Baron Fermoy Baron Fermoy is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. The title was created by Queen Victoria by letters patent of 10 September 1856 for Edmond Roche. Previous letters patent had been issued on 14 May 1855 which purported to create this barony for ...

) and his American wife, Frances Ellen Work.Williamson, D ''The Ancestry of Lady Diana Spencer'' In: ''Genealogist's Magazine'', 1981; vol. 20 (no. 6) p. 192–199 and vol. 20 (no. 8) p. 281–282 The Roches separated in December 1886, with James Roche agreeing to relinquish custody of his sons to his wife's father, multi-millionaire stockbroker Frank Work, in exchange for Work paying Roche's debts. He was educated at Harvard University and graduated in 1909. As a condition of their inheritance, Work stipulated that Maurice and his twin brother Francis "shall assume and retain the name 'Work' in place of the name 'Roche'", and must not travel to Europe or marry a European; Maurice ignored the edicts. Roche returned to England on succeeding to his father's Irish peerage in 1920. He was a naturalized American citizen, but resumed British nationality following his succession to the title. He rented Park House at

Sandringham Sandringham can refer to: Places * Sandringham, New South Wales, Australia * Sandringham, Queensland, Australia * Sandringham, Victoria, Australia **Sandringham railway line **Sandringham railway station **Electoral district of Sandringham * Sand ...

, Norfolk, from the

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...

. At the 1924 general election, he contested and won the local parliamentary constituency,

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is located north of London, north-east of Peterborough, no ...

, holding the seat until he stood down at the 1935 general election.'' The Times'', 9 July 1955; p. 8 col. D He was also elected the town's mayor in 1931.

Marriage and children

On 17 September 1931, Lord Fermoy married Ruth Sylvia Gill, the youngest daughter of Col. William Gill, at St. Devenick's,

Bieldside Bieldside is a suburb to the west of Aberdeen City Centre, Scotland. Together with the neighbouring suburb of Cults, it is the wealthiest area in Scotland. It has one pub/restaurant, The Bieldside, a foodstore, a hairdresser, a tea room and a ch ...

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...

, and they had three children: *The Hon. Mary Cynthia Roche (b. 1934), married (1) the Hon. Anthony Berry (divorced 1966), (2) Denis Geoghegan (divorced 1980), (3) Michael Gunningham (divorced 1989) *The Hon. Frances Ruth Roche (1936–2004), married (1)

John Spencer, Viscount Althorp John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer, (30 May 1782 – 1 October 1845), styled Viscount Althorp from 1783 to 1834, was a British statesman. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer under Lord Grey and Lord Melbourne from 1830 to 1834. Due to hi ...

(divorced 1969), (2)

Peter Shand Kydd Peter Shand Kydd (23 April 1925 – 23 March 2006) was the stepfather of Diana, Princess of Wales, and an heir to the wallpaper fortune built by his father Norman Shand Kydd (1895–1962). His mother was Frances Madalein Foy (died 1983). He w ...

(divorced 1990) * The Hon. Edmund James Burke Roche (1939–1984), later the 5th Baron Fermoy, married Lavinia Pitman

Later life

Lord Fermoy joined the Royal Air Force in 1939 at the start of World War II, but when the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for King's Lynn was killed on active service in 1943, he resigned his commission and stood for re-election. He retired from politics when Parliament was dissolved for the

1945 general election The following elections occurred in the year 1945. Africa * 1945 South-West African legislative election Asia * 1945 Indian general election Australia * 1945 Fremantle by-election Europe * 1945 Albanian parliamentary election * 1945 Bulgaria ...

. Lord Fermoy was a member of the shooting party organized by

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

on 5 February 1952, on the grounds of

, which was the King's last full day alive.A. Michie, God Save The Queen, Wm. Sloane & Associates, p. 202 (1952).

Death

Lord Fermoy collapsed in a shop at

, Norfolk, in June 1955 and died three weeks later. He was succeeded by his only son.

Legacy

His life was the subject of the book ''Lilac Days'', by Gavan Naden and

Maxine Riddington Maxine Riddington, commonly known as Max Riddington, is a journalist and author. Her books are co-authored with Gavan Naden. Books published ''Frances: The Remarkable Story Of Princess Diana's Mother'' is a biography of the Hon. Frances Shand K ...

( HarperCollins ()), where it was claimed he had a 30-year affair with an American, Edith Travis.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fermoy, Maurice Roche, 4th Baron 1885 births 1955 deaths Military personnel from London English twins Harvard University alumni Barons Fermoy Maurice English people of American descent English people of Irish descent Royal Air Force officers Roche Roche Roche Roche Roche UK MPs who inherited peerages Royal Air Force personnel of World War II People from Chelsea, London Mayors of King's Lynn English emigrants to the United States People with acquired American citizenship