Sir Leslie Lynn Marr of Sunderland, 2nd Baronet (14 August 1922 – 4 May 2021) was a British landscape artist, painter and racing driver.

Early life, education and military service

Marr was born in Durham, England, the son of Lieutenant Colonel and brevet Colonel John Lynn Marr (1877–1931), OBE, TD, of the

Royal Garrison Artillery The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) ...

, director of two shipbuilding firms and of the Sunderland Forge and Engineering Company, and Amelia Rachel (1884–1971; known as "May"), daughter of Robert Thompson, of Over Dinsdale Hall, County Durham, a shipbuilder.Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 2, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 2629 He was educated at

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into ...

and Pembroke College, Cambridge. In 1932, at the age of ten, due to his father's death the previous year he inherited the

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 ...

held by his grandfather, shipbuilder Sir James Marr, 1st Baronet, though he did not use the title. He studied engineering at

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

, where he graduated in 1942. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

he served as a technician in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

. His interest in painting developed during his posting to Palestine.

Artistic career

Marr is recognised primarily as a landscape artist and painter. After the war ended, Marr attended

life class A figure drawing is a drawing of the human form in any of its various shapes and postures using any of the drawing media. The term can also refer to the act of producing such a drawing. The degree of representation may range from highly detailed, ...

es at Heatherley's Art School in Pimlico and subsequently studied under

David Bomberg David Garshen Bomberg (5 December 1890 – 19 August 1957) was a British painter, and one of the Whitechapel Boys. Bomberg was one of the most audacious of the exceptional generation of artists who studied at the Slade School of Art under Henr ...

at what was then known as the Borough Polytechnic (now London South Bank University). He allocated the upper floor of a bookshop he had rented as an exhibition space for Bomberg's students (who became known as the

Borough Group The Borough Group was a collective of mid-20th-century artists from the Borough area of Southwark, South London. The group was associated with David Bomberg, who was then teaching a number of the artists that formed the group at the Borough Poly ...

). Following the Group's dissolution in 1950, Marr continued to paint and to travel across Britain and the continent, and it was at this time that Marr tried his hand at motor racing. Between 1983 and 1991, Marr lived and painted on Arran, and later moved to a home and studio in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. Artworks by Marr are held in the public collections of the

British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars spa ...

, Imperial College Collection,

Laing Art Gallery The Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, is located on New Bridge Street West. The gallery was designed in the Baroque style with Art Nouveau elements by architects Cackett & Burns Dick and is now a Grade II listed building. It ...

Newcastle upon Tyne, and Pallant House Gallery, Chichester.

Racing career

Marr participated in two

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

World Championship Grands Prix, making his debut on 17 July 1954 at the . Racing in his private

Connaught Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...

, he finished in 13th place, but retired from his last world championship race in 1955, after a damaged brake pipe caused him to spin off. Marr competed in several non-Championship races, with his best results including winning the

1955 Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Race The 3rd Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Race was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 30 May 1955 at the Davidstow Circuit, Cornwall. The race was run over 20 laps of the little circuit, and was won by British driver Leslie Marr in a Connaugh ...

and finishing fourth in the 1956 New Zealand Grand Prix.

Personal life

In 1948, Marr married artist Dinora Mendelson (1924–2010), daughter of London art dealer Jacob Mendelson and artist Lilian Holt; Lilian's second husband was Marr's former teacher David Bomberg. Marr and his wife separated after two years, and were divorced in 1956. In 1962, Marr married Lynn Moynihan; they had two daughters, the elder of whom predeceased him. His third wife was Maureen Monk. Marr died in Gimingham,

in May 2021 at the age of 98, survived by his widow, daughter, and three grandchildren. He was succeeded as baronet by his first cousin twice removed,Grandson of Leslie Marr's first cousin, Allan James Marr (1907-1989), CBE; see Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 2, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 2629 Allan James William Marr.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

( key)

References

External links

Leslie Marr on David Bomberg (YouTube interview)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marr, Leslie 1922 births 2021 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Borough Group British artists English Formula One drivers English racing drivers Sportspeople from Durham, England People educated at Shrewsbury School Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Royal Air Force airmen