Geoffrey Denis Erskine Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill, (15 October 1921 – 23 April 2011), was a British

hereditary peer The hereditary peers form part of the peerage in the United Kingdom. As of April 2025, there are 800 hereditary peers: 30 dukes (including six royal dukes), 34 marquesses, 189 earls, 108 viscounts, and 439 barons (not counting subsidiary ...

and businessman, whose paternity and succession to the peerage were disputed in the " Ampthill baby case". His father,

John Russell, 3rd Baron Ampthill Captain John Hugo Russell, 3rd Baron Ampthill (4 October 1896 – 3 June 1973) was a British peer who served in the Royal Navy in both the First and Second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day fi ...

, had petitioned to disclaim paternity whilst divorcing Russell's mother, Christabel Hulme Hart, in 1923, claiming non-consummation. The petition was rejected on appeal and Russell's mother was granted a declaration that he was legitimate. Educated at

Stowe School The Stowe School is a public school (English private boarding school) for pupils aged 13–18 in the countryside of Stowe, England. It was opened on 11 May, 1923 at Stowe House, a Grade I Heritage Estate belonging to the British Crown. ...

, Russell served 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 ...

during 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 ...

, being commissioned as a captain in 1941. He served with the Guards Armoured Division in France in 1944, where he was wounded, and in Norway in 1945. Russell was general manager of

Fortnum & Mason Fortnum & Mason plc (colloquially often shortened to just Fortnum's) is an Luxury goods, upmarket department store in London, England. The main store is located at 181 Piccadilly in the St James's area of London, where it was established in 1707 ...

from 1947 until resigning in 1951, then chairman of the New Providence Hotel until 1965. He made a career in theatrical management as owner/managing director of Linnet & Dunfee (which produced the original production of the musical hit '' Salad Days'') from 1953 until 1981. He was afterwards a director of

United Newspapers UBM plc was a British business-to-business (B2B) events organiser headquartered in London, England, before its acquisition by Informa in 2018. It had a long history as a multinational media company. Its main focus was on B2B events, but its pr ...

and

Express Newspapers Northern & Shell (holding company name Northern and Shell Network Ltd) is a British publishing group, founded in December 1974 and owned since then by Richard Desmond. Formerly a publisher of pornographic magazines including '' Penthouse'' and '' ...

. He was also Chairman of London's Helicopter Emergency Service. Russell succeeded as

Baron Ampthill Baron Ampthill, of Ampthill in the County of Bedfordshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 11 March 1881 for the diplomat Lord Odo Russell. He was the third son of Major-General Lord George Russell, second so ...

in 1973, upon the death of his father. His succession was unsuccessfully contested by his half-brother John Hugo Trenchard Russell, eldest son of the 3rd Baron's third marriage. The Committee for Privileges ruled in favour of Geoffrey in 1976. In the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

, Ampthill sat as a

crossbencher A crossbencher is a minor party or independent member of some legislatures, such as the Parliament of Australia. In the British House of Lords the term refers to members of the parliamentary group of non-political peers. They take their name fr ...

. He was a deputy speaker from 1983 and Chairman of Committees from 1992 to 1994. He was appointed a

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1986—following in the footsteps of his father who was also appointed a

—and made a

Privy Counsellor The Privy Council, formally His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its members, known as privy counsellors, are mainly senior politicians who are current or former ...

in 1995. Following the passage of the

House of Lords Act 1999 The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given royal assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...

which removed the majority of hereditary peers from the House, Ampthill was one of the ninety hereditaries elected to continue to sit. He was one of fifteen peers elected by the whole house to be available to serve as deputy speakers and office holders. In 1946, Ampthill married Susan Winn, a granddaughter of the 2nd Baron St Oswald and the 1st Baron Queenborough, whom he divorced in 1971; they had three sons and a daughter. He then married Elisabeth Mallon in 1972, divorcing her in 1987. He was succeeded in the title by his first-born son David Russell.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ampthill, Geoffrey Denis Erskine Russell, 4th Baron 1921 births 2011 deaths 4 Irish Guards officers Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom People educated at Stowe School G British Army personnel of World War II Ampthill Crossbench hereditary peers Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act 1999