John Dawson Eccles, 2nd Viscount Eccles, (born 20 April 1931), is a British Conservative peer and businessman. He is one of the ninety-two

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 ...

s elected to remain 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 ...

after the passing 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 ...

Background and education

The son of the 1st Viscount Eccles and Sybil Dawson, he was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

and

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...

, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, politics and economics in 1954. He served in the 1st Battalion (60th Rifles),

King's Royal Rifle Corps The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United Sta ...

, reaching the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

Political career

In 1985, he was appointed a

Commander of the Order of the British Empire 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 ...

(CBE); and since 1989 a DSc (Silsoe). On 24 February 1999, he entered his inheritance. Lord Eccles entered the

upon its reform; however, due to the House of Lords Act, he was soon obliged to vacate his position in the House. He was later invited to election as one of the 92 remaining hereditary peers in a by-election forced by the death of the 4th Baron Aberdare, and returned to the House in 2005.

Directorships and similar

* The Nuclear Power Group: director from 1968 to 1974 * Head Wrightson & Co Ltd: managing director from 1968 to 1977, chairman from 1976 to 1977 * Glynwed International plc: director from 1972 to 1996 * Investors in Industry plc: director from 1974 to 1988 *

Monopolies and Mergers Commission The Competition Commission was a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under UK competition law, competition law in the United Kingdom. It was a competiti ...

: member from 1976 to 1986, deputy chairman from 1981 to 1985 * Davy International Ltd: director from 1977 to 1981 * Chamberlin & Hill plc: chairman from 1982 to 2004 * Industrial Development Advisory Board: member from 1989 to 1993 * Acker Deboeck corporate psychologists: chairman from 1994 to 2004 * Commonwealth Development Corporation: member from 1982 to 1985, general manager and chief executive from 1985 to 1994. *

Courtaulds Courtaulds was a United Kingdom-based manufacturer of fabric, clothing, artificial fibres, and chemicals. It was established in 1794 and became the world's leading man-made fibre production company before being broken up in 1990 into Courtauld ...

Textiles plc: director from 1992 to 2000, chairman from 1995 to 2000 *

Bowes Museum The Bowes Museum is an art museum, art gallery in the town of Barnard Castle, in County Durham in northern England. It was built to designs by Jules Pellechet and John Edward Watson to house the art collection of John Bowes (art collector), Jo ...

Trust: chairman from 2000

Family

Lord Eccles married Diana Catherine Sturge 29 January 1955, in Bletchingley, Surrey. They have four children: * Hon. Alice Belinda Eccles (born 1958) * Hon. William David Eccles (born 1960) * Hon. Catherine Sara Eccles (born 1963) * Hon. Emily Frances Eccles (born 1970)"The Descendants of Walter Kep"
The Descendants of Walter Kep, Australia (2007), viewed 8 May 2008. Viscountess Eccles was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

in her own right in 1990 as Baroness Eccles of Moulton, and so also sits in the House of Lords. They are one of the few couples who both hold peerages in their own right.

Arms

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eccles, John Eccles, 2nd Viscount 1931 births Commanders of the Order of the British Empire King's Royal Rifle Corps officers Living people Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford People educated at Winchester College People from Richmondshire (district) Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers Spouses of life peers Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act 1999 Hereditary peers removed under the House of Lords Act 1999