John Francis Rodney, 9th Baron Rodney of Rodney Stoke (28 June 1920 – 13 October 1992) was a British soldier, business man, and peer, a member of 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 ...

from 1973 until his death. 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. ...

and

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, he was the younger son of George Rodney, 8th Baron Rodney, and his wife Lady Marjorie Lowther, a daughter of

Lancelot Lowther, 6th Earl of Lonsdale Lancelot Edward Lowther, 6th Earl of Lonsdale, Order of the British Empire, OBE, Deputy Lieutenant, DL (25 June 1867 – 11 March 1953) was an English peer, the fourth and youngest son of Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale. Biography Lowther wa ...

. An older brother, George William Rodney (1918–1942), died on active service. In the Second World War, Rodney saw active service in the

Burma campaign The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of British rule in Burma, Burma as part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II. It primarily involved forces of the Allies of World War II, Allies (mainly from ...

and was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

while a Lieutenant in the

Commandos A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as opp ...

. He worked for Rootes Ltd between 1946 and 1952, when he became marketing director of Vacumatic Ltd. He succeeded as Baron Rodney (1782) and as a

baronet 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 ...

on 18 December 1973. In 1976 he was chairman of the British Printing Machinery Association. While a member of the House of Lords he served as an Alternate Delegate to the

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe, a 46-nation international organisation dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The Assembly is made up of ...

."Rodney, 9th Baron cr 1782 (John Francis Rodney) (Bt 1764)"
in ''

Who Was Who ''Who's Who'' is a reference work. It has been published annually in the form of a hardback book since 1849, and has been published online since 1999. It has also been published on CD-ROM. It lists, and gives information on, people from around ...

'', online edition On 3 November 1951, Rodney married Régine Elisabeth Lucienne Jeanne Thérèse Marie Ghislaine d'Opdorp, daughter of Chevalier Robert Egide Marie Ghislain Pangaert d'Opdorp, and they had two children, George Rodney, 10th Baron Rodney (1953–2011) and Anne Rodney (born 1955).''

Burke's Peerage Burke's Peerage Limited is a British genealogical publisher, considered an authority on the order of precedence of noble families and information on the lesser nobility of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1826, when the Anglo-Irish genea ...

'', volume 3 (2003), page 3381 He died on 13 October 1992, aged 72, in

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodney, John Francis 1920 births 1992 deaths Barons in the Peerage of Great Britain British Army Commandos officers McGill University alumni People educated at Stowe School British Army personnel of World War II