Matthew White Ridley, 3rd Viscount Ridley (16 December 1902 – 25 February 1964) was a British peer, landowner, public servant and race car driver. He was also the third Baron Wensleydale and seventh Baronet Ridley.

Biography

Early life and education

Ridley was the son and heir of the 2nd Viscount Ridley and Rosamond Cornelia Gwladys Guest, daughter of the 1st Baron Wimborne. He succeeded to the family titles when he was just 13 years old, after his father's death on 14 February 1916. However, he was not seated in the House of Lords until he reached the age of 22. He attended

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

Racing

Ridley was a self-taught engineer and car racing enthusiast. At the family estate,

Blagdon Hall Blagdon Hall () is a privately owned English country house near Cramlington in Northumberland. It is a Grade I listed building. The house and estate have been in the ownership of the White Ridley family since 1698. The present Viscount Ridley i ...

, he designed and built his own car to challenge the speed records for Class H vehicles (501 – 750cc). In 1931, he set the record for the "flying kilometre and flying mile" in the International Class A at

Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields, ...

, with mean speeds of 105.42 mph (kilometre) and 104.56 mph (mile). He was badly injured in an accident at Brooklands at the end of the 1931 season, when his car reportedly reached a speed of 112 mph.

Career

He inherited considerable estates in

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

(10,000 acres) and devoted his life to public affairs. He was a member of the

Northumberland County Council Northumberland County Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Northumberland in North East England. Since 2009 it has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority, having also ...

from 1928 to his death, and chairman of the North-East Development Association, the North-East Industrial and Development Association, the Northern Regional Board for Industry, and the Rock Building Society. In business, he also served as chairman of the Consett Iron Works, director of the Moor Line steamship company, and a member of the board of

Lloyds Bank Lloyds Bank plc is a major British retail banking, retail and commercial bank with a significant presence across England and Wales. It has traditionally been regarded one of the "Big Four (banking)#England and Wales, Big Four" clearing house ...

. Ridley was active in the Territorial Army, serving as an officer in the Northumberland Yeomanry and as the Honorary Colonel of the Tyne Electrical Engineers. Nationally he served as Director of Hydrogen Production for the Air Ministry, Director of Producer Gas Vehicles for Ministry of Transport and as North Regional Controller of the Ministry of Production. During the Second World War, he designed an auxiliary engine for Sunderland flying boats. In 1937, he became chairman of the council of King's College, Newcastle, and had a significant role in the creation of the new

University of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick un ...

. Viscount Ridley was invested as 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 ...

in the 1938 New Year Honours for "public services in Durham and Tyneside".

Family

Ridley married Ursula Lutyens, daughter of Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens and Lady Emily Bulwer-Lytton (daughter of

Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton Edward Robert Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, (8 November 1831 – 24 November 1891), was an English statesman, Conservative politician and poet who used the pseudonym Owen Meredith. During his tenure as Viceroy of India between 1876 ...

), on 13 October 1924. They had three children together: *

Matthew White Ridley, 4th Viscount Ridley Matthew White Ridley, 4th Viscount Ridley (29 July 1925 – 22 March 2012) was a British nobleman. He was Lord Steward of the Household from 1989 to 2001. Background, education and military service Ridley was the son of Matthew White Ridley, 3rd ...

(29 July 1925 – 22 March 2012) *

Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale, (17 February 1929 – 4 March 1993), was a British Conservative Party politician and government minister. As President of the Selsdon Group, a free-market lobby within the Conservative Party, he ...

(17 February 1929 – 4 March 1993) *

Hon Hon or HON may refer to: People Given name * Cho Hŏn (1544–1592), Joseon militia leader * Ho Hon (1885–1951), North Korean politician Surname * Han (surname) (Chinese: 韩/韓), also romanized Hon * Louis Hon (1924–2008), French fo ...

. Laura Consuelo Ridley, who married Adrian Carrick.

References

External links

Blagdon Estate: Family History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridley, Matthew White Ridley, 3rd Viscount Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom 1902 births 1964 deaths People from Marylebone Military personnel from the City of Westminster Northumberland Hussars officers Matthew People educated at Eton College Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford British motorsport designers English racing drivers English people of Welsh descent Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Members of Northumberland County Council Lutyens family 20th-century English sportsmen