Francis Vernon Willey, 2nd Baron Barnby,
CMG,
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 ...
,
MVO,
TD (29 September 1884 – 30 April 1982) was an
English aristocrat, soldier and politician.
He was the son of
Francis Willey, 1st Baron Barnby and was educated at
Eton and
Magdalen College
Magdalen College ( ) is a 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 one of the strongest academically, se ...
,
Oxford University
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
, (B.A.,1906, M.A.,1908). He succeeded his father as 2nd
Baron Barnby in 1929, inheriting the
Blyth estate.
He served as Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY) was a British Yeomanry regiment. In 1967 it was amalgamated with other units to form the Royal Yeomanry (RY), a light cavalry regiment of the Army Reserve. Originally raised as the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cav ...
, and was later (with the same rank) Assistant Director of Equipment and Ordnance for the
War Office
The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...
, 1916–20. He fought in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
serving in
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
and
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east.
Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
.
He was the
Unionist (Conservative) Member of Parliament for
Bradford South, from 1918 to 1922. He was President of the Federation of British Industries (a predecessor of the
CBI), 1925–26, a member of the
Central Electricity Board
The United Kingdom Central Electricity Board (CEB) was established by the Electricity (Supply) Act 1926. It had the duty to supply electricity to authorised electricity undertakers, to determine which power stations would be 'selected' stations ...
1927–46, a member of the
Overseas Settlement Board from 1937, and Chev. of the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
. He was also
Master
Master, master's or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
In education:
*Master (college), head of a college
*Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline
*Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...
of the
Blankney Hunt
The Blankney Hunt is an English foxhound pack, based in the village of Blankney, Lincolnshire, with hunting country of around by within Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
History and masters
The hunt dates from 1871, when the old Burton Hu ...
in 1919 and 1933. In business, he was a director 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 ...
.
Lord Barnby, despite his advancing years, was an active parliamentarian and attended the House of Lords regularly. He was an early member of the
Conservative Monday Club
The Conservative Monday Club (usually known as the Monday Club) was a British political pressure group, aligned with the Conservative Party, though no longer endorsed by it. It also had links to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Ulster Unio ...
, stating at a club function in 1964 "where would the black African population of
Rhodesia
Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...
have been by now without the civilizing influence of the white population?". In April 1967 he contributed an essay on "Rhodesia" to the ''Monday Club Newsletter''. He was Chairman of the club's ''Action Fund'' 1969–71, and was co-opted onto the club's Executive Council on 11 May 1970.
[''Monday Club Newsletter'', July/August 1970, p.7] 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 ...
in September 1972 he called for the government to suspend aid to
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...
's
Uganda
Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
and in April 1975 he addressed the club's Africa Group in a committee room at the House of Lords following his recent visit to
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
and
Rhodesia
Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...
.
On his death without male issue, the
baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
y of Barnby became extinct. He had married on 20 November 1940, Banning, daughter of the late William Drayton Grange, from Pennsylvania.
References
* Townend, Peter, (editor) ''Burke's Peerage'', 105th edition, London, 1970.
* Copping, Robert, ''The Story of The Monday Club - The First Decade'' Current Affairs Information Service, London, April 1972, (P/B).
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willey, Vernon 2nd Baron Barnby
Barnby, Francis Vernon Willey, 2nd Baron
Barnby, Francis Vernon Willey, 2nd Baron
2
British Army personnel of World War I
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
Willey, Francis Vernon
Members of the Royal Victorian Order
Willey, Francis Vernon
People from Bassetlaw District
Politics of Bradford
Willey, Francis Vernon
Territorial Force officers
Willey, Francis Vernon
Barnby, Francis Vernon Willey, 2nd Baron