Marmaduke Furness, 1st Viscount Furness

Marmaduke Furness, 1st Viscount Furness

Marmaduke Furness, 1st Viscount Furness (29 October 1883 – 6 October 1940), known as The Lord Furness between 1912 and 1918, was a British businessman.

Furness was the son of Christopher Furness, 1st Baron Furness and Jane Annette Suggit. He served as Chairman of the Furness Withy and was also involved in the steel and iron business. He succeeded his father as 2nd Baron Furness in 1912, and in 1918 he was created Viscount Furness, of Grantley in the West Riding of the County of Yorkshire.[1]

His first wife was Daisy Hogg, daughter of a wealthy English businessman, G. J. H. Hogg of Seaton Carew. She was heavily involved in the Red Cross during World War I. She died on 28 February 1921 aboard their yacht 'Sapphire' off the coast of Portugal while recovering from an operation and was buried at sea off the Spanish coast.[2] They had two children: Hon. Averill (22 July 1908-1936, married, in 1932, Andrew Rattray, 1882–1933), and Hon. Christopher (1911–1940), who was killed in action in Arras, France, and awarded the Victoria Cross.

In June 1921, Lord Furness was engaged to Julie Thompson, an American socialite and divorcée who had previously turned down offers of marriage by other nobles including Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia.[1]

In 1926 Marmaduke Furness married Thelma Morgan Converse, the former Mrs James Vail Converse Jr, an American socialite and former actress. They had one son, William Anthony , "Tony"(1929–1995).[3] As a result of Lady Furness's affairs with Aly Khan and Edward Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), the couple were divorced in 1933.[4]

In August 1933, Furness married his 3rd wife, Enid Cavendish (née Lindeman), Australia-born widow of Brig. Gen. Frederick Cavendish and widow of Roderick Cameron. By this marriage he had three stepchildren:

  • Roderick (Rory) William Cameron (1914-1985)
  • Patricia Enid Cavendish b. 30 Jun 1925
  • Frederick Caryll Philip Cavendish, 7th Baron Waterpark b. 6 Oct 1926

Lord Furness died on 6 October 1940, aged 56.

References

  1. ^ a b "Philadelphia Beauty Won By Peer As Brother Spurns Dukedom", Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 June 1921
  2. ^ Philadelphia Inquirer, Feb 1921, full page on why she was buried at sea
  3. ^ Fawkes, Richard (12 May 1995). "Obituary:Viscount Furness". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-viscount-furness-1619161.html. 
  4. ^ Goldsmith, Barbara, ed. (1982), Little Gloria...Happy at Last, Dell, ISBN 0440151201, http://books.google.com/books?id=eWHchDT559sC&q=little+gloria+happy+at+last&dq=little+gloria+happy+at+last&hl=en&ei=_U1lTIqDMoucsQOin6mCDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA, retrieved 13 August 2010 
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Viscount Furness
1918–1940
Succeeded by
William Furness
Preceded by
Christopher Furness
Baron Furness
1912–1940