Dudley McCorkell

Sir Dudley Evelyn Bruce McCorkell, MBE, DL, JP (22 February 1883 – 30 May 1960) was a Mayor of Derry (1930-1934), Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry (1957-1960) and ex officio member of the Senate of Northern Ireland.

Career

McCorkell was educated at Shrewsbury School and Pembroke College, Cambridge University, where he won a blue for hockey; playing for two seasons.

At the outbreak of World War I, McCorkell offered himself for active service but his offer was declined on medical grounds. He then devoted his time to the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John. He served as Director for Derry and County Donegal during the war. In 1918, he was invested as an MBE for his work during the war. In 1917 he was made a Justice of the Peace, High Sheriff of County Londonderry from 1925 and, like many of his ancestors before him, Deputy Lieutenant for County Londonderry from 1926.

Like his grandfather, Bartholomew McCorkell, he was elected as Mayor of Derry from 1929 and served in that capacity until 1934. He also served as an ex officio member of the Senate of Northern Ireland and in that capacity he attended the Ottawa Conference on Trade in 1932. McCorkell, along with his nephew Colonel Sir Michael McCorkell who succeeded him, served as Harbour Board Commissioners and as Chairmen of Wm. McCorkell.^[1], who operated the McCorkell Line.

From 1957, until his death, McCorkell served as Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry. Sir Dudley was also the first President of the Derry Horticultural Society^[2].

Derry City F.C.

He was chairman of Derry City F.C.^[3].

Amelia Earhart

While McCorkell was Mayor of Derry, Amelia Earhart completed her first solo transatlantic flight when she landed in Ballyarnett, Culmore. As Mayor of the City, and the landowner of the Ballyarentt lands, McCorkell welcomed Amelia Earhart^[4] after her successful flight.

Family

The McCorkell's, who are originally from Scotland, are from the Clan McCorquodale and are a sept of Clan Gunn. McCorkell's great grandfather William McCorkell set up the McCorkell Line in 1778; the family shipping business. McCorkell was a descendent of The Earls of Longford and King Edward III^[5]. McCorkell, who was knighted in 1933, was married to Helen Elizabeth Usher and had one son and three daughters^[6]. His son Lt. Francis Dudley Pakenham McCorkell served in the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards during World War II and was killed in action on the 6 August 1944 at the age of 21.^[7] He is buried in the St. Charles de Percy War Cemetery in Normandy. Colonel Sir Michael McCorkell was his nephew. McCorkell lived in the family home at Ballyarnett, County Londonderry.

References

1. ^ The McCorkell Line
2. ^ http://www.derryjournal.com/news/local/derry_horticultural_society_celebrates_diamond_jubilee_1_2135636
3. ^ Football Statistics
4. ^ http://www.irishconnectionsmag.com/archives/v5i1/flight.htm
5. ^ http://www.angelfire.com/realm3/ruvignyplus/001.html
6. ^ Family Tree
7. ^ "St. Charles De Percy War Cemetery, France". Ww2guards.com. http://www.ww2guards.com/ww2guards/Cemeteries_S_-_Z/Pages/ST._CHARLES_DE_PERCY_WAR_CEMETERY,_FRANCE.html. Retrieved 11 Sept 2010. 

Political offices
Preceded by James Hamilton	Mayor of Derry 1929-1935	Succeeded by James McElmunn Wilton
Honorary titles
Preceded by Ralph Beresford	High Sheriff of County Londonderry 1925	Succeeded by George Gilliland
Preceded by William Lowry Lenox-Conyngham	Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry 1957–1960	Succeeded by Sir Henry Mulholland, Bt

Persondata
Name	Maccorkell, Dudley
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	22 February 1883
Place of birth
Date of death	30 May 1960
Place of death