Alastair Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare

Last updated

Elizabeth Mary Cuthbert Foulkes
(m. 1971)
The Lord Aberdare
Official portrait of Lord Aberdare crop 2.jpg
Official parliamentary portrait
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
as an elected hereditary peer
20 July 2009
Parent(s) Morys Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare
Maud Helen Sarah Dashwood

Alastair John Lyndhurst Bruce, 5th Baron Aberdare, KStJ DL (born 2 May 1947), is a British nobleman, and since 2009 a crossbench hereditary peer elected under the House of Lords Act 1999.

Contents

Early life and education

Lord Aberdare was born at 12 Avenue Road in St John's Wood, London, [1] the son of Morys Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare, and Maud Helen Sarah Dashwood, only daughter of Sir John Dashwood, 10th Baronet. His godparents included Lord Terrington and Diana Bowes-Lyon. [2] Aberdare was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. He succeeded his father upon the latter's death in 2005.

Career

Offices

Lord Aberdare is president of the Cynon Valley History Society. [3]

House of Lords

Coats of arms of Alastair Bruce Coats of Arms of the Barons of Aberdare.svg
Coats of arms of Alastair Bruce

In July 2009, Lord Aberdare was elected to sit in the House of Lords, following the death of Lord Bledisloe in May 2009. A by-election took place under the terms of the House of Lords Act 1999, which provided for 92 hereditary peers to keep their seats in the reformed House, with vacancies in their number filled from amongst all non-sitting hereditary peers. The result was announced in the Chamber of the Lords on 15 July 2009, following the voting by 27 of the 29 Crossbench peers eligible to take part. [4] His maiden speech, made on 26 November 2009 during the debate on the Queen's Speech, focused on the transition from education to employment. [5]

Family

He married Elizabeth Mary Culbert Foulkes in 1971; they have two children:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Aberdare</span> Title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom

Baron Aberdare, of Duffryn in the County of Glamorgan, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 23 August 1873 for the Liberal politician Henry Bruce. He served as Home Secretary from 1868 to 1873.

Baron Addington, of Addington in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 22 July 1887 for the businessman and Conservative Member of Parliament, John Hubbard. He was head of the firm of John Hubbard & Co and also sat as a Member of Parliament for Buckingham and the City of London. His eldest son, the second Baron, was a partner in the family firm and represented Buckingham in the House of Commons as a Conservative. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the third Baron. He was three times Mayor of Buckingham. On the death of his younger brother, the fourth Baron, the line of the eldest son of the first Baron failed. The title passed to their first cousin once removed, the fifth Baron. He was the grandson of Cecil John Hubbard, third son of the first Baron. As of 2018, the title is held by his eldest son, the sixth Baron. He is one of the ninety elected hereditary peers that remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act of 1999. Lord Addington sits on the Liberal Democrat benches.

Baron Windlesham, of Windlesham in Surrey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1937 for the Conservative politician Sir George Hennessy, 1st Baronet. He had already been created a Baronet, of Winchester in the County of Southampton, in 1927. His eldest son, the second Baron, was a Brigadier in the Grenadier Guards. The latter's son, the third Baron, succeeded in 1962; a Conservative politician, he notably served as Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Lords in 1974. In 1999 he was created a life peer as Baron Hennessy, of Windlesham in the County of Surrey, so that he could continue to sit in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999, which removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to a seat in the upper chamber of parliament. As of 2015 the titles are held by his son, the fourth Baron.

Baron Silkin, of Dulwich in the County of London, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 4 July 1950 for the solicitor and Labour politician Lewis Silkin. The peerage was disclaimed by both his eldest son, the second Baron, and the latter's nephew, the third Baron. When the third Baron disclaimed the title in 2002, the barony of Silkin became the first peerage ever to be disclaimed twice; and the only disclaimer since the House of Lords Act 1999

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Trevethin and Oaksey</span> Barony in the Peerage of the United Kingdom

Baron Trevethin, of Blaengawney in the County of Monmouth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1921 for the prominent judge Sir Alfred Lawrence, Lord Chief Justice of England from 1921 to 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Rea</span> Barony in the Peerage of the United Kingdom

Baron Rea, of Eskdale in the County of Cumberland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1937 for the businessman and Liberal politician Sir Walter Rea, 1st Baronet, who had earlier represented Scarborough, Bradford North and Dewsbury in the House of Commons. He had already been created a Baronet, of Eskdale in the County of Cumberland, in 1935. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Baron. During the Second World War he served as personal staff officer to Brigadier Colin Gubbins, the Head of SOE, a key British intelligence and guerrilla operations agency. Lord Rea served as Leader of the Liberal Party in the House of Lords from 1955 to 1967. His daughter, the Right Hon. Ann Felicity Rea, married SOE veteran Malcolm Munthe in 1945. His nephew, the third Baron, who succeeded in 1981, was a physician. He was one of the ninety elected hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999, and sat on the Labour benches. As of 2020 the titles are held by his son, the fourth Baron, who succeeded his father in that year.

In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the Dukedom of Edinburgh awarded for life to Prince Edward in 2023, all life peerages conferred since 2009 have been created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 with the rank of baron and entitle their holders to sit and vote in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as age and citizenship. The legitimate children of a life peer appointed under the Life Peerages Act 1958 are entitled to style themselves with the prefix "The Honourable", although they cannot inherit the peerage itself. Prior to 2009, life peers of baronial rank could also be so created under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 for senior judges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morys Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare</span> British politician (1919–2005)

Morys George Lyndhurst Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare,, was a Conservative politician, and from 1999 until his death, one of ninety-two elected hereditary peers in the British House of Lords. He was the eldest son of Clarence Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare, and Margaret Bethune Black, and succeeded to his father's title on the latter's death in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar</span> British peer (born 1940)

Margaret Alison of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, is a Scottish hereditary peer and politician. She was a crossbench member of the House of Lords from 1975 to 2020 and was one of 92 hereditary peers elected to remain in the Lords in 1999. She is the holder of the original earldom of Mar, the oldest peerage title in the United Kingdom. She is the only suo jure countess and was the only female hereditary peer in the House of Lords from 2014 to 2020. She is also a farmer and former specialist goats cheesemaker in Great Witley, Worcestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Lytton Cobbold, 2nd Baron Cobbold</span> British peer (1937–2022)

David Antony Fromanteel Lytton Cobbold, 2nd Baron Cobbold,, was a British hereditary peer and member of the House of Lords.

Edward Kenelm Digby, 11th Baron Digby,, also 5th Baron Digby in the Peerage of Great Britain, was a British peer, soldier and politician.

Malcolm McEacharn Mitchell-Thomson, 3rd Baron Selsdon was a British peer, banker and businessman. He sat in the House of Lords from 1963 to 2021, having been elected as one of the 90 hereditary peers who retained their seats after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999.

John Charles Dodson, 3rd Baron Monk Bretton DL was a British agriculturist, Sussex landowner, and hereditary peer who was a long–serving member of the House of Lords from 1948 to 1999.

By-elections to the House of Lords occur when vacancies arise among seats assigned to hereditary peers due to death, resignation, or disqualification. Candidates for these by-elections are limited to holders of hereditary peerages, and their electorates are made up of sitting Lords; in most cases the electorate are those sitting hereditary peers of the same party affiliation as the departed peer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roualeyn Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 9th Baron Thurlow</span> British peer (born 1952)

Roualeyn Robert Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 9th Baron Thurlow, is a British hereditary peer and chartered surveyor who sits as a crossbench member of the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Boyle, 15th Earl of Cork</span> British hereditary peer and member of the House of Lords (born 1945)

John Richard Boyle, 15th Earl of Cork and 15th Earl of Orrery is a British hereditary peer and a member of the House of Lords, where he sits as a Crossbencher. Boyle was an officer in the Royal Navy and then had a career in the sugar industry before inheriting his titles in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rupert Carington, 7th Baron Carrington</span> British banker and peer (born 1948)

Rupert Francis John Carington, 7th Baron Carrington,, is a British banker, hereditary peer and crossbench member of the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Denison, 9th Baron Londesborough</span>

Richard John Denison, 9th Baron Londesborough, is a British hereditary peer and crossbench member of the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Meston, 3rd Baron Meston</span> British peer (born 1950)

James Meston, 3rd Baron Meston is a British hereditary peer, a lawyer, and a crossbench member of the House of Lords.

References

  1. "Births". The Times . The Times Digital Archive. 2 May 1947. p. 1.
  2. "Court Circular". The Times . The Times Digital Archive. 30 June 1947. p. 6.
  3. "Cynon Valley History Society: Membership Form".
  4. "Previous by-elections in the House of Lords". UK Parliament.
  5. Davies, Joanna; Bentley, Louisa (20 August 2010). "Maiden Speeches" (PDF). House of Lords .
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Baron Aberdare
2005–present
Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Hon. Hector Bruce
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Elected hereditary peer to the House of Lords
under the House of Lords Act 1999
2009–present
Incumbent