NICKSON, Rt Hon Baroness (Eira nee GOVETT, formerly Drysdale) c1936-2026

[Richard R]

From the Times of 28 March 2026: NICKSON Eira died peacefully at home, aged 90, on 22nd March 2026. Much loved by her husband, David, Lord Nickson, and her three sons, James, Michael and Alasdair Findlay, her seven grandchildren and by her wider family of Drysdales and Nicksons. Private family cremation. Service of thanksgiving at St John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Princes Street, Perth, PH2 8LJ, at 2.30pm on Thursday 9th April 2026.

She was d of John Romaine GOVETT 1897-1956 (stockbroker) by his 7 Nov 1929 m (Holy Trinity, Sloane St) to as her 1 h Angela Mary Mostyn 1909-79 (Mrs Christopher Garnett) d of Hugh John Mostyn PRITCHARD 1878-1959 (stockbroker) of Lennox Gdns SW1 by his 4 July 1904 m (St Andrew, Wells Street, St Marylebone) to Mildred Catherine c1882-1959 d of Herbert FLETCHER 1851-1931 by his 1877 m reg Q2 Leics to Sarah Tuffley BANKART c1857-1928. She m first 1983 ref 452/10 Kinross John DRYSDALE and had three sons as above. She m second 2013 the LP Baron NICKSON b 1929.

[S R Eglesfield]

The late Lady Nickson's first husband (married 6 VIII 1955, as his first wife), and the father of her three sons, was John Robert FINDLAY (29 IV 1927 - 17 X 2016), of that landed gentry family, of Boturich, Balloch, Dumbartonshire. It therefore seems that John Drysdale was her second husband, and Lord Nickson her third.

[S R Eglesfield]

As mentioned in the service of thanksgiving for Lady Nickson held on 9 April (which can be viewed online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXwDWSEmb0k), she was born in November 1935. Her second husband (marriage registered 1983 - Kinross, Ref 452 / 10; she was his second wife), John DRYSDALE (6 II 1929 - 2 II 2008), was the son of James Cunison DRYSDALE (31 I 1875 - 30 IV 1931) and his wife (married 16 IV 1928, as her first husband), Alma Vivian May COWES (1904 - 1991).

 

Mrs Alma Drysdale was married secondly, in 1942, to (as his second wife) Maj-Gen Robert HUTCHISON, 1st and last Baron Hutchison of Montrose, KCMG, CB, DSO, PC (5 IX 1873 - 13 VI 1950), Paymaster General, 1935-38, MP (National Liberal) for Kirkcaldy Burghs, 1922-23, (Liberal) for Montrose Burghs, 1924-31, and (Liberal National) for Montrose Burghs, 1931-32. Lord Hutchison's first wife (married 26 IV 1905) had been Agnes Begbie DRYSDALE (18 IX 1871 - 1941), the sister of his second wife's first husband..

 

John Drysdale was married, firstly, on 26 April 1952, to (as her first husband) Julia Macdonald ("Bammy") HIGGINS (4 VII 1931 - 24 VII 2018), by whom he had one son and three daughters:

• John Macdonald DRYSDALE (born 9 IX 1956), the husband (marriage registered 1983 - Perth, Ref 390 / 107) of Suzanne Jane Haig HADDOW (born X 1958); at least one son.
• (Julia) Anne DRYSDALE (birth registered 1954 - George Square, Ref 685 / 5 / 38), the wife (marriage registered 1986 - Ballachulish, Ref 525 / 14) of Peter Richard MOORE.
• Penelope Alma ("Penny") DRYSDALE (birth registered 1955 - Haymarket, Ref 685 / 1 / 122), the wife (marriage registered 1979 - Aberdour, Ref 434 / 19) of David Alistair DICKSON.
• (Georgina) Claire DRYSDALE (birth registered 1959 - Haymarket, Ref 685 / 1 / 236), the wife (married 16 VI 1984) of Robert Ramsay MAITLAND (14 VII 1956 - 2019), younger son of Sir Alexander Keith MAITLAND, 8th Bt (26 X 1920 - 18 VII 1963); two sons, two daughters.

Mrs Julia Macdonald Drysdale was married secondly to (as his second wife), Anthony John ORMSBY (27 III 1927 - 8 V 2019), of that landed gentry family, of Ballinamore House, Kiltimagh, Swinford, County Mayo - for which, see Burke's Irish Family Records (1976).

 

The late Lady Nickson was a second cousin once removed downwards of Sylvester Govett GATES, CBE (2 IX 1901 - XII 1972), the first husband (married 16 II 1928, as his first wife, divorced 1936) of Nancy TENNANT (20 VIII 1904 - 17 V 1969), who was the youngest child of Sir Charles Clow TENNANT, 1st Bt (4 XI 1823 - 4 VI 1906), and a step-sister of the 1st Baron Glenconner:

 

Rev Robert GOVETT (6 IV 1780 - 17 X 1858)

= Sarah ROMAINE (1791? - 1853?) (married 15 IV 1812)

|

Adolphus Frederick GOVETT (1830 - 19 IV 1928)

= Augusta GILLIATT (1832 - III 1901) (married 3 I 1855)

|

Francis Algernon GOVETT (VI 1858 - 27 X 1926)

= (2) Evelyn Jessica PROPERT (1869 - 23 IX 1953) (married III 1896)

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John Romaine GOVETT (16 III 1897 - 28 XI 1956)

= Angela Mary Mostyn PRITCHARD (1909 - 17 VIII 1979) (married 7 XI 1929)

|

Eira GOVETT (XI 1935 - 22 III 2026)

 

 

Rev Robert GOVETT (6 IV 1780 - 17 X 1858)

= Sarah ROMAINE (1791? - 1853?) (married 15 IV 1812)

|

Charles Albert GOVETT (24 V 1827 - 30 VI 1912)

= (2) Margaretta Louisa SHEBBEARE (1831 - VI 1873) (married  VI 1862)

|

Beatrice Helen GOVETT (VI 1864 - 11 I 1962)

= Walter George GATES, CB (1860 - 8 XI 1936) (married IX 1900)

|

Sylvester Govett GATES, CBE (2 IX 1901 - 1 XI 1972)

 

 

Sylvester Gates was married secondly, in 1936, to (as her second husband) Mrs Pauline Mary MURRAY, née NEWTON (22 I 1907 - 16 V 1968), the daughter of the artist Algernon Cecil NEWTON, RA (23 II 1880 - 21 V 1968) and sister of the actor Robert Guy NEWTON (1 VI 1905 - 25 III 1956).

 

Pauline Newton had been married, firstly, in 1927, to Basil Andrew MURRAY (1902 - 31 III 1937), the second son of Prof (George) Gilbert Aimé MURRAY, OM, FBA (2 I 1866 - 20 V 1957) and his wife (married 1889), Lady Mary Henrietta HOWARD (20 VII 1865 - 2 IX 1956), the eldest child of the 9th Earl of Carlisle. From this marriage, she had two daughters, the elder of whom, Ann Elizabeth MURRAY (1928 - 30 X 2014) was married, firstly, in December 1949 (divorced 1967), to (as his first wife) John Ernest POWELL-JONES, CMG (14 IV 1925 - 13 I 2012), by whom she had two sons and one daughter.

 

The elder son of John Powell-Jones and Ann Murray is Sir Mark Ellis (POWELL-) JONES, FSA, FRSE (born 5 II 1951; he does not appear to use "Powell" as part of his surname), who was Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum from 2001 to 2011. Their younger son was Robert James POWELL-JONES (6 I 1954 - 17 XII 1998), the first husband (married 1980, divorced 1992) of Flora Elizabeth FRASER (born 30 X 1958), the second daughter of the Hon Sir Hugh Charles Patrick Joseph FRASER (23 I 1918 - 6 III 1984), younger son of the 14th Lord Lovat, and his wife (married 25 IX 1956, as her first husband, divorced 1977), Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline PAKENHAM (born 27 VIII 1932), eldest daughter of the 7th Earl of Longford.

 

Sylvester Gates and Pauline Newton had one son, Oliver GATES (21 VII 1937 - 3 V 2022), whose first wife (married 1962, as her first husband) was Kathleen Jeannette HALTON (25 I 1937 - 10 I 1995). That marriage ended in divorce, and Mrs Kathleen Gates was married, secondly, on 30 June 1967, to (as his second wife) the theatre critic and writer Kenneth Peacock TYNAN (2 IV 1927 - 26 VII 1980), who was the natural son of Sir Peter PEACOCK (13 IV 1872 - 22 VII 1948), a former Mayor of Warrington.

 

Oliver Gates was married, secondly, in 1975, to (as her second husband; her first husband subsequently succeeded as the 9th Earl of Antrim) Viscountess Dunluce, née Sarah Elizabeth Anne HARMSWORTH (born 28 III 1941), whose grandfather was a brother of the 1st and last Viscount Northcliffe, the 1st Viscount Rothermere, and the 1st Baron Harmsworth, among his other siblings.

 

Oliver Gates and his second wife had one son, Henry Sylvester Vyvyan ("Harry") GATES (born 1976), who is the husband (engaged 2004) of Alice Marguerite ("Mouse") RICHMOND-WATSON (born VII 1976), the daughter of Anthony Euan RICHMOND-WATSON (born 4 IV 1941) and his second wife (married 1976), Geraldine Ruth Helen BARRINGTON (1936 - 21 I 2019). Mr Richmond-Watson is a grandson maternally of the 1st Baron Catto.

 

Harry and Alice Gates have three children: Walter Richmond GATES (born 2009), Cecily [Morwenna?] GATES (born 2007?) and Nell Laura GATES (born 2011).