+ 7th Baron Lilford (1931-2005)

[Michael Rhodes]

The Lord Lilford, 7th Baron, died at Paarl, South Africa, 3 January,
2005. He was aged 73.

He was born George Vernon Powys, 8 January, 1931, son of Robert Horace
Powys, who died in 1940, of Rosebank, Cape, South Africa, (a
great-great-grandson of the 2nd Baron) by his wife Vera Grace, and was
educated at St Aidan's College, Grahamstown, South Africa, and
Stonyhurst.

Career: succeeded to the barony (GB 1797) on the death of his second
cosuin twice removed in 1949.

His home was at St John, Jersey Channel Islands.

Lord Lilford was five times married; 1stly, in 1954 (divorced), to Mrs
Eve Bird, secondly, in 1957, to Anuta Merritt (divorced 1958), 3rdly,
in 1958, to Norma Yvonne Shell, only daughter of V. Shell, of
Johannesburg (div. 1961), fourthly, 1961, to Mrs Muriel Spottiswoode
(divorced 1969), 5thly, in 1969, to Margaret, daughter of A. Penman, of
Roslin, Midlothian. The fifth marriage also ended in divorce, in 1991.

Lord Lilford is survived by two daughters from the fourth marriage, the
Hon. Clare and the Hon. Emma-Jane, and by a son from the fifth
marriage, the Hon. Mark Vernon Powys, b. 16 November, 1975, who now
succeeds as 8th holder of the peerage.

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Michael Rhodes