POLLINGTON (Savile) / Findlay engagement

[Richard R]

From the Telegraph of 20 January 2018: Viscount Pollington and Mrs N.I. Findlay - The engagement is announced between Johnny, eldest son of the Earl of Mexborough and the late Elizabeth, Viscountess Pollington, and Norma Isolde, daughter of Mr John Phoenix.

John Andrew Bruce SAVILE (b 1959) Viscount POLLINGTON s of 8th Earl of MEXBOROUGH (b 1931) and his 1st w Lady Elizabeth Harriot GRIMSTON (1939-87) d of 6th Earl of VERULAM (1912-73) and Marjorie Ray (1918-94) d of Walter Atholl DUNCAN (1874-1932) of 53 Cadogan Square, London SW and Clara Ray PARKS (1889-1966).

[marquess]

Any information on the date of birth of the bride to be Richard?  From recollection the viscount has had a rather colourful past. I recall an incident about him being arrested for having a fake gun back in 89 or so. Is he finally settling down at last?

[Richard R]

In a word, no. I had a bit of a look around the usual records, including Ancestry, and nothing obvious sprang out. It's not to say it's not there somewhere for someone cleverer than me to find!

[G. Willis]

Well, I haven't got anything 100% definitive, but checking the electoral roll gave a Norma I. Findlay resident in London W11 with Michael Naylor-Leyland (obviously of the baronetical family; I'm not sure how many Michael Naylor-Leylands there are/ were, so that's not much help!); checking birth records I found a Norma I. PhoeniK, mother Vaughan, b. Kensington, 1963, and a marriage record for a John R. Phoenix and May E. Vaughan at Kensington in 1957, so I'd tentatively say these are the individuals in question, but not certain. 

[N.b.- there were marriage records in 1977 (to Ian S. Alleyne- presumably not the same- 14 year old- individual!) and 1985 (to William R. Skerritt) for a Norma I. Phoenix, indicating, given the dates, there must be/ have been more than one- e.g. a Norma Hamill m. 1951, Lancelot Phoenix, which might explain later remarriages]. A few hints, anyway, for someone with more details!

[G. Willis]

Oh, and just came across a 1997 marriage for Norma Phoenix and Alasdair J. Findlay at Kensington, which really has to be the lady mentioned in the first post.

Companies House has an Alasdair John Findlay, b. 1963, as a land manager and director of a residents' group, 'Clifton House (Folkestone) Ltd', giving the correspondence address as 'Norma Phoenix' of that location. The electoral roll has an Alasdair John Findlay of Newtonmore, Invernessshire, resident with a Charlotte Hardie; ShootingUK gives a lengthy account of the Ralia estate (at Newtonmore, according to other sources), Invernessshire, the laird of which is an Alasdair Findlay, presumably the same person.

[Richard R]

From the Telegraph of 27 June 2019: Viscount Pollington and Mrs N.I. Findlay The marriage took place quietly, on Monday, June 11, at the Chelsea Register Office, London, between Johnny, eldest son of the Earl of Mexborough and the late Elisabeth, Viscountess Pollington, and Norma Isolde, daughter of the late John and Elizabeth Phoenix.