MANN, Capt Simon Francis 1952-2025

[Richard R]

He was s of Maj Francis (Frank) George MANN CBE DSO MC 1917-2001 (gs of Sir Eward MANN 1st Bt 1854-1943) and Margaret Hildegarde d 1995 d of W MARSHALL CLARK of Johannesburg, S Africa. He m 1^st 1977 (div 1986) Jennifer Catherine b 1957 d of David George Wilfred BARHAM 1926-2022 scion of that gentry family of Hole Park and Catherine Margaret b 1936 reg Q2 Surrey d of Lt-Col Rixon BUCKNALL MBE 1903-75 of Mayfield, Sussex and Margaret Elizabeth 1907-84 d of Maj R W MORLEY, and had two sons and a dau. [?Did he m 2nd 1986 reg Q1 Ken&Chelsea Linda M CONNOLLY] He m [3rd] 1995 Amanda Ruth b June 1965 d of Maurice FREEDMAN 1934-2017 of Stanmore Hall, Middx by his 1962 m reg Q2 London to Marilyn P GOLD b 1942 reg Q2 Bucks, and had a further two sons and two daus.

Obit in the Times of 10 May 2025

E X T R A C T

Simon Mann obituary: mercenary behind failed ‘wonga coup’ in Equatorial Guinea

An Old Etonian and SAS veteran, he dedicated his life to the extreme pursuit of adventure and wealth

Many fantastical ideas are cooked up conspiratorially at White’s, but most remain safely within the confines of that most exclusive of gentlemen’s clubs. Simon Mann had a habit of seeing through on his, whatever the consequences. Indeed, the ex-SAS soldier’s life read like the plot of a Frederick Forsyth novel — a tale of privileged upbringing leading to the extreme pursuit of adventure and excessive wealth.

The son of a former England cricket captain, the Old Etonian was an outstanding soldier in the British army before “boredom” took him into the murky world of special forces, security experts and mercenaries. A bon viveur whose chronic misjudgment landed him in one of Africa’s grimiest prisons with a 34-year sentence, Mann used his persuasive charm to pull himself out of the sizeable holes he dug for himself.

… Simon Mann was born in 1952 to George Mann and Margaret Hildegarde (née Marshall Clark). His father won a Military Cross in the Second World War and made a fortune out of merging the family brewing business with Watney. George Mann’s father, Frank, had also captained the England cricket team — they were the first father-and-son pair to attain the honour.

… Mann was a regular fixture at White’s, counting earls and dukes among his closest friends.

… Mann was extremely wealthy. He bought a 20-acre estate that once belonged to the Rothschilds called Inchmery, near Beaulieu in Hampshire. He also owned a private jet. He then rented out Inchmery and moved into a mansion in the Cape Town suburb of Constantia, where fellow residents included Earl Spencer and Mark Thatcher.

… His third [sic] wife Amanda (née Freedman) whom he called “the Duchess” and who was the mother of four of his seven children, thereafter kept “my passport under lock and key”. Last year the Daily Mail’s Eden Confidential column reported that he had left her and was being “comforted” by a woman 20 years his junior. He is survived by seven children from three [sic] marriages: Peter, Jack (a close friend of Prince Harry), Sophie, Freddy, Lilly, Bess and Arthur.

Simon Mann, soldier, businessman and mercenary, was born on June 26, 1952. He died of a heart attack on May 8, 2025, aged 72

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/simon-mann-obituary-mercenary-behind-failed-wonga-coup-in-equatorial-guinea-nzh7jr86g