2nd Earl Haig OBE (1918-2009) Soldier and Painter

[Richard R]

George Alexander Eugene Douglas Haig 2nd Earl Haig, was the only son
of Field Marshal 1st Earl Haig and the Hon Dorothy Vivian dau of the
3rd Lord Vivian. He was born on March 15, 1918. He died on July 10,
2009, aged 91. He was educated at Stowe and Christ Church, Oxford,
where he read history. He was commissioned into the Royal Scots Greys
as a university entrant in 1938. He was a member of the Queen’s Body
Guard for Scotland, of the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland
1958-61 and of the council and executive committee of the Earl Haig
Fund for Scotland 1950-65, being appointed OBE for this work in 1966,
president of the Scottish Arts Council 1980-86 and of the Scottish
Craft Centre 1950-75.
He was a trustee of the National Gallery of Scotland 1962-72 and was
involved with many other charities and trusts, in particular those
associated with the Armed Services and the blind.
His marriage in 1956 to Adrienne Thérèse Morley was dissolved in 1981,
when he married Donna Geroloma Lopez y Royo di Taurisano. He is
survived by his second wife, a son and two daughters of his first
marriage. The son, Viscount Dawick, succeeds his as 3rd Earl.

Dawick Haig, as he was known from his courtesy title in early
schooldays, was thrust under the spotlight aged 10 when his father,
the Field Marshal and commander of the British Army in France from
1915, died in 1928. Given the public scrutiny to which he was
subjected, it is possible that he might never have discovered his own
resources had he not endured the isolation and privations of a
prisoner of war. It was during that time that he turned to painting
for fulfilment and, rightly, he would wish to be remembered as a
painter rather than as a soldier. ...
Deprived of the stimulus of the company of Cutforth, left behind at
Hadamar, Haig drew on this contrast of conviviality and solitude to
develop his thoughts on art and painting. A self-portrait he made at
Colditz suggests that he began to feel a greater self-confidence in
himself and his chosen work. ...
The Prominente lived in fear that they would all be murdered by the SS
as an act of revenge before they could be freed — a fear subsequently
verified but, fortunately, not fulfilled. Haig’s frail health, caused
by the dysentery he had contracted in the desert, was also having a
debilitating effect. Despite assurances from the Colditz commandant
that they would not be moved or handed over to the SS, as soon as the
Allied artillery could be heard to the west, the Prominente were
ordered to leave for an undisclosed destination on April 12, 1945.
They were taken to the fortress of Königstein, some 30 miles south of
Dresden, where Haig and the Earl of Hopetoun, son of the Viceroy of
India, convinced their escort that they were too ill to go any
farther.
Three days later Himmler sent a signal to the German commandant at
Königstein ordering Haig and Hopetoun to rejoin the other Prominente.
Hopetoun was well enough to travel but, by swallowing all the figs and
prunes in their Red Cross parcels, Haig demonstrated that his
dysentery was still in control. They were liberated by the Red Army a
few days later.
On return to England in 1945 he studied at the School of Arts and
Crafts at Camberwell and subsequently divided his life between the
family estate at Bemersyde, where he welcomed his ever-widening circle
of artistic friends, his painting and duties to the Earl Haig Fund
services charity in Scotland and as Chief of the Haig family.
Although he returned again and again to painting his favourite Border
country around Bemersyde and the Tweed, he also produced many works of
Venice and the Veneto. He had his first London exhibition at the
Redfern Gallery in 1949 and at the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh the
same year.
In the lower Dolomites — his second wife’s family home — Haig found an
affinity with his native Border country in the clear light, the drama
of the mountains and the uneven tumble of undergrowth, rock and river.
He showed paintings with the Scottish Gallery consistently for more
than 50 years.
He welcomed the editing of his father’s diaries and papers by Robert
(later Lord) Blake which were published in 1953. Although there was
some opposition to their publication, notably from Lord Trenchard, the
former Chief of the Air Staff, Haig felt that they presented the Field
Marshal in a fairer light, but would have preferred the press not to
have focused on the implied criticism of Marshal Foch. He was
particularly appreciative of the campaign, mounted in 2008, to
rehabilitate The Times obit in full:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6684073.ece

[Richard R]

The new earl married in 2003 but has yet to produce a child of either
sex. A new Viscount Dawick would be useful as the title won't survive
without one!

[Turenne]

Here's The Telegraph obit:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/scotland/5797367/Son-of-First-World-Wars-Field-Marshall-Sir-Douglas-Haig-dies.html

Richard L

[marquess]

How old is the new earl's wife?

> > rehabilitate The Times obit in full:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6684073.ece- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Richard R]

Well, she married her first husband some 31 years ago (Times
engagement notice 5.6.78: Michael J R, son of Thomas N Risk of Blaven,
Boclair Crescent, Bearsden, Glasgow and Jane H younger dau late Donald
and of Mrs Mary Grassick of Wester Dollerie, Crieff Pershire) so I
guess she's pushing 50 (from one side or the other of that number).
Her husband will be 50 on 30 June 2011.

> > > rehabilitate The Times obit in full:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6684073.ece-Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[marquess]

Well that is probably another earldom sunk then, along with Dunraven,
Atlee, Kitchner etc. The 3rd and last earl Haig. Still modern science
can work wonders these days.

> > > > rehabilitate The Times obit in full:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6684073.ec...quoted text -

[Richard R]

I fear you may be right. I've found a Scots newspaper card index
reference to Donald Grassick registering the birth of a daughter in
1948! May be an older sister of course. Whoever it is, she'd be in her
61st year.

> > > > > rehabilitate The Times obit in full:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6684073.ec...text -

[marquess]

Sense of duty to produce and heir to a peerage doesn't really seem to
exist anymore these days! With one or two exceptions.

> > > > > > rehabilitate The Times obit in full:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article6684073.ec...-

[marquess]

In fact it might have been better if the 2nd earl had been born in
1920, as the earldom might then have had a special remainder or at
least one for the subsidary titles, just like Jellicoe.

[Michael Rhodes]

The funeral takes place on Tuesday 21st July 2009 at Mertoun
Kirk .....

[Richard R]

Telegraph notice: July 14th 2009
HAIG
Dawyck, 2nd Earl Haig, 30th Laird of Bemersyde, died 10th July 2009,
aged 91. Beloved husband of Fruzzy and loving father of Raina,
Vivienne and Alexander. Family Funeral on Tuesday 21st July 2009 at
Mertoun Kirk at 11.30 a.m. Memorial Service to be announced later.


On 14 July, 08:10, Michael Rhodes <mig73allenford2...@yahoo.co.uk>
wrote:

[Richard R]

Here's The Independent's obit
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/earl-haig-son-of-fieldmarshal-haig-who-became-a-soldier-and-painter-and-was-a-prisoner-of-war-in-colditz-1744987.html

To my mind the best so far. A striking self-portrait and a wonderful
opening paragraph:
Surely no child can ever have inherited a more difficult silver spoon.
George (after his godfather King George V) Alexander (in deference to
one godmother, Queen Alexandra) Eugene (in deference to another
godmother, the Empress Eugenie, widow of Napoleon III) Douglas Haig
was born in a mock Tudor house called Eastcott on the night of 15
March 1918. His mother wrote: "Few babies can have been so welcome.
The newspapers acclaimed him and everyone seemed to take a personal
pleasure in his arrival. Douglas returned to France the day after, but
before he left he received from the King and Queen at Buckingham
Palace their majestys' very warm congratulations." The Germans were
about to make their last great attack of the First World War, towards
Amiens.....
And some wonderful family history further down.

> > Kirk .....- Hide quoted text -

[marquess]

Richard are there any Haigs who could succeed to the lairdship, as the
new earl is the 31st I assume that their must be lots of other
in the family tree?

On 14 July, 05:21, Richard R <r_rut...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Here's The Independent's obithttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/earl-haig-son-of-fieldma...

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Richard R]

Yes. He has three sisters all of whom have married into noble families
and have issue. More widely, the first Earl had four brothers, two of
whom had issue.

[sarac...@googlemail.com]

The most recent edition of BLG(The Kingdom of Scotland) has
genealogical info. on 5 extant but non-titled Haig cadet branches;with
the best candidate being 'Haig formerly of Bemersyde' who were
considered the familial chiefs until their previous rep. Lt.-Col.
Arthur Balfour,the 28th Laird(b.1840-d.1925) sold the estate to the
nation in 1921 when it was presented to the 1st Earl Haig,although all
of them(including the Earls) via Blairhill and its present cadets of
Drumalan(formerly Pen-Ithon),Ramornie and Dollarfield,are male-line
descendants of Robert of Throsk,St.Ninians,Stirlings.(c.1627-d.1664),
2nd son of James,the 17th Laird.
Although the 1st Earl Haig was the youngest of 5 sons,recent editions
of both BLG and Burke's Peerage are noticeably lacking on his
siblings' descendants although the 1st Earl's 3 daus made good solid
noble matches,incl.the life peer Baron Dacre of Glanton,a ducal
Buccleuch scion and a Astor scion.
I am unaware whether Debrett's can throw any light on the matter.

On 15 July, 00:17, marquess <marquessmarqu...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

[Richard R]

Thanks.
Presumably the lairdship can pass through one of the 1st Earl's daus?

On 15 July, 14:36, "saracen9...@googlemail.com"