John Howard Mackaness, (1915-2002)
Michael Rhodes
died 28 November, 2002. He was 87.
He traced his lineage to one John Makernes, of Thingdon [later called
Finedon] Northamptonshire, born circa 1445.
Mr Mackaness, head of the landed family of Mackaness, of Boughton
Hall, Northamptonshire, was born at Northampton, 11 October, 1915, the
elder son of Alfred Billing Mackaness, [1881-1954], of Little Billing,
Weston Favell, & Moulton, Northants, by his wife, Florence May Pepper.
He was educated at Northampton Town and County School, and Oakham and
Wye College.
Career: served WW2 1939-45 with the Home Guard and Civil Defence;
joint Master of the Pytchley Hunt from 1968; chairman of Mixconcrete
[Holdings] Ltd; director of the family firm, A.J. Mackaness Ltd;
director also of: Billing Aquadrome Ltd, Central Market [Pershore]
Ltd, Giles Freshpack Ltd, Mackaness Marketing Ltd, Mixmortar [Leighton
Buzzard] Ltd, Royal Insurance Co. Ltd [local board], Wilsons
[Connolly] Holdings Ltd, Central Markets [Evesham] Ltd, &c.
He was also a commissioner for Income Tax, a member of
Northamptonshire County Council, Chairman of Northamptonshire Outward
Bound Committee; President, Boughton Conservative Association; member,
Northampton County Club.
Mackaness, who enjoyed hunting, shooting and walking, added to his
landholdings in 1972 when, for £1.2m, he purchased the Rudding Park
estate, North Yorkshire, from baronet Sir Everard Radcliffe, whose
family had owned the estate since 1824, and who had migrated to
Switzerland.
The Mackaness family converted the Regency stately home & parkland
into a major hotel and golf copmplex.
Mackaness married, 28 September, 1940, Marjorie, daughter of Stanley
Cecil Andrews, by whom he had four sons, Samuel, James, Simon and
Mark.
Mrs Mackaness died 14 August, 2001.
--
Michael Rhodes.