Mark Birdwood, 3rd Baron Birdwood

Mark William Ogilvie Birdwood, 3rd Baron Birdwood (23 November 1938 – 11 July 2015) was a British peer and politician.^[1]

Birdwood was the son of Christopher Birdwood, 2nd Baron Birdwood, and Elizabeth Vere Drummond Ogilvie. He attended Radley College in Oxfordshire.^[2]

Birdwood served with the Royal Horse Guards and reached the rank of Second Lieutenant.^[3] He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a Master of Arts (MA). Birdwood held leadership positions in several industrial companies. Between 1970 and 1986 he worked as director of Wrightson Wood. In 1986 he was as a business owner and president of Martlet Ltd. From 1989 to 1992 he served as Director of Scientific Generics. He was chairman of Worthington & Company from 1994 to 1998. In 2001, he was chairman of Steel Tower Ltd.

On 6 January 1962 he inherited his father's title. Between 1965 and 1999 he participated several times in debates in the House of Lords.^[4] Until 11 November 1999, he was sitting in the upper house, then he lost his seat by the House of Lords Act 1999.

Birdwood married Judith Helen Roberts on 27 April 1963 eldest daughter of Reginald Gordon Seymour Roberts, of Newton Aycliffe, county Durham.

Issue

They had one daughter born on 29 July 1964 Sophie Frederika Birdwood who married Simon Frederick Marquis, 3rd Earl of Woolton in 1987 and had three daughters before divorcing in 1997.

• Lady Olivia Alice Marquis born 16 Apr 1990
• Lady Constance Elizabeth Marquis born 14 Oct 1991
• Lady Claudia Louise Marquis born 3 Mar 1995

Title and styles

• Mark William Ogilvie Birdwood (23 November 1938 -17 May 1951)
• The Honourable Mark William Birdwood ( 17 May 1951 - 5 January 1962)
• Sir Mark William Ogilvie Birdwood ( 5 January 1962 - 11 July 2015) 3rd Baronet, styled of Anzac and Totnes.
• Right Honourable Lord Birdwood ( 5 January 1962 - 11 July 2015) 3rd Baron Birdwood, of Anzac and of Totnes in the County of Devon

Coat of arms

Arms of Mark Birdwood, 3rd Baron Birdwood

Notes Coat of arms of the Birdwood family Coronet A coronet of a Baron Crest Out of a Mural Crown Gules a Martlet Argent between two Branches of Laurel proper Escutcheon Azure five Martlets two two and one within an Inescutcheon voided a representation of the Southern Cross all Argent Supporters Dexter: a Sergeant of the XIIth (Prince of Wales's Royal) Lancers mounted on a Bay Horse; Sinister: a Sikh Daffadar of the XIth (Prince of Wales's Own) Bengal Lancers mounted on a Chestnut Horse, both habited and accoutred proper Motto In Bello Quies (Calm in action)

References

1. "The Lord Birdwood". telegraph.co.uk.
2. "- Person Page 9557". thepeerage.com.
3. "Page 4201 - Supplement 41436, 1 July 1958 - London Gazette - The Gazette". thegazette.co.uk.
4. "The Newspaper Industry's Future". Hansard. millbanksystems.com.