Oswald Phipps, 4th Marquess of Normanby facts for kids
Oswald Constantine John Phipps, 4th Marquess of Normanby (born 29 July 1912 – died 30 January 1994), was a British nobleman. He was known for his kind heart and for helping people who were blind. Before he became the Marquess of Normanby in 1932, he was called the Earl of Mulgrave.
Contents
Early Life and School
Oswald Phipps was the only son of Constantine Phipps, the 3rd Marquess of Normanby. His mother was Gertrude Stansfeld Foster. He went to school at Lambrook, then Eton College, and later studied at Christ Church, Oxford University. When his father passed away in 1932, Oswald inherited his father's titles, becoming the 4th Marquess of Normanby.
Military Service and Helping Others
In 1939, Lord Normanby joined the Green Howards, a British Army regiment. He became a Lieutenant. In 1940, during World War II, he was captured by enemy forces at the Battle of Dunkirk. He became a prisoner of war (POW) and was held in Germany until 1943.
While he was a prisoner, Lord Normanby did something amazing. He convinced his captors to let him teach braille to other blind prisoners. Braille is a special system of raised dots that blind people read with their fingertips. Even though he didn't know braille himself at first, he learned it and taught others. They made their own braille alphabets using glass pins and cardboard.
He didn't stop there; he also taught other subjects. Because of his great efforts, a charity called St Dunstan's (now Blind Veterans UK), which helps blinded soldiers, made him an honorary teacher. After he was released and returned home with his blind students, he joined the charity's council to continue his work. For his leadership and work with the POWs, Lord Normanby received a military award called the MBE.
Political Work
After his release from being a prisoner, Lord Normanby worked in politics. From 1944 to 1945, he was a Parliamentary Private Secretary. This role is like a special assistant to a government minister. He worked for Viscount Cranborne, who was in charge of affairs for British territories. In 1945, he briefly worked for the Lord President of the Council.
Also in 1945, Lord Normanby was appointed a Lord-in-waiting. This meant he was a special attendant to the King or Queen. However, he soon changed his political party, moving from the Conservative Party to the Labour Party. This was quite unusual for a Marquess! He later left the Labour Party too and became a "crossbencher," meaning he didn't belong to any main political party.
Later Years and Public Service
Lord Normanby dedicated much of his life to helping others. From 1948 until his death, he was the Chairman of King's College Hospital. For this important work, he was honored with a CBE award in 1974.
Besides his work with St Dunstan's, he was also the Chairman of the National Library for the Blind from 1946 until he passed away. He was also its President from 1977 to 1988. These roles showed his strong commitment to supporting blind people.
He also served as the Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire from 1965 to 1974. After a change in local government, he became the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire from 1974 to 1987. This role is the King's or Queen's personal representative in a county. In 1985, he received a very high honor, becoming a Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG).
Family Life
On 10 February 1951, Lord Normanby married Hon Grania Maeve Rosaura Guinness. She was born on 14 April 1920 and passed away on 15 January 2018. She came from the famous Guinness family. They had seven children together:
- Lady Lepel Sophia Phipps (born 1952)
- Constantine Edmund Walter Phipps, who became the 5th Marquess of Normanby (born 1954)
- Lady Evelyn Rose Phipps (1955 - 2018)
- Lord Justin Charles Phipps (born 1958)
- Lady Peronel Katherine Phipps (born 1959)
- Lady Henrietta Laura Phipps (born 1962)
- Lady Anne Elizabeth Grania Phipps (born 1965)
Lady Normanby was also very active. She managed the family's estates, including Mulgrave Castle. She also helped set up the Captain Cook Memorial Museum in Whitby and worked as a local magistrate, which is like a judge in a local court.
Death
Lord Normanby passed away in 1994 at the age of 81. His oldest son, Constantine, inherited his titles. Lord Normanby is buried in the churchyard of the Church of St Oswald, Lythe. His wife, the Dowager Marchioness of Normanby, lived to be 97 and passed away in 2018.
