William James Harris, 6th Earl of Malmesbury TD KStJ DL JP (18 November 1907 – 11 November 2000), styled Viscount FitzHarris until 1950, was a British peer.
The son of James Harris, 5th Earl of Malmesbury, Harris was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge and, as a surveyor, joined and served in the Royal Hampshire Regiment. After leaving the army, he served in a variety of positions, all of which involved forestry, agriculture, or surveying work.[1] He succeeded his father in the earldom in 1950. He was Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire in 1957. In 1973 he became Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, a position he held until 1982. From 1966 to 1974 he was Official Verderer of the New Forest.[2]
He was awarded the Territorial Decoration in 1944. He was appointed a Knight of the Order of Saint John in 1973.[2]
He sat in the House of Lords as a Conservative Party peer from 9 May 1951 to 11 November 1999.[3]
The family seat was Greywell Hill House, near Farnham in Hampshire.
Lord Malmesbury married firstly, the Honourable Diana Carleton (1912–1990), daughter of Dudley Carleton, 2nd Baron Dorchester, on 7 July 1932. They had three children:,
- Lady Sylvia Veronica Anthea Harris (b. 17 May 1934), married John Maltby, son of Air Vice Marshal Sir Paul Copeland Maltby, and had issue.
- Lady Nell Carleton Harris (b. 3 July 1937), married Captain Michael Boyle, descendant of Henry Boyle, 5th Earl of Shannon and William Edmund Cradock-Hartopp, 3rd Baronet, High Sheriff of Warwickshire, and had issue.
- James Harris, 7th Earl of Malmesbury (b. 19 June 1946), married Sally Ann Rycroft, daughter of Sir Richard Newton Rycroft, 7th Baronet, and had issue.
He married secondly, Margaret Campbell-Preston (d. 1994) in 1991 and thirdly, Bridget Hawkings on 5 July 1996.
He died on 11 November 2000 at age 92.[2]
References
edit- ↑ The Earl of Malmesbury – Telegraph
- 1 2 3 Mosley, Charles (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage (107th ed.). Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd.
- ↑ "Parliamentary career for Earl of Malmesbury - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
External links
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