Sir Marcus Worsley, 5th Baronet

Sir (William) Marcus John Worsley, 5th Baronet, (6 April 1925 – 18 December 2012), was a British Conservative Party politician. He served as a Member of Parliament in four parliaments between 1959 and 1974, and served as High Sheriff and Lord Lieutenant for North Yorkshire.

Biography

Worsley was born in the family home of Hovingham Hall, near Malton, North Yorkshire, the eldest son of Colonel Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet, and Joyce Morgan Brunner. He was the eldest brother of Katharine, Duchess of Kent. He was educated at Eton. After conscripted service in the Green Howards, which included a secondment to the Royal West African Frontier Force, he graduated as BA from New College, Oxford, in 1949.

Worsley was a Councillor on Malton Rural District Council from 1955, serving as vice-chairman in 1965.

He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1955 election for the marginal constituency of Keighley in West Yorkshire. However, at the 1959 election he defeated the sitting Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Charles Hobson, taking the seat with a majority of only 170. At the 1964 general election, he lost his Keighley seat to Labour's John Binns, but for the 1966 election he was selected as candidate for the safe Conservative seat of Chelsea in west London. He held that seat for three Parliaments, before retiring at the October 1974 general election. He served as the Second Church Estates Commissioner, the church of England's link to the House of Commons, from 1970 to 1974.

In 1973, when he inherited the title and estate, he moved back into Hovingham Hall and managed the 3,000-acre (12 km²) estate. In 1982 he was appointed High Sheriff of North Yorkshire.

In 1978 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for North Yorkshire, serving as Lord Lieutenant from 1987 to 1999. He also served the county as High Sheriff from 1982 to 1983. He was appointed a Knight of Justice of the Order of Saint John in 1987.

Worsley was active in the National Trust becoming Chairman of the Yorkshire Regional Committee between 1969 and 1994 and for a time Chair of the Trust's Properties Committee, overseeing approval of the acquisition of many significant property acquisitions including Canons Ashby (1981), Belton House (1984), Calke Abbey (1985) and Keddleston Hall (1987). He served as Deputy Chairman of the Trust between 1986 and 1992.

Worsley died on 18 December 2012 at Hovingham Hall and was buried in Hovingham cemetery. His eldest son William succeeded to the baronetcy.

Marriage and children

In 1955 he married Hon Bridget Assheton (born 20 August 1926, died 22 May 2004), daughter of Ralph Assheton, 1st Baron Clitheroe, and Hon Sylvia Benita Frances Hotham. They had four children together:

• Sir William Ralph Worsley, 6th Baronet (born 12 September 1956)
• Sarah Marianne Worsley (born 25 June 1958)
• Giles Arthington Worsley (22 March 1961 – 17 January 2006)
• Peter Marcus Worsley (born 15 September 1963)

References

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Marcus Worsley
• Lundy, Darryl. "p. 156 § 1558 website entry and photo". The Peerage.
• Hovingham Hall website