William Montagu, 9th Duke of Manchester

William Angus Drogo Montagu, 9th Duke of Manchester (3 March 1877 – 9 February 1947), styled The Honourable William A. D. Montagu from 1877 to 1890 and Viscount Mandeville from 1890 to 1892, was a British peer and Liberal politician. He served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard from 1905 to 1907 under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman.

Background and education

Manchester was the son of George Montagu, 8th Duke of Manchester, by his wife Consuelo Yznaga^[1] He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge.^[2]

Political career

Manchester succeeded his father in the dukedom in 1892 at the age of fifteen, and took his seat on the Liberal benches in the House of Lords in June 1902.^[3] When the Liberals came to power in December 1905 under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, he was appointed Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard. He retained this post until April 1907, but never held ministerial office again. Apart from his political career he also achieved the rank of Captain in the Lancashire Fusiliers.

His wife and a daughter in 1930

Personal life

Manchester married firstly Helena Zimmerman, at London on 14 November 1900. She was the daughter of Eugene Zimmerman of Cincinnati, Ohio, a railroad president and major stockholder in Standard Oil. (The marriage was secret and his mother, Consuelo, was appalled by it.) They had four children:

• Lady Mary Alice Montagu (Kimbolton Castle, Huntingdonshire, 26 October 1901 – Mexico City, Mexico, 9 October 1962), married 1949 to Fendall Littlepage Gregory, without issue.
• Alexander George Francis Drogo Montagu, 10th Duke of Manchester.
• Lord Edward Eugene Fernando Montagu (London, 26 July 1906 – Mexico, 4 May 1954/1956), married firstly 10 August 1929 (divorced 1937) to Norah Macfarlane Potter, daughter of Albert Edward Potter of Ontario, Canada, and wife, secondly at Brighton, 28 August 1937 (divorced 1947) to Dorothy Vera Peters, thirdly in Mexico, 1947 to Martha Mathews Hatton Bowen (d. 1951), fourthly August 1952 to Cora Kellie, Baroness Kelly, a portrait painter, and fifthly at Cuernavaca, Mexico, 28 September 1953 to Roberta Herold Joughlin.
  • Roderick Edward Alexander Montagu (b. 1 June 1930), married 1968 to Mary Deas.
• Lady Ellen Millicent Louise Montagu (Kylemore Castle, County Galway, 5 January 1908 – 2 August 1948), married firstly 1936 (divorced 1944) to Herman Martin Hofer and secondly 30 August 1945 to John Norman Shairp.

The Duke and Duchess of Manchester divorced in 1931. On 17 December 1931 Manchester married Kathleen Dawes (d. 28 March 1966), daughter of W. H. Dawes, Greenwich, Connecticut. There were no children from this marriage.

Manchester was a notorious spendthrift, and as a result of the excessive spending of both him and the prior two Dukes, the family's fortune (already low) was completely exhausted, culminating in the sale of the family's lands during the tenure of the tenth Duke. He spent much of his life abroad, evading creditors, seeking out wealthy consorts, and attempting to extract money from wealthy acquaintances.^[4] He is perhaps most well known in America from the leading case of Hamilton v. Drogo, 150 N.E. 496 (N.Y. 1926), which concerned the establishment of a spendthrift trust for the benefit of the young Duke.

The Duke of Manchester died at Seaford, Sussex, on 9 February 1947, aged 69, and was succeeded in his titles by his son Alexander.

Styles of address

• 1877-1890: The Honourable William Montagu
• 1890-1892: Viscount Mandeville
• 1892-1947: His Grace The Duke of Manchester

Ancestry

References

Dukes of Manchester
Charles Montagu, 1st Duke William Montagu, 2nd Duke Robert Montagu, 3rd Duke George Montagu, 4th Duke William Montagu, 5th Duke George Montagu, 6th Duke William Montagu, 7th Duke George Montagu, 8th Duke William Montagu, 9th Duke Alexander Montagu, 10th Duke Sidney Montagu, 11th Duke Angus Montagu, 12th Duke Alexander Montagu, 13th Duke1
1 Not listed in the Roll of the Peerage per April 2013.