When Margaret Thatcher, as she then was, made Irwin Bellow a Life Peer in 1979 he wanted, unsurprisingly, to be known as Lord Bellow. This was not allowed by the College of Arms which, I suppose, means Garter as he might be mistaken for Lord Bellew.
If this is true, I only read about it in a newspaper, it is pathetic. The newspaper story said that Lord Bellew had been consulted and objected to Mr Bellow’s choice of title. That was untrue. My grandfather was Lord Bellew in 1979 and did not object; indeed he would have said there was not much chance of confusion as the Bellew Barony is an Irish Peerage and he was not able to take his seat in the Upper House. I regret not getting in touch with Irwin Bellow at the time to explain that it was the College of Arms being difficult. He should have persisted. George Brown, Harold Wilson’s colourful Foreign Secretary, put his foot down when Harold Wilson gave him a Life Peerage.
“When the award was announced, Brown told the press, “As I understand it, I have to pick a title – but I hope to everybody, I will simply remain George Brown.” This foreshadowed a long dispute over the wording of the title. Brown wished to be “Lord George Brown,” but Garter King of Arms argued that peerage titles traditionally included only surnames, not forenames. Brown had no sympathy with the objection, and noted that there had been counter-examples such as Lord Ritchie-Calder and Lord Francis-Williams. Also Field Marshal Sir Alan Brooke became Viscount Alanbrooke. Eventually, Garter King of Arms gave way on condition that Brown simultaneously change his surname to George-Brown, so finally his title ended as Baron George-Brown, of Jevington in the County of Sussex. In 1971, he published his memoirs, entitled In My Way. On hearing the title Harold Wilson supposedly commented that it was very appropriate, because that was just where he had always found George Brown over the years.“ (Wikipedia)
While Major Major Major Major could be a character in Catch-22, Frederick Marquis had a similar problem. We are already more than 300 words in today so let’s skip his early life. Chamberlain appointed him Minister of Food in 1940; in 1943 he was made Minister of Reconstruction and subsequently was Chairman of the Conservative party. He was not a Member of Parliament but sat in the Lords – he had been given a peerage in 1939.
“Despite his wishes, he was informed that it was not possible to be Baron Marquis (because “Marquess”, or “Marquis”, is another grade of the peerage of the United Kingdom) and so he took the title Baron Woolton after the Liverpool suburb of that name in which he had lived.” (Wikipedia)
Unless you have the memory of a gnat you will remember Lord Woolton as Lord President of the Privy Council in 1952 in yesterday’s post. He also gives his name to Woolton Pie, a nutritious dish consisting of cauliflower, parsnips, carrots, potatoes and onions under a pastry topping. Yum yum.