Thomas Trenchard, 2nd Viscount Trenchard

Thomas Trenchard, 2nd Viscount Trenchard, MC (15 December 1923 – 29 April 1987), was a British hereditary peer and junior minister in Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government from 1979 to 1983.

The Viscount Trenchard
Trenchard in 1932
Minister of State for Defence Procurement
In office
5 January 1981 – 6 January 1983
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byThe Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal
Succeeded byGeoffrey Pattie
Minister of State for Industry
In office
6 May 1979 – 5 January 1981
Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher
Preceded byEric Heffer
Succeeded byKenneth Baker
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
10 February 1956 – 29 April 1987
Preceded byThe 1st Viscount Trenchard
Succeeded byThe 3rd Viscount Trenchard
Personal details
Born
Thomas Trenchard

(1923-12-15)15 December 1923
Died29 April 1987(1987-04-29) (aged 63)
Political partyConservative
Spouse
Patricia Bailey
(m. 1948)
Children3
ParentHugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard
EducationEton College

Thomas Trenchard was born in 1923, the son of Katherine and Hugh Trenchard, whom many regard as the father of the Royal Air Force. He was educated at Eton College and served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps in World War II being awarded the MC in 1945.

On 19 June 1948, Thomas Trenchard married Patricia Bailey, the daughter of Admiral Sir Sidney Bailey.[1]

They had three children:

  • Hon. Hugh Trenchard (b. 12 March 1951), later 3rd Viscount Trenchard;
  • Hon. John Trenchard (b. 13 March 1953) who married Clare Marsh (youngest daughter of Edward Chandos de Burgh Marsh, of The Old Rectory, Salcott, Essex) in 1983, and has issue (one son and one daughter); and
  • Hon. Thomas Henry Trenchard (16 July 1966 – 23 February 2003) who married Sarah Saunders in 1997, and had one daughter.

He succeeded his father as Viscount Trenchard on 10 February 1956, and took his seat in the House of Lords on 28 February 1957.[2] He was subsequently a Director of Unilever Ltd and Unilever NV from 1967 to 1977, and served as a Minister of State, Department of Industry from 1979 to 1981 and as Minister for Defence Procurement from 1981 to 1983.[3] After this, he became president of Women and Families for Defence, an anti-CND group.[4][5]

Lord Trenchard died on 29 April 1987 and was succeeded by his eldest son Hugh. Lady Trenchard died in 2016 at the age of 90.[6] They are buried together in the churchyard at North Mymms, Hertfordshire.

Coat of arms of Thomas Trenchard, 2nd Viscount Trenchard
Crest
A cubit arm erect vested Azure cuffed Argent holding in the hand a cinquedea sword both Proper.
Escutcheon
Per pale Argent and Azure in the first three pallets Sable all within a bordure of the last.
Supporters
On either side an eagle Gules the dexter charged with a thistle leaved and slipped and the sinister with a truncheon Or.
Motto
Nosce Teipsum[7]

References

edit
  1. ^ Lundy, Darryl. "p8129.htm". The Peerage.[unreliable source]
  2. ^ "Preamble (1957)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Lords. 28 February 1957.
  3. ^ Butler, D. & Butler, G. (1994) British Political Facts 1900−1994. 7th edn. Basingstoke and London: The Macmillan Press, pp. 39−41.
  4. ^ Barberis, Peter; McHugh, John; Tyldesley, Mike (1 January 2000). Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations: Parties, Groups and Movements of the 20th Century. A&C Black. p. 348. ISBN 978-0-8264-5814-8.
  5. ^ Liddington, Jill (1991). The Road to Greenham Common: Feminism and Anti-militarism in Britain Since 1820. Syracuse University Press. p. 254. ISBN 978-0-8156-2539-1.
  6. ^ TRENCHARD
  7. ^ Burke's Peerage. 1949.
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Viscount Trenchard
1956–1987
Member of the House of Lords
(1956–1987)
Succeeded by