Aubrey Herbert: Remembering The Man Who Was Greenmantle

 

Remembering Aubrey Herbert At The Centenary

Of His Death

                                  Aubrey Nigel Henry Molyneux Herbert 

                                                    1880–1923

Aubrey Herbert died 100 years ago today, 26 September 1923, five months after his revered half-brother Porchy - George Herbert,  5th Earl of Carnarvon- the discoverer with Howard Carter of the Tomb of Tutankhamun.

 

Despite being born near blind Aubrey overcame his medical condition to lead a full life, but ironically died after a botched operation to restore his sight resulted in blood poisoning.

 

A very fine and courageous man, one of the last adventurers, an accomplished traveller, expert on the Middle East ( especially of Turkey and the Balkans) and a notable politician before and after the Great War.

 

John Buchan modelled the character Ludovick Gustavus Arbuthnot better known as ‘Sandy’ Arbuthnot the side kick of the famous Richard Hannay (of ‘ The 39 Steps’ fame) around Aubrey Herbert in the superb spy novel “ Greenmantle”.

 

A friend of Albania, as was his dear mother, Elizabeth, 4th Countess of Carnarvon, he argued for that small nation’s independence – and was offered the country’s crown - twice.

 

His sister in law Almina, 5th Countess of Carnarvon treasured and adored him and was secretly in love with him. In 1911 she vigorously campaigned for him to win as the Member of Parliament for South Somerset & she nursed him at Highclere Military Hospital in WW1 and saved him from the near death wounds he’d received in battle.

 

A master of disguise ( just like Sandy Arbuthnot) best illustrated at the outbreak of the First World War, when Aubrey joined the Irish Guards- despite his near blindness - by simply buying himself a second lieutenant's uniform and falling in as the Regiment boarded their ship for France.

 

Aubrey’s legacy remains – with surviving descendants ( produced with a formidable wife, Mary Vesey, who lived until 1970) and there’s a good biography of him by his granddaughter Margaret Fitzherbert under the title “The Man Who Was Greenmantle.”

Aubrey's Herbert line is almost certainly  the TRUE succession blood line to the title "Earldom of Carnarvon" since the 6th Earl of Carnarvon was the son of Prince Victor Duleep Singh. 

Aubrey Herbert was a friend of TE Lawrence ( of Arabia fame) and when Aubrey was re-elected to his Somerset Parliamentary seat in 1922 Lawrence quipped

 “ I note your re-election by your usual absurd majority which of course you would get if you declared yourself a Bolshevik or a Wee Free or a Prohibitionist or a Mormon.”

 

We shall not ever see his like again.

 

William Cross, FSA Scot

William Cross is the biographer of Almina, Countess of Carnarvon and several books on the Carnarvons of Highclere Castle.

 Contact him by email

williecross@aol.com

THE MAN WHO WAS GREENMANTLE

Aubrey's Effigy & Tomb At Brushford Church, Somerset

Shirley Bassey: The Early Years Of A Welsh Musical Legend: A Talk By William Cross, FSA Scot

 

SHIRLEY BASSEY FEATURES ON A ROYAL MINT COIN

                                               TWO DIVAS

An illustrated talk, from Newport writer William Cross , who first took a close interest in Shirley when he was researching Cliff Gordon, a long  forgotten Welsh producer/  actor /playwright,  the man who first discovered Bassey and gave her a break into show business.

 

Will mainly  considers Bassey’s singer’s early years and her rise to fame, he appraises her early musical hits including her famous songs from the James Bond series of films and looks a little deeper beneath the surface into Shirley's private life, her controversial men friends, lovers and fiends and some of the tragedies that remain a grim shadow upon the life and times of a great Welsh performer who is now a Dame and a great survivor in a tough and merciful industry called show business.

The daughter of a Northern girl named Eliza Jane Metcalfe and a West African sailor, Henry Bassey, the legendry Welsh singing star Shirley Bassey was born in Bute Road,  Cardiff in 1937. The family later moved to Splott.

Despite an initial set back, and real life of working in a dreary 9 till 5 job in a packing factory, Shirley was spotted performing in a working men’s club by Welsh showman and actor Cliff Gordon. He gave the 16-year-old singer from Tiger Bay, a role in two mid 1950s touring shows “ Memories of Jolson” and “ Hot from Harlem”. These shows went all around the UK in 1953-4.

 London producers soon noticed Shirley’s talent. She appeared in the West End of the capital in “Such Is Life” at the Adelphi Theatre in the Strand and in several Night Club Cabaret spots, including the famous Albany Club in Soho. The press also took a shine to the new singer and Shirley was identified as a potential star by the powerful London agents, Jack Hylton and Joe Collins .

 

In the space of the next few years Shirley Bassey became a household name with top 20 hits and literally stopped the show with guest appearances in the UK and in several places overseas, including Sydney, Australia and on the Ed Sullivan Show in USA.

 

Recording contracts gave her further success. She toured widely and made many TV shows, summer shows, and guest appearances including seasons at the London Palladium, Las Vegas New York and Hollywood.

 

Shirley Bassey has now spent more than 60 years in show business and lives in Monte Carlo. Twice married with many admirers and famous hits Shirley Bassey’s life has been fast and furious, with a following of millions of fans.

 

In 2023 Shirley Bassey will appear on a series of British stamps and has already featured in a series of Royal Mint coins.

 

William Cross, FSA Scot (Will)  is the author of the controversial book “The Abergavenny Witch Hunt” (published in 2014) concerning the arrest and prosecution of 24 homosexual men and youths in the small Welsh market town in 1942. Cliff Gordon ( 1920-1964) was one of the men caught up in the proceedings.

 

Will Cross is currently writing a biography of Cliff Gordon.

 

 Here is a link for more details on Cliff Gordon

 

 

 https://twitter.com/WelshIcarus

 

 

You can also email Will Cross

 

 

williecross@aol.com

 

 

Cliff Gordon - A Forgotten Welshman