John Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford

For other people named John Russell, see John Russell (disambiguation).

The Duke of Bedford
Portrait taken by Allan Warren
Born	24 May 1917(1917-05-24)
Died	25 October 2002(2002-10-25) (aged 85)
Title	Duke of Bedford
Tenure	9 October 1953 - 25 October 2002 (&1000000000000004900000049 years, &1000000000000001600000016 days)
Other titles	13th Marquess of Tavistock 17th Earl of Bedford 17th Baron Russell 15th Baron Russell of Thornhaugh 13th Baron Howland
Successor	Robin Russell, 14th Duke
Spouse(s)	Clare Gwendolen Hollway (née Bridgman)
Issue	Henry Robin Ian Russell Rudolf Russell
Parents	Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford Louisa Crommelin Roberta Jowitt Whitwell

John Ian Robert Russell, 13th Duke of Bedford (24 May 1917 – 25 October 2002), styled Lord Howland until 1940 and Marquess of Tavistock between 1940 and 1953, was a British peer and writer.

Background and education

Bedford was the son of Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford. He endured an extremely strange upbringing. He was often reduced to eating the chocolates put out for his father's beloved parrots.

The 13th Duke was known in his youth as Ian, with the courtesy title Lord Howland. In 1940 his father succeeded to the dukedom and Lord Howland acquired the courtesy title Marquess of Tavistock.

Career

Russell started his career as a rent collector in 1938, in Stepney. He then joined the Coldstream Guards in 1939 and fought in the Second World War between 1939 and 1940, but quit the army after being invalided. He then turned to journalism and was a reporter for the Daily Express in 1940. He published:

• A Silver-Plated Spoon (1959)
• The Duke of Bedford's Book of Snobs (1965)
• The Flying Duchess (1968)
• How to Run a Stately Home (1971)

He was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1985.

Family

Bedford married Clare Gwendolen (née Bridgman) Hollway (1903–1945) on 6 April 1939. She died of a drug overdose in 1945. They had two children:

• Henry Robin Ian Russell, 14th Duke of Bedford (1940–2003)
• Lord Rudolf Russell (b. 7 March 1944)

On 13 February 1947, Lord Tavistock married as his second wife, Lydia Lyle (born 17 October 1917 - died 25 July 2006), daughter of John Yarde-Buller, 3rd Baron Churston and the former Denise Orme, and widow of Capt. Ian Archibald de Hoghton Lyle (1909–1942), heir to a baronetcy; she had two children by her first marriage. They were divorced in 1960. They had one child:

• Lord Francis Hastings Russell (b. 27 February 1950)

Bedford married, thirdly, Nicole (Schneider) Milinaire (b. 29 June 1920) on 4 September 1960. There were no children from this marriage.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Duke of Bedford

Peerage of England
Preceded by Hastings Russell	Duke of Bedford 1953–2002	Succeeded by Robin Russell