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John Dillwyn-Venables-Llewelyn

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Sir John Michael Dillwyn-Venables-Llewelyn, 4th Baronet (born 12 August 1938), is a Welsh racing driver, landowner, and businessman. He is the son of Brigadier Sir Charles Michael Dillwyn-Venables-Llewelyn, previous Lord-Lieutenant of Radnorshire, and Lady Delia Mary Hicks-Beach, sister of the 2nd Earl St Aldwyn. John Llewelyn succeeded to the Dillwyn-Venebles-Llewelyn baronetcy on 15 March 1976, following the death of his father, thus becoming the 4th Baronet. He is a direct descendant of the politician, Michael Hicks-Beach, 1st Earl Aldwyn, via his maternal line.

Life

Llewelyn was educated at Eton College, and Cambridge University.[1] He lives at the ancestral home of the Dillwyn-Venables-Llewelyn baronets, Llysdinam Hall, in Llandrindod Wells.[2][3]

In 1970, Llewelyn partnered with Major Charles Lambton, to design and build a replica Bentley Tourer, using the remains of a damaged 1948 Bentley MkVI. The "Bentley Special", as they called it, had "completely modern servicing facilities, but a standard engine". In an interview with the Reading Evening Post, the partners stated that they did not want want to sell the car "until enough people had seen it", adding that they "hoped for orders for replicas".[4]

Llewelyn was also friends with racing driver and engineer, Anthony Mayman. In the 1980s, Llewelyn occasionally raced Mayman's 1954 Maserati 250F, a car which Mayman lent to several of his vintage racing friends .[5]

Llewelyn is a member of the Bugatti Owners' Club of Great Britain, of which he was Director from 1992, until his resignation in 2001.[2] He was a friend of Fitzroy Somerset, 5th Lord Raglan, and used to race Somerset's Bugatti Type 51 with considerable success, competing in the Monaco Historic Gran Prix on several occasions, consecutively winning the event's "Williams Monaco Trophy" from 1984 to 1986.[6][7][8][9] Llewelyn also competed successfully in the ACU National Championships,[10] driving his own supercharged ERA and 1934 Alfa Romeo P3, winning the 1996 "Bob Gerald Trophy" in the later, at Mallory Park.[8][11][12][13][14]

Between 1998 and 2000, he was managing director of Llandovery College ARTS Centre. At present, he is the appointed director of four companies, including Parc Mawr Investments and Penllergaer Estates; both positions once held by his mother.[2][15]

Llewelyn is the co-owner of Bryn-y-rhyd farm, in Llanedi,[16] which was subject to controversy in 2021, when planning permission was granted to build a solar farm on the land, causing some to liken the plans to the 1965 flooding of the Tryweryn valley.[17]

Marriages

He has married three times.[1][3]

Firstly to Nina Hallam, (m. 1963; div. 1972), with whom he had two children:

  • Georgina Katherine Dillwyn-Venables-Llewelyn (b. 1964)
  • Emma Susan Dillwyn-Venables-Llewelyn (b. 1967)

Secondly to Nina Oliver (m. 1975; div. 1995), with whom he had one child, who died in infancy.

Thirdly to Carolyn Lockheart (m. 2005)

As of 2024, there is no heir to the baronetcy.

Sources

The Standing Council of The Baronetage[18]

The Royal Institution of South Wales[19]

References

  1. ^ a b Mosley, Charles (2003). Burke's Peerage: Baronetcy and Knighthood (107th ed.). Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A: Burke's Peerage Ltd. p. 1171. ISBN 9780971196629.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  2. ^ a b c "John Michael Dillwyn VENABLES-LLEWELYN personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  3. ^ a b "Venables-Llewelyn, Sir John (Michael) Dillwyn-, (born 12 Aug. 1938), farmer, since 1975". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-41047. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  4. ^ "Build-Up For a Bentley". Reading Evening Post. 7 October 1970. p. 4. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  5. ^ Fiskens. "FISKENS | Fine Historic Automobiles". www.fiskens.com. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  6. ^ SHED RACING (2024-05-10). Bugatti Nostalgia: Historic Racing Monaco 1984. Retrieved 2024-06-18 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "Welsh lord who was bitten by the Bugatti bug - Wales Online". www.walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  8. ^ a b "The Williams Monaco Trophy 10-Lap Scratch Race". Market Rasen Mail. 23 August 1986. p. 6. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Bank Holiday Motorsport". Horncastle News. 27 August 1988. p. 21. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Vintage Attractions". Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. 25 August 1990. p. 23. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Grand Old Racers Will Roll Back Years At Donington". Staffordshire Sentinel. 25 May 1990. p. 50. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Hill Is The Overall Winner". Long Eaton Advertiser. 12 June 1980. p. 20. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Historic Cars Battle It Out This Weekend". Formby Times. 12 June 1974. p. 23. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Trophy Joy For Sir John At Mallory". Leicester Daily Mercury. 2 July 1996. p. 37. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Delia Mary DILLWYN-VENABLES-LLEWELYN personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  16. ^ "Search for land and property information". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  17. ^ "A solar farm scheme in Carmarthenshire has been compared to the flooding of Tryweryn - Wales Online". www.walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  18. ^ "Official Roll". The Standing Council of the Baronetage. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  19. ^ Gabb, Gerald (2019). "Swansea History Journal/Minerva". Royal Institution of South Wales. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
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