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of Rochdale. A scion of a Lancashire
cotton tycoon who was determined to
keep the country’s mills spinning in
the face of tough competition. Married
(1) 1959 Claire Nicholls (marriage
dissolved), (2) Valerie Cox, who
survives him with a son and daughter of
his first marriage. Obituaries The Times,
Daily Telegraph and Manchester Evening
News.
Edward David William Russell
(F, 47-51): died 11.4.2018. New
College, Oxford, 3 Modern History.
He completed his National Service as
a pilot in the RAF. He later flew for
BOAC and Virgin Airways. He then
farmed the family farm. Married 1959
Joanna Gilliat (marriage dissolved).
Peter Challenor Heywood Stabler
(K, 47-52) died 11.5.2018. Exhibitioner,
Gymna (Captain). National Service
with RASC 1952-54. School
Exhibitioner and Domus Scholar, Balliol
College, Oxford, 1 Modern Languages
(Russian and French) 1957. He worked
for the Foreign Office as a Senior
Translator with the United Nations at
Vienna, Geneva and New York. He did
not marry.
Thomas Michael Beswick Sissons
(Coll, 47-52): died 24.8.2018. Schol
Prae. National Service with 13th/18th
Royal Hussars 1953. Scholarship, Exeter
College, Oxford, 2 Modern History BA
1958. He was an enthusiastic editor of
Cherwell, the student paper. He first
worked lecturing History at Tulane
University, New Orleans 1958-59. But
in 1959 he embarked on a successful
career as a literary agent when he
joined AD Peters & Co Ltd. He
became a director 1965 and chairman
and managing director 1973-88 and
subsequently chairman of Peters Fraser
& Dunlop Group 1988-99. In 2001 he
was the driving force behind the deal
that saw it become part of the sports-
T he T rusty S ervant
and-entertainment conglomerate CSS
Stellar. He established the Association
of Authors’ Agents in 1978. He
was Patron, Said Business School,
University of Oxford from 2009. He
was a committee member of the MCC,
becoming chairman of the Arts and
Library sub-committee 1985-92. He
lobbied the club to allow women to join
– an ambition achieved in 1998. He was
founder and director of The Groucho
Club – an alternative to the London
gentlemen’s club. He was founder of
the Countryside Alliance. He made a
memorable defence of hunting on Radio
4’s The Moral Maze declaring that ‘if
you have been hunting – it is quite
clear that the fox is in control of the
agenda.’ He was a leading literary agent,
described as brilliantly belligerent,
whose list of authors included enough
generals to form a small army but his
political authors included Denis Healey,
Roy Jenkins, Paddy Ashdown and
William Hague. When Gerald Seymour
sent him the manuscript of Harry’s
Game he sent him a crate of champagne
stating that the book would be a best-
seller – he was right. He did not merely
pretend that his clients were Tolstoys;
he really thought it. Married (1) 1960
Nicola Fowler (marriage dissolved), (2)
1974 Ilze Kedegis (marriage dissolved)
and (3) 1992 Serena Palmer, who
survives him with a son and daughter
from his first marriage and two
daughters from his second marriage.
Obituaries in The Times and The Daily
Telegraph.
John Rupert Darbyshire (K, 49-54):
died 30.11.2017. RMAS 1954-55.
Commissioned into Somerset Light
Infantry. In 1962 he transferred to
the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
and was seconded to the Trucial
Oman Scouts. In 1963 he led a patrol
involving a three-hour climb up a
mountain to capture a leading rebel.
Then in Aden he was involved in a
30
fiercely fought action to release his
soldiers who were under siege. He then
served in HQ BAOR before he retired
in 1974 as a Major. He was articled
to Norton Rose Botterill & Roche
in the City and qualified as a lawyer,
which career he continued until he
retired to Saxmundham. In retirement
he joined Aldeburgh Yacht Club and
bought Akela, a Loch Long One Design,
becoming the Class Captain. He played
competitive golf at Aldeburgh Golf Club
and continued until two months before
he died of Parkinson’s Disease. He
became Chairman of the RNLI Guild.
It was said of him, ‘He was an ordinary
man but it’s people like him that put the
Great in Great Britain.’ Married 1969
Sue Coleman, who survives him with
their three daughters.
Roderick John Inglis (I, 49-54):
died 19.6.2018. Son of MIHI (I, 17-
22). Edinburgh University 1954-60.
He rowed for Edinburgh University
1955-56. MB, ChB 1960. Medical
Officer, Colonial Medical Service
(Uganda) 1962-64. He then moved to
South Africa where he was a General
Practitioner 1965-2000. Succeeded as
10th Baronet Inglis of Glencorse 1974.
A beloved physician, great wit, musician
and sportsman. Married (1) Rachel
Morris (marriage dissolved) and (2)
1986 Marilyn Irwin, who survives him
with six children.
Simon Matthew Gordon Clark
(G, 51-55): died 26.8.2018. Son of
JSGC (G, 16-21) and brother of AHGC
(G, 48-52) and CSGC (G, 57-61). 3rd
generation of Wykehamists, father to
son. He first worked at the Statistical
Unit of the Central Board of Finance,
Church of England 1959-67. He was
Assistant Librarian, King’s College,
London 1967-68 before attending
King’s College, London 1968-71, BD,
scoring 96% in the Hebrew exam. As a
mature student he dressed in shirt, tie,