James Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley
Encyclopedia
James Gomer Berry, 1st Viscount Kemsley GBE
(7 May 1883 – 6 February 1968) was a Welsh
newspaper publisher.
Berry was born the son of John Mathias and Mary Ann (née Rowe) Berry, the third of three brothers from Merthyr Tydfil
in Wales
.
He originally co-owned The Daily Telegraph
with his second brother William
, 1st Viscount Camrose, and Baron Burnham
. He founded Kemsley Newspapers, which owned The Sunday Times
, The Daily Sketch
and The Sunday Graphic
amongst its titles.
He married twice: firstly in 1907 Mary Lilian Holmes, daughter of Horace George Holmes, with whom he had six sons and a daughter, and secondly Edith Merandon du Plessis, daughter of E. N. Merandon du Plessis. He was succeeded upon his death by his eldest son Lionel
. His youngest son, Conservative
politician the Honourable Sir Anthony Berry
, was killed by the IRA
in the 1984 Brighton hotel bombing
.
in 1928, and was appointed as an Officer of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem
in 1931. In 1936, he was created Baron Kemsley, of Farnham Royal
in the County of Buckingham, and raised to Viscount Kemsley
, of Dropmore in the County of Buckingham, in 1945.
In 1929 he was appointed High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire
and in 1959, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire for "political and public service".
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(7 May 1883 – 6 February 1968) was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
newspaper publisher.
Berry was born the son of John Mathias and Mary Ann (née Rowe) Berry, the third of three brothers from Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
He originally co-owned The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
with his second brother William
William Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose
William Ewart Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose was a British newspaper publisher.The second of three brothers born in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, Berry started his working life as a journalist and established his own paper, Advertising World, in 1901...
, 1st Viscount Camrose, and Baron Burnham
Baron Burnham
Baron Burnham, of Hall Barn in the Parish of Beaconsfield in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1903 for the influential newspaper magnate Sir Edward Levy-Lawson, 1st Baronet, owner of the Daily Telegraph...
. He founded Kemsley Newspapers, which owned The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
, The Daily Sketch
Daily Sketch
The Daily Sketch was a British national tabloid newspaper, founded in Manchester in 1909 by Sir Edward Hulton.It was bought in 1920 by Lord Rothermere's Daily Mirror Newspapers but in 1925 Rothermere offloaded it to William and Gomer Berry The Daily Sketch was a British national tabloid newspaper,...
and The Sunday Graphic
Sunday Graphic
The Sunday Graphic was an English tabloid newspaper published in Fleet Street.The newspaper was founded in 1915 as the Sunday Herald and was later renamed the Illustrated Sunday Herald. In 1927 it changed its name to the Sunday Graphic, becoming the sister paper of the Daily Graphic. In 1931 it...
amongst its titles.
He married twice: firstly in 1907 Mary Lilian Holmes, daughter of Horace George Holmes, with whom he had six sons and a daughter, and secondly Edith Merandon du Plessis, daughter of E. N. Merandon du Plessis. He was succeeded upon his death by his eldest son Lionel
Lionel Berry, 2nd Viscount Kemsley
Lionel Berry, 2nd Viscount Kemsley was a British Conservative politician, peer and newspaper editor.Berry was born in Hendon...
. His youngest son, Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician the Honourable Sir Anthony Berry
Anthony Berry
Sir Anthony George Berry was a British politician, the Conservative Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate, and a Whip in Margaret Thatcher's government...
, was killed by the IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
in the 1984 Brighton hotel bombing
Brighton hotel bombing
The Brighton hotel bombing happened on 12 October 1984 at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, England. The bomb was planted by Provisional Irish Republican Army member Patrick Magee, with the intention of assassinating Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet who were staying at the hotel for the...
.
Honours
Berry was created a baronetBaronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in 1928, and was appointed as an Officer of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
in 1931. In 1936, he was created Baron Kemsley, of Farnham Royal
Farnham Royal
Farnham Royal is a village and civil parish within the South Bucks district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the south of the county, around 22 miles west of Charing Cross, Central London....
in the County of Buckingham, and raised to Viscount Kemsley
Viscount Kemsley
Viscount Kemsley, of Dropmore in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1945 for the press lord Gomer Berry, 1st Baron Kemsley...
, of Dropmore in the County of Buckingham, in 1945.
In 1929 he was appointed High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire
High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire
The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times...
and in 1959, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire for "political and public service".