John Bingham, 7th Baron Clanmorris
Encyclopedia
John Michael Ward Bingham, 7th Baron Clanmorris (3 November 1908 – 6 August 1988) was an English
novel
ist who published 17 thrillers, detective novels
and spy novels
. During the Second World War he worked for MI5
, and was reportedly the inspiration for John LeCarre's character George Smiley
.
Bingham was recruited into MI5 by Maxwell Knight
to work in the counter-intelligence and political infiltration based M Section. He had volunteered to serve in the army but a sight defect prevented him from serving in the field. Prior to his service in MI5, Bingham had been the Art Editor of the Sunday Dispatch
.
Bingham was the son of Arthur Bingham, 6th Baron Clanmorris and Mowbray Leila Cloete. He was educated at Cheltenham College
, and married Madeleine Mary Ebel, daughter of Clement Ebel, on 28 July 1934. He fought in the Second World War, with the Royal Engineers
and attached to the General Staff. He succeeded to the title of 7th Baron Clanmorris
on 24 June 1960.
His first novel, My Name is Michael Sibley (1952), is unusual for its time in suggesting that the British police might not always play fair.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist who published 17 thrillers, detective novels
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
and spy novels
Spy fiction
Spy fiction, literature concerning the forms of espionage, was a sub-genre derived from the novel during the nineteenth century, which then evolved into a discrete genre before the First World War , when governments established modern intelligence agencies in the early twentieth century...
. During the Second World War he worked for MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
, and was reportedly the inspiration for John LeCarre's character George Smiley
George Smiley
George Smiley is a fictional character created by John le Carré. Smiley is an intelligence officer working for MI6 , the British overseas intelligence agency...
.
Bingham was recruited into MI5 by Maxwell Knight
Maxwell Knight
Charles Henry Maxwell Knight OBE, known as Maxwell Knight, was an English spymaster, naturalist and broadcaster, whilst reputedly being a model for the James Bond character M.-Spymaster:...
to work in the counter-intelligence and political infiltration based M Section. He had volunteered to serve in the army but a sight defect prevented him from serving in the field. Prior to his service in MI5, Bingham had been the Art Editor of the Sunday Dispatch
Sunday Dispatch
The Sunday Dispatch was a British newspaper, published between 27 September 1801 and 1961. Until 1928, it was called the Weekly Dispatch.-History:...
.
Bingham was the son of Arthur Bingham, 6th Baron Clanmorris and Mowbray Leila Cloete. He was educated at Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College
Cheltenham College is a co-educational independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.One of the public schools of the Victorian period, it was opened in July 1841. An Anglican foundation, it is known for its classical, military and sporting traditions.The 1893 book Great...
, and married Madeleine Mary Ebel, daughter of Clement Ebel, on 28 July 1934. He fought in the Second World War, with the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and attached to the General Staff. He succeeded to the title of 7th Baron Clanmorris
Baron Clanmorris
Baron Clanmorris, of Newbrook in the County of Mayo, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for John Bingham. He was a descendant of John Bingham of Foxford in County Mayo, whose brother Sir Henry Bingham, 1st Baronet, of Castlebar, was the ancestor of the Earls of Lucan...
on 24 June 1960.
His first novel, My Name is Michael Sibley (1952), is unusual for its time in suggesting that the British police might not always play fair.
External links
- John Michael Ward Bingham, 7th Baron Clanmorris of Newbrook at thepeerage.com