Mark Norman
Encyclopedia
Mark Richard Norman CBE
(3 April 1910-1994) was an English
banker from the Norman family
.
He was a former managing director of Lazard Brothers, the merchant bankers and chairman of Gallaher
, the cigarette manufacturers.
Norman combined his respective careers in the City and industry with a prominent role in the affairs of the National Trust
— an interest he inherited from his father, Ronald Collet Norman
.
Mark Norman took over as deputy chairman of the Trust in 1977. Faced with rising maintenance costs and a rapid expansion of the property portfolio, he guarded short-term solvency while keeping a clear eye on long-term liabilities.
A man of deep integrity and feeling, which he disguised by a hearty manner, Norman exercised cautious judgment. When he retired in 1980 the Trust's annual report noted that he had guided its financial affairs "with a flair which approaches genius".
His perspective on the Trust was much broader than its financial aspect. Contrary to the recommendations of the 1968 Benson Committee, he argued successfully for the devolution of power to the Trust's regional chairmen — "a splendid lot", he called them, though some were reputedly "embryo brigands". Shown plans to rebuild derelict outbuildings at Erddig in Clwyd
, his first response to the local agent was one of disbelief. But he helped to steer through the proposal, and in due course the outbuildings became a celebrated feature of the Erddig restoration, which was opened in 1977.
Mark Richard Norman was born in London
on 5 April 1910, into a City family connected with the banking house of Brown, Shipley & Co.
His uncle Montagu Norman
, was a long-serving governor of the Bank of England
, and both his paternal great-grandfathers were directors. His mother Lady Florence Bridgeman, was a daughter of the 4th Earl of Bradford
. His father was chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC
(1935-1940) and of the London County Council
(1915-1917). He also served as vice-chairman of the National Trust during the 1930s, but declined the chairmanship, because he was not himself a great landowner. Ronald Collet Norman
also placed the Trust's finance committee on a more professional footing; it subsequently fell to his son to chair that committee through the difficult economic circumstances of the 1970s.
Mark Norman was educated at Eton
and Magdalen College, Oxford
, where he read history. In 1930 he joined Gallahers, but he later moved to the City in 1932 to join Lazard Brothers, taking posts in London
, Paris
and Berlin
.
In 1939 Norman enlisted in the Hertfordshire Yeomanry
, before transferring to the Special Operations Executive
, joining a six-man team led by the journalist and explorer Peter Fleming. Their task formulated by Churchill
, was to recruit Italian POWs in Egypt
to the Allied cause, and then to hold back the German advance in Greece
.
Norman was badly wounded escaping from Greece, and on his return to England
became an assistant military secretary in the War Cabinet offices; he later attended the Potsdam Conference
, and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel.
After the war Norman became a partner in the small merchant-banking firm of Edward de Stein, which merged with Lazards in 1960. A managing director of Lazards from the merger until 1975, Norman was noted for his strong empathy with industrial clients.
It was this quality that brought him the chairmanship of Gallahers in 1963; he served until 1975 when after a long courtship, the firm became a subsidiary of American Brands. "Independence is sweet," Norman remarked, "but there comes a time when matrimony is attractive too." He was also chairman of Wiggins Teape, and a director of various companies.
Norman was appointed OBE
in 1945 and CBE in 1977. He derived much pleasure from Much Hadham, the Hertfordshire house acquired by his grandfather, where he had lived since boyhood.
He married in 1933, Helen Bryan, a Virginia
n whom he had met during his apprenticeship in the tobacco business; they had two sons and three daughters.
Their son David Norman became a successful city figure in his own right.
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...
(3 April 1910-1994) was an English
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...
banker from the Norman family
Norman family
The Norman family became prominent in British banking circles from about 1820 to 1950. The most prominent member of the family was Montagu Norman...
.
He was a former managing director of Lazard Brothers, the merchant bankers and chairman of Gallaher
Gallaher Group
Gallaher Group is a major United Kingdom-based multinational tobacco company. It was traded on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index, prior to its April 2007 acquisition by Japan Tobacco.-History:...
, the cigarette manufacturers.
Norman combined his respective careers in the City and industry with a prominent role in the affairs of the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
— an interest he inherited from his father, Ronald Collet Norman
Ronald Collet Norman
Ronald Collet Norman JP was a banker, administrator and politician.He was chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC from 1935 to 1939 and of the London County Council from 1918 to 1919. He was the son of Frederick Henry Norman of the Norman family, long prominent in banking.In 1907 he was...
.
Mark Norman took over as deputy chairman of the Trust in 1977. Faced with rising maintenance costs and a rapid expansion of the property portfolio, he guarded short-term solvency while keeping a clear eye on long-term liabilities.
A man of deep integrity and feeling, which he disguised by a hearty manner, Norman exercised cautious judgment. When he retired in 1980 the Trust's annual report noted that he had guided its financial affairs "with a flair which approaches genius".
His perspective on the Trust was much broader than its financial aspect. Contrary to the recommendations of the 1968 Benson Committee, he argued successfully for the devolution of power to the Trust's regional chairmen — "a splendid lot", he called them, though some were reputedly "embryo brigands". Shown plans to rebuild derelict outbuildings at Erddig in Clwyd
Clwyd
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of...
, his first response to the local agent was one of disbelief. But he helped to steer through the proposal, and in due course the outbuildings became a celebrated feature of the Erddig restoration, which was opened in 1977.
Mark Richard Norman was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 5 April 1910, into a City family connected with the banking house of Brown, Shipley & Co.
Brown, Shipley & Co.
Brown, Shipley & Co. is a long-established British private bank, based in London.It provides investment management, pensions and associated advisory services for private, institutional and corporate clients.-History:...
His uncle Montagu Norman
Montagu Norman
Montagu Collet Norman, 1st Baron Norman DSO PC was an English banker, best known for his role as the Governor of the Bank of England from 1920 to 1944...
, was a long-serving governor of the Bank of England
Governor of the Bank of England
The Governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the Bank, with the incumbent grooming his or her successor...
, and both his paternal great-grandfathers were directors. His mother Lady Florence Bridgeman, was a daughter of the 4th Earl of Bradford
Earl of Bradford
Earl of Bradford is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was first created in 1694 for Francis Newport, 2nd Baron Newport. However, all the Newport titles became extinct on the death of the fourth Earl in 1762. The...
. His father was chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC
Board of Governors of the BBC
The Board of Governors of the BBC was the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation. It consisted of twelve people who together regulated the BBC and represented the interests of the public. It existed from 1927 until it was replaced by the BBC Trust on 1 January 2007.The governors...
(1935-1940) and of the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
(1915-1917). He also served as vice-chairman of the National Trust during the 1930s, but declined the chairmanship, because he was not himself a great landowner. Ronald Collet Norman
Ronald Collet Norman
Ronald Collet Norman JP was a banker, administrator and politician.He was chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC from 1935 to 1939 and of the London County Council from 1918 to 1919. He was the son of Frederick Henry Norman of the Norman family, long prominent in banking.In 1907 he was...
also placed the Trust's finance committee on a more professional footing; it subsequently fell to his son to chair that committee through the difficult economic circumstances of the 1970s.
Mark Norman was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, where he read history. In 1930 he joined Gallahers, but he later moved to the City in 1932 to join Lazard Brothers, taking posts in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
In 1939 Norman enlisted in the Hertfordshire Yeomanry
Hertfordshire Yeomanry
The Hertfordshire Yeomanry is a British Army unit specializing in artillery and yeomanry that can trace its formation to the late 18th century. First seeing service in the Boer War, it subsequently served in both World Wars....
, before transferring to the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
, joining a six-man team led by the journalist and explorer Peter Fleming. Their task formulated by Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, was to recruit Italian POWs in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to the Allied cause, and then to hold back the German advance in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Norman was badly wounded escaping from Greece, and on his return to England
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...
became an assistant military secretary in the War Cabinet offices; he later attended the Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm Hohenzollern, in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 16 July to 2 August 1945. Participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
, and was promoted to lieutenant-colonel.
After the war Norman became a partner in the small merchant-banking firm of Edward de Stein, which merged with Lazards in 1960. A managing director of Lazards from the merger until 1975, Norman was noted for his strong empathy with industrial clients.
It was this quality that brought him the chairmanship of Gallahers in 1963; he served until 1975 when after a long courtship, the firm became a subsidiary of American Brands. "Independence is sweet," Norman remarked, "but there comes a time when matrimony is attractive too." He was also chairman of Wiggins Teape, and a director of various companies.
Norman was appointed OBE
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...
in 1945 and CBE in 1977. He derived much pleasure from Much Hadham, the Hertfordshire house acquired by his grandfather, where he had lived since boyhood.
He married in 1933, Helen Bryan, a Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
n whom he had met during his apprenticeship in the tobacco business; they had two sons and three daughters.
Their son David Norman became a successful city figure in his own right.