Mark Everard Pepys, 6th Earl of Cottenham (29 May 1903 – 19 July 1943) was an English peer, baronet, motor racing driver, member of the House of Lords, and MI5 officer.
He resigned from MI5 during the Second World War, as he did not support the continuation of the war.
In 1922, Mark Pepys succeeded an older brother as Earl of Cottenham, Viscount Crowhurst, of Crowhurst, Surrey, Baron Cottenham, of Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, and as a Baronet, of Wimpole Street.[1][2] He was a member of the House of Lords from 1924 until his death in 1943 and spoke in the Lords on roads matters.[3] As a racing driver, in 1925 and 1926 he raced at Brooklands driving an Austin 7 and a works Alvis. He later founded a motoring association called the Order of the Road, which promoted safe driving.[4]
Cottenham served as an officer in the Leicestershire Yeomanry and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 25 April 1926.[5] He resigned his commission on 4 May 1927.[6]
In 1932, Cottenham wrote a series of articles for The Daily Express in which he declared his belief in spiritualism and stated that he was himself a medium. He had been introduced to the subject by the mother of the late Henry Segrave and by Estelle Roberts.[4]
In the 1930s, Cottenham devised a system of car control for the Metropolitan Police which included checking “are you driving: in the right place, at the right speed, in the right gear, anticipating hazards, frequently checking the mirror?” In 2007, the Driving Instructors’ Association continued to endorse this in its manual Roadcraft.[7]
In 1939, Cottenham returned to the Leicestershire Yeomanry.[8] By the beginning of the Second World War, he had been put in charge of MI5's Transport Section.[9][10] However, in 1941, after Churchill had come to power, he resigned from MI5[11] and went to live in the United States, as he did not support the war with Germany.[8] Although sometimes claimed to have died in the United States in 1943,[8] in fact he returned to England for medical treatment.[12]
Personal life
On 19 January 1927, at St Margaret's, Westminster,[13] Cottenham married Sybil Venetia Taylor, a daughter of Captain John Vickris Taylor, and before divorcing in 1939 they had two daughters:[1][2]
Lady Rose Edith Idina Pepys (1927–2021)
Lady Paulina Mary Louise Pepys (1930–2017)
Cottenham died on 19 June, 1943, at 9, Mandeville Place, Westminster, a fashionable nursing home, while living at the Travellers Club. He left an estate valued at £1,969. His executors were his younger brother John Digby Pepys and Reginald Pound.[12] Cottenham was succeeded in his peerages by his younger brother.[1][2]
Publications
Cottenham's novel All Out (1932), dedicated to the widow of his old racing companion Henry Segrave, tells the story of a group of motoring friends fighting a gang of international criminals and includes a dramatic racing crash which was drawn from experience.[14][15]
Motoring To-day and To-morrow (1928) is dedicated to Reginald Pound, with a note from Cottenham to say that “in motoring, as in other things, we cherish similar ideals, dislike the same tendencies”.[16]
Motoring Without Fears (London: Methuen & Co., 1928)
Motoring To-day & To-morrow, with a Preface by John Buchan, illustrated by A. E. Horne (London: Methuen & Co., 1928)
Steering-Wheel Papers (London: Cassell, 1932)
All Out: the story of Tom Furness's adventure (London: Cassell, 1932, novel)
^Paul Burnell, 'Not a true test' of driver skill, BBC News, 21 February 2007, accessed 21 December 2022
^ abcNigel West, The A to Z of British Intelligence (2009), p. 113
^Joan Miller, One Girl's War: personal exploits in MI5's most secret station (Dingle, 1986), p. 13
^Bryan Clough, State Secrets: The Kent-Wolkoff Affair (2005), p. 113
^Jonathan Pile, Churchill's Secret Enemy (2012), p. 287
^ ab”COTTENHAM 6th Earl of the right honourable Mark Everard” in Wills and Administrations (England and Wales) 1943 (1944), p. 365; “Death Of Racing Motorist Peer”, Derby Daily Telegraph, 21 July 1943, p. 8: “The Earl of Cottenham, the racing motorist and writer of novels and travel books, has died in a London nursing home at the age of 40.”
^Marriages Solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of St Margaret's, Westminster, in the County of London, No. 138, January 19th, 1927, ancestry.co.uk, accessed 21 December 2022 (subscription required)
^Automobile Quarterly, Vol. 31, Issue 1 (1992), p. 97
^The Earl of Cottenham, Motoring To-day and To-morrow. With a Preface by JOHN BUCHAN. With Fifty-Three Illustrations by A. E. HORNE (London: Methuen & Co. 1928), p. iii
External links
Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Cottenham
mark, pepys, earl, cottenham, mark, everard, pepys, earl, cottenham, 1903, july, 1943, english, peer, baronet, motor, racing, driver, member, house, lords, officer, resigned, from, during, second, world, support, continuation, contents, early, life, career, pe. Mark Everard Pepys 6th Earl of Cottenham 29 May 1903 19 July 1943 was an English peer baronet motor racing driver member of the House of Lords and MI5 officer He resigned from MI5 during the Second World War as he did not support the continuation of the war Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Publications 5 References 6 External linksEarly life EditThe second son of Kenelm Pepys 4th Earl of Cottenham and his wife Lady Rose Nevill a daughter of William Nevill 1st Marquess of Abergavenny he was educated at Charterhouse School then joined Vickers and University College London where he studied engineering 1 His father was a distant cousin of the diarist Samuel Pepys 1 Career EditIn 1922 Mark Pepys succeeded an older brother as Earl of Cottenham Viscount Crowhurst of Crowhurst Surrey Baron Cottenham of Cottenham Cambridgeshire and as a Baronet of Wimpole Street 1 2 He was a member of the House of Lords from 1924 until his death in 1943 and spoke in the Lords on roads matters 3 As a racing driver in 1925 and 1926 he raced at Brooklands driving an Austin 7 and a works Alvis He later founded a motoring association called the Order of the Road which promoted safe driving 4 Cottenham served as an officer in the Leicestershire Yeomanry and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 25 April 1926 5 He resigned his commission on 4 May 1927 6 In 1932 Cottenham wrote a series of articles for The Daily Express in which he declared his belief in spiritualism and stated that he was himself a medium He had been introduced to the subject by the mother of the late Henry Segrave and by Estelle Roberts 4 In the 1930s Cottenham devised a system of car control for the Metropolitan Police which included checking are you driving in the right place at the right speed in the right gear anticipating hazards frequently checking the mirror In 2007 the Driving Instructors Association continued to endorse this in its manual Roadcraft 7 In 1939 Cottenham returned to the Leicestershire Yeomanry 8 By the beginning of the Second World War he had been put in charge of MI5 s Transport Section 9 10 However in 1941 after Churchill had come to power he resigned from MI5 11 and went to live in the United States as he did not support the war with Germany 8 Although sometimes claimed to have died in the United States in 1943 8 in fact he returned to England for medical treatment 12 Personal life EditOn 19 January 1927 at St Margaret s Westminster 13 Cottenham married Sybil Venetia Taylor a daughter of Captain John Vickris Taylor and before divorcing in 1939 they had two daughters 1 2 Lady Rose Edith Idina Pepys 1927 2021 Lady Paulina Mary Louise Pepys 1930 2017 Cottenham died on 19 June 1943 at 9 Mandeville Place Westminster a fashionable nursing home while living at the Travellers Club He left an estate valued at 1 969 His executors were his younger brother John Digby Pepys and Reginald Pound 12 Cottenham was succeeded in his peerages by his younger brother 1 2 Publications EditCottenham s novel All Out 1932 dedicated to the widow of his old racing companion Henry Segrave tells the story of a group of motoring friends fighting a gang of international criminals and includes a dramatic racing crash which was drawn from experience 14 15 Motoring To day and To morrow 1928 is dedicated to Reginald Pound with a note from Cottenham to say that in motoring as in other things we cherish similar ideals dislike the same tendencies 16 Motoring Without Fears London Methuen amp Co 1928 Motoring To day amp To morrow with a Preface by John Buchan illustrated by A E Horne London Methuen amp Co 1928 Steering Wheel Papers London Cassell 1932 All Out the story of Tom Furness s adventure London Cassell 1932 novel Sicilian Circuit London Cassell 1933 novel OCLC 810762147 Mine Host America London Collins 1937 References Edit a b c d e Peter W Hammond ed The Complete Peerage Vol XIV Stroud Gloucestershire Sutton Publishing 1998 pp 28 210 a b c Burke s Peerage Vol 1 2003 p 911 Hansard 1803 2005 contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Cottenham accessed 21 December 2022 a b Kevin Desmond Race Against the Odds the Tragic Success Story of Miss England II 2004 p 108 No 33166 The London Gazette 28 May 1926 p 3457 No 33271 The London Gazette 3 May 1927 p 2877 Paul Burnell Not a true test of driver skill BBC News 21 February 2007 accessed 21 December 2022 a b c Nigel West The A to Z of British Intelligence 2009 p 113 Joan Miller One Girl s War personal exploits in MI5 s most secret station Dingle 1986 p 13 Bryan Clough State Secrets The Kent Wolkoff Affair 2005 p 113 Jonathan Pile Churchill s Secret Enemy 2012 p 287 a b COTTENHAM 6th Earl of the right honourable Mark Everard in Wills and Administrations England and Wales 1943 1944 p 365 Death Of Racing Motorist Peer Derby Daily Telegraph 21 July 1943 p 8 The Earl of Cottenham the racing motorist and writer of novels and travel books has died in a London nursing home at the age of 40 Marriages Solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of St Margaret s Westminster in the County of London No 138 January 19th 1927 ancestry co uk accessed 21 December 2022 subscription required Motor Sport May 1932 p 20 Automobile Quarterly Vol 31 Issue 1 1992 p 97 The Earl of Cottenham Motoring To day and To morrow With a Preface by JOHN BUCHAN With Fifty Three Illustrations by A E HORNE London Methuen amp Co 1928 p iiiExternal links EditHansard 1803 2005 contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Cottenham Mark Pepys 6th Earl of Cottenham 1903 1943 Motor race driver National Portrait Gallery London Cottenham Mark Everard Pepys 6th Earl of at Special Forces Roll of Honour One of England s Biggest Motoring Experts The Earl of Cottenham alamy comPeerage of the United KingdomPreceded byKenelm Charles Francis Pepys Earl of Cottenham1922 1943 Succeeded byJohn Digby Thomas PepysBaron Cottenham1922 1943Baronetage of Great BritainPreceded byKenelm Charles Francis Pepys Baronet of Brook Street 1922 1943 Succeeded byJohn Digby Thomas PepysBaronetage of the United KingdomPreceded byKenelm Charles Francis Pepys Baronet of Wimpole Street 1922 1943 Succeeded byJohn Digby Thomas Pepys Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mark Pepys 6th Earl of Cottenham amp oldid 1133926062, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
