Dudley McCorkell
Sir Dudley Evelyn Bruce McCorkell, MBE, DL, JP (22 February 1883 – 30 May 1960) was a Mayor of Derry (1930-34), Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry (1957-60) and ex officio member of the Senate of Northern Ireland.
Career
McCorkell was educated at Shrewsbury School and Pembroke College, Cambridge University, where he won a blue for hockey; playing for two seasons. At the outbreak of World War I, McCorkell offered himself for active service but his offer was declined on medical grounds. He devoted his time to the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John. He served as Director for Derry and County Donegal during the war. In 1918, he was invested as an MBE for his work during the war. In 1917 he was made a Justice of the Peace, High Sheriff of County Londonderry (1925-26)[1] and was Deputy Lieutenant for County Londonderry.
Like his grandfather, Bartholomew McCorkell, he was elected as Mayor of Derry from 1929 and served in that capacity until 1934. He also served as an ex officio member of the Senate of Northern Ireland and in that capacity he attended the Ottawa Conference on Trade in 1932. McCorkell, along with his nephew Colonel Sir Michael McCorkell who succeeded him, served as Harbour Board Commissioners and as Chairmen of Wm. McCorkell,[2] who operated the McCorkell Line.
From 1957 until his death, McCorkell served as Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry. Sir Dudley was also the first President of the Derry Horticultural Society.[3]
Derry City F.C.
He was chairman of Derry City F.C.[4]
Amelia Earhart
While McCorkell was Mayor of Derry, Amelia Earhart completed her first solo transatlantic flight when she landed in Ballyarnett, County Londonderry. As Mayor and the landowner, McCorkell welcomed Earhart[5][6] after her successful flight.
Family
The McCorkell family, originally from Scotland, are from the Clan McCorquodale and are a sept of Clan Gunn. McCorkell's great grandfather William McCorkell set up the McCorkell Line in 1778; the family shipping business. McCorkell was a descendent of The Earls of Longford and King Edward III.[7] McCorkell, who was knighted in 1933, was married to Helen Elizabeth Usher; the couple had one son and three daughters.[8]
His son Lt. Francis Dudley Pakenham McCorkell served in the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards during World War II and was killed in action on the 6 August 1944 at the age of 21.[9] He is buried in the St. Charles de Percy War Cemetery in Normandy. Colonel Sir Michael McCorkell was his nephew. McCorkell lived in the family home at Ballyarnett, County Londonderry.
References
- ↑ The Belfast Gazette: no. 184. p. 3. 2 January 1925. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
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- ↑ Football Statistics, 11v11.com; accessed 24 November 2015.
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- ↑ [1] Archived September 25, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
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- ↑ McCorkell family tree, angelfire.com; accessed 24 November 2015.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by
James Hamilton
|
Mayor of Derry 1929-1935 |
Succeeded by James McElmunn Wilton |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by
Ralph Beresford
|
High Sheriff of County Londonderry 1925 |
Succeeded by George Gilliland |
| Preceded by | Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry 1957–1960 |
Succeeded by Sir Henry Mulholland, Bt |
- 1883 births
- 1960 deaths
- Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge
- High Sheriffs of County Londonderry
- Knights Bachelor
- Lord-Lieutenants of County Londonderry
- Mayors of places in Northern Ireland
- Members of the Order of the British Empire
- Members of the Senate of Northern Ireland 1929–33
- Members of the Senate of Northern Ireland 1933–37
- People educated at Shrewsbury School
- Politicians from Derry
