Nigel Cecil

Sir Oswald Nigel Amherst Cecil, KBE, CB (11 November 1925 – 10 March 2017[1]) was a British naval officer.

Rear-Admiral Sir Nigel Cecil KBE CB
23rd Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man
In office 1 October 1980 – 25 September 1985
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir John Paul
Succeeded by	Sir Laurence New
Personal details
Born	Oswald Nigel Amherst Cecil 11 November 1925
Died	10 March 2017 (aged 91)
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Annette Barclay ​ (m. 1961)​
Children	Robert Barclay Amherst Cecil
Education	Ludgrove School
Alma mater	Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	Royal Navy
Rank	Rear Admiral
Commands	HMS Corunna HMS Royal Arthur

Early life

Oswald Nigel Amherst Cecil was born 11 November 1925 to Commander Hon. Henry Mitford Amherst Cecil (1893–1963) and Hon. Yvonne Cornwallis (1896–1983). Cecil is a paternal grandson of Lord William Cecil (1854–1943) and the 2nd Baroness Amherst of Hackney (1857–1919) and a maternal grandson of the 1st Baron Cornwallis (1864–1935). He was educated at Ludgrove School and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.[1]

Naval career

In 1959, he reached the rank of Commander.[2] From 1961–63, Cecil commanded HMS Corunna in the Mediterranean and then HMS Royal Arthur from 1963–65. In 1966, he was promoted to the rank of Captain.[3]

He returned to Dartmouth to command a training squadron from 1969–71. In 1968 he was made an Esquire (Esq.St.J. the lowest grade) in the Venerable Order of Saint John.[4]

Cecil received the acting rank of Commodore in 1971 and was sent to South Africa as a Naval attaché to Cape Town until 1973. He was then a director of the Naval Operational Requirements from 1973–75. On 7 January 1975, he was appointed a Naval aide-de-camp to The Queen.[5] He left this position on being promoted to Rear Admiral on 7 July 1975.[6][7] He then became the NATO Commander of the South East Mediterranean and Flag Officer, Malta. In the 1978 New Year Honours, he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).[8]

Cecil left the island with the last of the British Forces in 1979 and on, 16 June 1979, was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).[9] He retired from the navy on 15 September 1979.[10]

On 9 September 1980, Cecil became Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man,[11] a post he held for five years. Also in 1980, he was promoted to Knight of the Order of Saint John (K.St.J.).[12]

Personal life

On 6 April 1961, he married Annette Barclay (b. 1934), daughter of Major Robert Edward Barclay of Mathers and Urie (1906-1959) and Nesta Anne Bury-Barry (1909-2004). Together they had:[1]

• Robert Barclay Amherst Cecil (b. 1965), who married Laurie A. Kohan[1]

Cecil, who lived with his wife of over fifty-five years, on the Isle of Wight, died on 10 March 2017, aged 91.[13]

References

1. Burke's Peerage & Gentry
2. "No. 41773". The London Gazette. 24 July 1959. p. 4678.
3. "No. 44051". The London Gazette. 12 July 1966. p. 7828.
4. "No. 44494". The London Gazette. 2 January 1968. pp. 92–95.
5. "No. 46455". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 January 1975. p. 203.
6. "No. 46613". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 June 1975. p. 8043.
7. "No. 46638". The London Gazette (Supplement). 21 July 1975. p. 9319.
8. "No. 47418". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1977. p. 2.
9. "No. 47869". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 1979. p. 4.
10. "No. 47962". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 September 1979. p. 12045.
11. "No. 48224". The London Gazette. 17 June 1980. p. 8646.
12. "No. 48456". The London Gazette. 18 December 1980. p. 17522.
13. "Death of former Lieutenant Governor". Isle of Man Online. 16 March 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2017.