William Harris, 6th Earl of Malmesbury

Who was William Harris, 6th Earl of Malmesbury?

William James Harris, 6th Earl of Malmesbury TD, styled Viscount FitzHarris until 1950, was a British peer.

The son of James Harris, 5th Earl of Malmesbury, Harris was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge and, as a surveyor, joined and served in the Royal Hampshire Regiment. After leaving the army, he served in a variety of positions, all of which involved forestry, agriculture, or surveying work. He succeeded his father in the earldom in 1950. In 1973 he became Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, a position he held until 1982. From 1966 to 1974 he was Official Verderer of the New Forest.

Lord Malmesbury married firstly, the Honourable Diana Carleton, daughter of Dudley Carleton, 2nd Baron Dorchester, on 7 July 1932. They had three children:

Lady Sylvia Veronica Anthea Harris, married John Maltby and had issue.

Lady Nell Carleton Harris, married Captain Michael Boyle and had issue.

James Harris, 7th Earl of Malmesbury

He married secondly, Margaret Campbell-Preston in 1991 and thirdly, Bridget Hawkings on 5 July 1996.