Lord Frederick William Charles Nicholas Wentworth Hervey, known as Nicholas (26th November 1961 - 26th January 1998) was the second son of Victor Frederick Cochrane Hervey, 6th Marquess of Bristol, Earl Jermyn, and Baron Hervey of Ickworth, Suffolk, by his second wife (M.1960) Lady Anne Juliet Dorothea Maud Wentworth Fitzwilliam, an heiress who inherited an estimated £40 million from her father, the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam. Nicholas was heir to his elder half-brother, John, who became the dissolute 7th Marquess.
Nicholas was a keen traditionalist who was educated at Eton and Harvard. In 1981 he founded the "Rockingham Club," a Yale "supper club." He was an active member of the International Monarchist League, ran their youth section, and later organised numerous successful functions.
Through the League, which his father had subsidised for many years, he became friendly with Gregory Lauder-Frost who introduced him to numerous right-wing conservative activities, where, as a titled individual, he gave a splash of glamour. One such event, on 25 September 1989, was the Western Goals Institute dinner at Simpsons-in-the-Strand for El Salvador's President, Alfredo Cristiani, and his inner cabinet. The guest list included Hervey, and figures such as Sir Alfred Sherman - policy advisor to Margaret Thatcher, Professor Antony Flew, Andrew V R Smith, Dr.Zigmunt Szkopiak of the Polish Government in Exile, Colonel Barry Turner, R.E.(Retd)., Sam Swerling, Gregory Lauder-Frost, W. Denis Walker, and Dr.Harvey Ward. [Refer: Daily Telegraph and Times, "Court & Social" columns, 26 September, 89].
With a fine mind he has been described as "the perfect gentleman" and "a nice guy"; a member of the famous Turf Club in Carlton House Terrace. He was also described as suffering from schizophrenia. He suffered constantly from severe depression and became increasingly reclusive. His landlady said that he "drew no shred of comfort from the high rank and great riches to which he was born." As a result his inheritance, which was under the auspices of Trustees, was rigorously, some said very unfairly, controlled and this led to increased financial difficulties by someone used to a comfortable life. This increased his depression. He was found dead in his Chelsea flat, having hanged himself, at the age of 36.
References
- Burke's Peerage Baronetage and Knightage edited by Peter Townend, 105th edition, London, 1970.
- Daily Telegraph, London, news item 28th, and article by Tom Utley, 29th January 1998.
- "Rake's progress," by Jonathan Ray, New Statesman, October 30, 2000. Vol. 13, Issue 629; page 56.
- "Lipsticks and Lords: Yale's New Look," by Julie V. Iovine, The Wall Street Journal, August 4, 1987, page 1.