Gilbert Byng Alwyne Russell
Gilbert Byng Alwyne Russell was a British banker and military man, who made his home at Mottisfont.Background
Russell was the son of Lord Arthur Russell and Laura de Peyronnet, daughter of Paul Louis Jules, Viscount of Peyronnet. His cousin was the Duke of Bedford. His siblings included Harold Russell, Flora Russell, Claud Russell, Caroline Russell, and Conrad Russell.Military career
Russell joined the Grenadier Guards as a second lieutenant on 1 December 1897, and was promoted to lieutenant on 20 April 1899. He served in the Mahdist War, and was present at the Battle of Omdurman, for which he received the Queen's Sudan Medal and the Khedive's Sudan Medal. In early 1900, he joined his regiment in South Africa during the Second Boer War, and took part in operations in the Orange Free State from April to May 1900, followed by the action at Biddulphsberg and Wittebergen. After the end of hostilities in May 1902, he left Cape Town the following month on board the SS City of Vienna, arriving at Southampton in late July. Rising to the rank of Major, Russell's military career also included World War I.Banking
In 1917, Russell married Maud Nelke, daughter of Paul Nelke, a German Jew who was the senior partner in Nelke, Phillips & Bendix. Her grandfather had been Master of the Mint in Frankfurt and Berlin. After a stint with Salomon Brothers, Russell's father-in-law assisted him with setting up the merchant banking firm, Cull and Company.
Russell and his wife had lived in Prince's Gate, South Kensington, London, as well as Heveningham Hall and Stanway House. In 1934, he purchased Mottisfont. There were two sons from the marriage, Martin Basil Paul Russell and Raymond Anthony Russell. After Russell's death, his wife made arrangements for Mottisfont and its estate to be preserved with the National Trust.
