The Earl of Wemyss

Hugh Peskett, editor-in-chief of Burke’s Peerage & Baronetage, writes: It should be added to his obituary that Lord Wemyss (Dec 19) was the last survivor of the elections of Scottish Representative Peers. From the Union of the Parliaments in 1707 until 1963, Scotland was represented in the House of Lords by only 16 representative peers elected from among their own number, peeresses in their own right being excluded. Wemyss told delightful, sometimes hilarious tales of these elections, usually involving sleeping or deaf peers, in this often forgotten part of Scotland’s history. These ceased when, by the Peerage Act 1963, all Scottish peers had a seat in the House of Lords (apart from aliens, minors and bankrupts) without election, until the changes of 1999.

A.W. Tod writes: In the mid-70s I took my three youngest sons to visit Neidpath (I had grown up in a nearby town), and during our visit my sons were more intrigued with the man fitting out a bathroom on one of the upper storeys who patiently answered their questions. On leaving the castle I asked something of the woman at the entrance to be told that I would have to ask the Earl who was upstairs playing about in a bathroom.

My sons were most impressed. Later a cousin who lived near Gosford told me the Earl was well known in the district for his DIY skills.

Sir Bernard Crick

David Harris, Director, The Hansard Society, 1989-98, writes: Sir Bernard Crick (obituary, Dec 22) had at least one additional achievement to his credit. This was that he saved the Hansard Society for Parliamentary Government from probable oblivion in the early 1970s.

After the death of its inspirational founder, Stephen King-Hall, in 1966, the society lost much of its impetus. In 1973 it was in severe danger of being homeless. Sir Bernard, then Professor of Politics at Birkbeck College London, persuaded the college to provide offices for the society at a very modest rent. He also helped to secure financial backing, and had a big hand in initiating new research projects.

On its website the society, now chaired by Peter Riddell of The Times, rightly says that “Sir Bernard made an enormous contribution to the quality of political education that young people in the UK receive.”

Van Johnson

Terry Davis writes: Your excellent obituary of Van Johnson (Dec 16), however, made no mention of his London stage appearance as Professor Hill in Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man, which opened at the Adelphi Theatre on March 16, 1961. I think at the time, it was quite a surprise that he had been chosen. Perhaps we were expecting a more robust actor, more akin to Robert Preston, who had created the role on Broadway. Johnson’s voice was much lighter.

I have no idea how many times during his lifetime he had appeared on the stage. It was, as your reviewer pointed out, as a film star that Britain knew him. As The Music Man, he semed to be a natural stage actor, bringing warmth and a great deal of charm. Audiences in London couldn’t help but take him to their hearts.