Maurice de Forest

Early life

Born in Paris, in the Rue Legendre (in the 17th arrondissement), Maurice Arnold de Forest was reportedly the elder of the two sons of Edward Deforest/ de Forest (1848-1882), an American circus performer, and his wife, the former Juliette Arnold (1860-1882). He had a younger brother, Raymond Deforest/ de Forest (1880-1912). The boys' parents died in 1882, while on a professional engagement in the Ottoman Empire, of typhoid.

Sent to live in an orphanage, they were adopted on 16 June 1887 by the millionaire Baroness Clara de Hirsch, née Bischoffsheim, wife of banker and philanthropist Baron Maurice de Hirsch de Gereuth, and given the surname de Forest-Bischoffsheim. The Hirschs had lost to pneumonia, earlier that year, their only surviving child, Baron Lucien de Hirsch (1856-1887). The de Forest children, however, have been identified as Hirsch's illegitimate sons by Juliette Arnold de Forest.

Von Hirsch died in Hungary at the age of 64 in 1896. His widow Clara died three years later, on 1 April 1899. Maurice inherited his adoptive father's residence, Schloss Eichhorn (now known as Veveří Castle) near Brünn in Moravia, then part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Maurice inherited from the widow 25,000,000 Francs, as well as her estates in Rossitz-Eichhorn. Maurice von Hirsch had bought the estates in Rossitz (now Rosice) in 1881.

Maurice de Forest-Bischoffsheim was educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford. In 1899 he was awarded the title Freiherr von Forest by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. According to the Court Circular, on 6 March 1899, "The Emperor of Austria has given the title of Baron De Forest to M. Arnold [De] Forest and to his brother M. Raymond De Forest, both the adopted sons of Baroness de Hirsch de Gereuth, widow of the late Baron de Hirsch." Both men inherited millions of dollars from Baroness de Hirsch upon her death.

In the following year he was naturalised to become a British citizen, and was authorised to bear the title Baron de Forest by royal licence. He was commissioned into the Militia as a Second Lieutenant in the Prince of Wales's Own Norfolk Artillery (Eastern Division) on 25 August 1900. He resigned his commission on 20 June 1903, but this was later cancelled and he became Second Lieutenant in the Staffordshire Imperial Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) on 4 July 1903. He resigned this commission on 5 May 1906, by which time he was also an Honorary Second Lieutenant in the Army.

De Forest converted from Judaism to Roman Catholicism. Churchill spent much time on de Forest's yacht and stayed three times (in 1908 together with Lady Clementine during their honeymoon journey) at de Forest´s Schloss Eichhorn/Veveří Castle in Moravia.

Marriages

De Forest was married twice, his wives being:

Motoring and aviation

De Forest was an enthusiast for the emerging technologies of motor cars and aeroplanes. An accomplished motor racing driver, he competed in a number of major races including the Gordon Bennett Cup in auto racing. From 1903–1905 he held the Daily Mail Challenge Cup, having attained a record speed over the flying kilometre at Phoenix Park, Dublin, breaking the world land speed record.

In 1909 he offered the Baron de Forest Prize of £2,000 to the first Englishman who could fly across the English Channel in an English-built aeroplane. When a Frenchman, Louis Blériot successfully crossed the Channel in July 1909, he doubled the prize to £4,000. It was eventually won by Thomas Sopwith in December 1910.

He was also a rider of the Cresta Run in St. Moritz where a cup was named after him.

Politics

De Forest was active in the Liberal Party, and at the January 1910 general election stood as parliamentary candidate at Southport. Despite the support of Churchill, De Forest was defeated by his Conservative opponent, Major Godfrey Dalrymple-White in a campaign marred by racist slurs.

In March 1910 he was elected to the London County Council as a member of the Liberal-backed Progressive Party, representing Kennington. He held the seat until 1913.

In July 1911 a parliamentary by-election was called for the seat of West Ham North, and de Forest was chosen to defend the seat for the Liberals. In his election address he stated that he was in favour of land nationalisation, Irish Home Rule, revised licensing laws, female suffrage and equality of religion in education. He retained the seat for the Liberal Party, with an increased majority.

He held the seat until the next general election in 1918.

First World War and aftermath

With the outbreak of war with Germany and Austro-Hungary in 1914, attempts were made to prosecute de Forest as an enemy sympathiser. However, with Churchill's assistance, he was able to resist the pressure. He joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in 1914, subsequently serving in the Royal Naval Air Service Armoured Car Section.

Following the war, a decision was taken that persons authorised to use titles granted by "enemy states" should have this right withdrawn. Accordingly, de Forest was requested to "voluntarily" relinquish his title. He initially refused to do so, but finally relented, and a royal warrant was issued on 16 January 1920 that relinquished "the rights and privileges" granted to him "in consideration of the fact that the said foreign titles of nobility appertain to Countries now or recently at war with Us". He became known as Maurice Arnold de Forest.

The family estates in Moravia were confiscated by the new state of Czechoslovakia for which de Forest was paid £100,000 compensation.

Later life

In 1932 he was naturalised in Liechtenstein, was granted the title Count Maurice de Bendern, and was appointed a diplomatic counsellor to the principality in 1936. De Bendern amassed a valuable art collection including a work by Frans Hals. He maintained a villa at Cap Martin, on the French Riviera, and Château de Beauregard, which contained an animal sanctuary. He died in Biarritz in October 1968, aged 89.

Relatives

His son John Gerard was good amateur golfer and won the The Amateur Championship in 1932. He married Lady Patricia Sybil Douglas, daughter of Francis Douglas, 11th Marquess of Queensberry. Their children included Emma de Bendern, who married firstly journalist Nigel Dempster and thirdly Prince George Galitzine, and Caroline de Bendern, who married firstly saxophonist Barney Wilen and associated with Olivier Mosset, Amanda Lear, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol and Lou Reed. On 13 May 1968, during the protests in Paris, Caroline de Bendern was photographed by Jean-Pierre Rey sitting on the shoulders of painter Jean-Jacques Lebel waving a Vietnam flag. The photograph, named La Marianne de Mai 68, featured in the reports on the protests in Life causing her grandfather Count de Bendern to disinherit her. Currently, she lives in Normandy with her partner jazz musician Jacques Thollot.

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