IAN Wishart's article in last Friday's Worcester News reports the interesting fact that Messrs Lee and Perrins have deservedly been included in the new Dictionary of National Biography. Unfortunately, he repeats some old misconceptions about their firm's acquisition of the recipe for Worcestershire Sauce.
The only 'Marcus' among the holders of the Sandys peerage was the third Baron, who did not inherit the title until his elder brother died in 1860; he was a diplomat in Europe and South America until 1832 and then a Member of Parliament, sometimes holding junior ministerial office, until 1852. He was certainly not governor of Bengal and never, in fact, served in India.
His elder brother, the second Baron Sandys, may well have served in India; he was a soldier, who reached the rank of Major-General, but he was not 'Marcus' and he was not Governor of Bengal.
In addition, he was not Lord Sandys at the time of the famous visit to Lee and Perrins in Broad Street, since his mother, the first holder of the title, lived until 1836.
It would be interesting to know the true story, but I fear it is not as Ian Wishart records it. Nor will it be of any avail to bring the new Dictionary of National Biography in evidence, since that work is notoriously full of error!
P C THOMPSON,
Worcester.
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