IVEAGH, EDWARD CECIL GUINNESS, 1ST EARL Of (1847-1927), was born on Nov. 1847, the son of Sir Benja min Guinness, first baronet. He was educated at Trinity college, Dublin, and after some experience of the business became chair man of the famous Guinness brewery. He retired from the man agement in 1889, marking his retirement by a gift of £250,000 for the housing of the poor in Dublin and in London. A little later he provided another £250,000 for the clearing of an insanitary area in Dublin and the erection of workmen's dwellings. His other great benefactions included 1250,000 to the Lister Insti tute of Preventive Medicine in London for bacteriological re search. Last of all he rescued Ken Wood, north of Hampstead Heath, for the benefit of Londoners by purchasing the remaining portion of the estate in 1925 and arranging that Ken Wood with its collection of pictures and the 76 acres on which it stood should become public property. From 1905 onwards when he purchased
Elveden Hall, Suffolk, most of his time was spent in England, but he never lost touch with his native city, of which he was a constant benefactor, and he did not allow his Unionist principles to interfere with his civic patriotism. Guinness received a barony in 1891, a viscounty in 1905 and an earldom in 1919. He died in London on Oct. 7, 1927.
He was succeeded by his son, Rupert Viscount Elveden, M.P. (b. 1874), whose wife (nee Lady Gwendolen Onslow) entered Parliament as member for Southend in 1927.