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. 2025 Sep 30;94(2):96–103.

Hugh Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland: Chairmanship of the Agricultural and Medical Research Councils

John Hedley-Whyte 1,✉, Debra R Milamed 2
PMCID: PMC12476124  PMID: 41019022

Introduction

Hugh Algernon Percy, KG, FRS, born 6 April 1914, became 10th Duke of Northumberland in 1940 after confirmation of the Death in Action of his older brother the 9th Duke in Belgium before Dunkirk1. Hugh Percy was educated at Eton, followed by Christ Church, Oxford which he entered in October 1932 with the intention of studying Law. During the winter holidays that year, Northumberland was injured falling off his horse and did not immediately return to his studies. The “House” Archivist reports, “He was sent down in March 1935 after failing to sit for an examination. Christ Church was happy for him to return for the summer term and take the missed exam then, but he decided not to return2.” He later told me1 on more than one occasion that if a student missed lectures he could simply read books and thereby learn more.

Upon his return from World War II, Northumberland began his service on the Northumberland County Council. From 1964 he served as Chancellor of the University of Newcastle. He was appointed Chief Steward at Buckingham Palace in 1973 and remained in that post for the remainder of his life. The 10th Duke’s distinguished career included chairmanship of the Agricultural Research Council (1958-1968), where he oversaw the response to the 1967-68 epidemic of foot-andmouth disease, and chairmanship of the Medical Research Council 1969-19771,3.

Percy Famly History

Hugh Smithson (1714/5-1786) adopted the name and arms of Percy by an Act of Parliament in 17503,4. As Hugh Smithson Percy he served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1763 to 1765. He was created Earl Percy and Duke of Northumberland on 22 October 1766 (Fig.1)4. His grandson, Hugh Percy, the third Duke of Northumberland (1785-1847) also served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1829-18305.

Figure 1. Hugh (Smithson) Percy (1714/5-1786), Earl of Northumberland, later Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1763-5, and 1st Duke of Northumberland, in peer’s coronation robes and garter chain. Oil on canvas, 238.8 cm x 147.3 cm, by Joshua Reynolds(1723-1792). From the Supreme Court, Middlesex Guildhall Art Collection, No. 747 and reproduced with permission.

Figure 1

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Two notable members of the Percy family, both Fellows of the Royal Society, played roles in the history of the United States. Lieutenant General Hugh Earl Percy, son of the 1st Duke who had served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland4, fought in the running Battle of Lexington and Concord and the Battle of Long Island during the American Revolution3,6. He later became the 2nd Duke of Northumberland, FRS (1742-1817) (Fig.2)3. The 2nd Duke’s half-brother, James Smithson, FRS (1765-1829) endowed the eponymous Smithsonian Institution of Washington, DC3,7.

Figure 2. Hugh Earl Percy (1742-1817). Engraving on abalone, 29.5” x 23”, by V. Green, January 1, 1777. Catalogue no. PI1768.1n. Lieutenant General serving in America, 1777. Print mounted on cream color mat board, under glass, with a black, wood frame embellished with gold along the inner and outer edge (frame not shown). From the Prichard Bequest, courtesy of the Concord Museum, Concord, Massachusetts, and reproduced with permission.

Figure 2

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The 10th Duke in World War II

After serving in Greece, Italy and Sicily during World War II as an officer of the Northumberland Hussars, the 10th Duke returned to his Castles, including Alnwick in the fall of 19433. The Northumberland Hussars had joined the British 1st Armoured Division, and in October 1942 the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division. They had served in Egypt, Sicily and at El Alamein with Montgomery, and had extensive experience with amphibious landings. This regiment returned to England in October 1943 and played a major role in the training and preparation for Operation OVERLORD and in June 1944, the D-Day landings at Normandy8.

My father, Brigadier Angus Hedley-Whyte, D.S.O., F.R.C.S. had been the Commanding Officer of what became, post Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Army’s Fifth General Hospital (Harvard) at Musgrave Park, just outside Belfast9,10,11,12. In 1943 we returned, after a posting to Hatfield House, to our home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. My father was then based in York. For the remainder of the War, my father served as Consultant Surgeon to Northern Command associated with Field Marshal Montgomery, since 1942 Commander of the British Eighth Army12,13. Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, later Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, was one of nine children of Cambridge-educated Bishop Henry Hutchinson Montgomery (1847-1932) of Tasmania, whose family was from Inishowen in the north of County Donegal14,15,16 (Fig.3).

Figure 3. Henry Hutchinson Montgomery, KCMG (1847-1932), Bishop of Tasmania 1889-1901, by an unknown photographer. NPG No. P1700(89b) © National Portrait Gallery, London and reproduced with permission.

Figure 3

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My father communicated frequently with the 10th Duke regarding the medical needs of the Northern regiments including the Northumberland Hussars. The nearby Fenham Barracks, adjacent to Moorfield, the estate of my maternal grandfather, provided accommodation and training grounds for both officers and enlisted soldiers. My father, called to consult at Fenham Barracks, often visited along with the 10th Duke and Montgomery and attended strategic planning meetings almost daily during the latter part of the War.

A radar station had been built at Ottercops Moss, near Otterburn, only a few miles west of Alnwick Castle and Hulne Park, as part of the Chain Home defense network17,18,19. German aircraft flying toward England from Denmark and Norway could be spotted and intercepted over the North Sea. Rudolph Hess’s plane flying toward Scotland was first detected from this station on 10 May 1941. The Messerschmitt 110 plane crashed near Glasgow and Hitler’s deputy was taken to hospital20. The 10th Duke encouraged and facilitated support of this important component of the local war effort adjacent to his estates.

Monitoring the Health of Troops

Prior to D-Day Montgomery had the use of a special train called “Rapier”, in which he traveled through England, Wales and Scotland to “visit every formation which was to take part in OVERLORD....I [Montgomery] must have inspected, and been inspected by, well over a million men” 15.

In the winter of 1943-1944, my father travelled with Montgomery via special train, or my father’s unescorted Rolls Royce to assess the health of Allied troops in the North of England in preparation for the invasion of France. The physical and mental well-being of troops was of great concern to Montgomery13,15. Those requiring specialized treatment were referred to appropriate hospitals in London, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh for care. Troops were monitored for vaccination status and for signs of infectious disease, particularly those of viral etiology, such as measles21, as well as tuberculosis22. I accompanied them during their inspection tours of several convents used as nursing facilities during the War.

The incidence of measles in Allied Troops during World War II was much lower than in World War I. Socio-geographic changes in the intervening years had rendered more recruits immune21. Montgomery was aware that there had been measles outbreaks among the Highland Light Infantry before D-day. Serum specimens and environmental samples were sent to laboratories at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Mill Hill, Middlesex, London, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow for testing. My father served as courier, personally delivering the samples.

During the War, Montgomery suggested to the 10th Duke that he contract with my father to stable our horses in the Peth Stables on the Duke’s Alnwick estate23. This arrangement proved satisfactory for many years (Fig. 4).

Figure 4. Lease agreement for Peth Stables, 1949, between 10th Duke of Northumberland and Brigadier Angus Hedley-Whyte, DSO.

Figure 4

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The rent per annum was initially £10;later as agreed, £20 for the followingtwenty years.

Post World War II: Career of the 10th Duke of Northumberland

Post World War II, the 10th Duke served in both civilian and military leadership roles. He was Councilor and later Alderman on the Northumberland County Council. He was a Reserve Officer in the Territorial Army until the age of 50, and Honorary Colonel of the 7th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. The Duke held the post of Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland from 1956 until his statutory retirement at age 70 in 1984. From 1956 to 1968 he served as President of the Northumberland Territorial Army and Auxiliary Forces Association, and until 1971, of the North of England Territorial Army and Volunteers Reserve Association. From 1963 he served as the first Chancellor of the University of Newcastle, after its separation from Durham University, founded 18321,3. He was appointed Chief Steward at Buckingham Palace in 1973 and remained in that post for the remainder of his life. In 1946 Northumberland married Lady Elizabeth Diana Montagu-Douglas-Scott (1922-2012), daughter of the 8th Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry. The Buccleuch lands were near Northumberland’s estates1,3.

The health and welfare of both domestic and wild animals was of great interest to the 10th Duke who regularly consulted with experts in veterinary medicine and science. The animals on his estates, including hounds, horses, cattle, deer and others, were regularly sampled for viral and bacterial pathogens. Members of my family often served as veterinary couriers when the samples were sent to laboratories in London, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh for testing.

The 10th Duke’s Chairmanship of the Agricultural Research Council, 1958-68

Hugh, the 10th Duke, advanced the work of the British Agricultural Research Council (ARC) which he chaired from 1958 to 1968. The ARC had expanded its activities and influence during the post-World War II years with the establishment of additional specialized laboratories and research facilities24. This trend continued during the 10th Duke’s chairmanship24,25. The membership of the Agricultural Research Council was expanded to include members with legal, as well as agricultural expertise, and prominent veterinary scientists. Council members visited Denmark, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, The Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and the United States.1,24 The 10th Duke chaired the UK’s Committee of Inquiry into the 1967 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. This Committee was appointed in February 1968, and published its report in November 196926,27.

The Pirbright Institute

The Pirbright Institute, in Surrey, was established in 1914 as a tuberculosis testing station for cattle28. In 1924 this facility was designated the Pirbright Experimental Station for the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Research Committee. By 1933 the Pirbright was the sole British Centre for research on foot-and-mouth disease, and in 1939 a full-time Director of Research, Dr. Ian A. Galloway was appointed and the Institute renamed the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Research Institute28,29. Director Galloway was assisted in his research programme by John Burns Brooksby30, and W.M. Henderson31 both later awarded CBE and FRS. Foot-and-mouth disease is a virus of the genus Aphthovirus (Family Piconaviridae). Under Galloway’s directorship four additional strains of footand-mouth disease virus were elucidated, in addition to the original three serotypes32,33,34,35. Vaccines were developed, underscoring the importance of viral subtype differences in vaccine development and deployment36. Later findings have revealed genetic differences of 30-50 percent in the VP1 gene among serotypes, and multiple subtypes37.

In 1958 the Pirbright was designated the World Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. This designation remains in force28.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreaks

Great Britain’s Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act of 1869 had designated foot-and-mouth as a notifiable disease and empowered local authorities to regulate the movement of infected livestock and appoint inspectors27,38. An epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease due to 32 outbreaks of viral type O1 in 289 cattle and 73 sheep took place in Northumberland in July through September 1966. Eradication required slaughter of 5,753 cattle, 38,448 sheep and 714 pigs38. The origin was never conclusively determined, but the most likely source was infected meat or offal from foreign sources38.

This epidemic was followed by several outbreaks the following year, culminating in the 1967-68 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic which began in October 1967, with an outbreak at Bryn Farm, Oswestry, Shropshire, traced to pig swill containing infected Argentinian lamb27. From October 1967 to early June 1968 there were 2,364 reported cases of foot-and-mouth disease in Great Britain resulting in the slaughter of approximately a half-million animals. Initial confirmations of diagnosis were made by laboratory analysis with clinical symptoms evaluated for subsequent cases. Samples were sent to the Pirbright Institute to identify viral strains. Pirbright Director Ian Galloway had elucidated subtype differences between foot-and-mouth disease viral strains which impacted the development of effective vaccination programs36. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food did not have vaccines available for administration at that time, although they were available from manufacturers26,27. Seropositivity of vaccinated animals rendered them unacceptable for international trade27,32.

In February 1968, Frederick Peart, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, appointed the Committee chaired by the 10th Duke of Northumberland to report on the epidemic. Members included Anthony Cripps, QC, Professor David Evans, C. Henry Plumb, Eric Thomas, Sir Edward Thompson, Professor David Walker and Sir William Weipers. John Jotcham served as Secretary with Melba White as Assistant Secretary26,27.

During the 1967-68 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic, Hugh, the 10th Duke, chaired numerous meetings. My mother, Nancy Hedley-Whyte, was deputized to chair the local meetings at Alnwick Castle. There she met with young people who were enrolled in a three-month training course for control of foot-and-mouth disease in their local districts.

During the 1967-68 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, our family riding routes were revised. Riding out of Peth Stables, we entered directly into Hulne Park and farmland owned by the Percys, and we were ordered to ride only on a set route, with no entry to certain fields. Double oxers barriers were deployed.

Foot and Mouth Disease in Northern Ireland and Beyond

In 1939 Chief Veterinary Officer of Northern Ireland’s Ministry of Agriculture, James McAllan, reported in this journal on diseases of animals that affect humans. He described foot-and-mouth disease as of great importance to the community, even though it was then thought to be rarely transmissible to man39. Foot-and-mouth disease as defined by the Pirbright Institute28 is distinguished from the hand, foot and mouth disease caused by enteroviruses, Cocksackievirus A16, Cocksackievirus A6 and enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) most commonly transmitted among children40.

The Ministry of Agriculture in Northern Ireland reported in 1967 that there had been no foot-and-mouth disease since 1949 due to strict controls on imports of animals and their products, poultry products, hay, straw and vegetables41. During the 1967-1968 epidemic in Britain and the years immediately following, the foot-and-mouth disease virus remained undetected despite active surveillance42.

In Northern Ireland, foot-and-mouth and other veterinary diseases are monitored and reported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)43,44. As a separate epidemiological unit from other regions of the UK, Northern Ireland would cooperate with the Republic of Ireland during an outbreak in either or both jurisdictions. Both DAERA and the Republic of Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) recognize the necessity of such joint efforts45,46.

The 2001 outbreak in England spread across the Irish Sea, but vigilance by Northern Ireland authorities quickly thwarted a major outbreak46. The immediate response by the Republic of Ireland contributed in no small way to its control45. The published Foot-and-mouth disease regulations of Northern Ireland44 and continued vigilance have been successful in recent years. DAERA published its most recent edition of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Control Strategy in 201647.

The United States reports that there has been no foot-and-mouth disease since 1929, due to constant surveillance and controls of imports48. British and other outbreaks into the 21st century have underscored the importance of prevention to avoid disastrous economic consequences49.

The 10th Duke’s 1966 Visit: Boston, MA, Massachusetts General Hospital and Plum Island

During his chairmanship of the Agricultural Research Council, the 10th Duke made unpublicized visits to research scientists at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He visited the Harvard Fatigue Laboratory and the Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1966 I was asked to help organize a visit of the 10th Duke and representatives of the Agricultural Research Council to Boston. The subjects of clinical trial design and research ethics were of great interest to both the Duke and to my Massachusetts General Hospital Department Head, Henry K. Beecher, who that year published a key paper on this important topic50.

The 10th Duke’s Agricultural Research Council Representatives visited the U.S. Army and Department of Agriculture’s Plum Island Animal Disease Research Center. This specialized, secure research center had been opened in 1954 on an island off the coast of New York, to address prevention of foot-and-mouth disease and other livestock pathogens. It continues its mission to the present, now under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security51.

10th Duke’s Chairmanship of the Medical Research Council, 1969-1977

The 10th Duke’s contributions as chairman of the Agricultural Research Council were recognized by his appointment to chair the British Medical Research Council (MRC) in 19691,3. Notable advances made during the Duke’s chairmanship of the MRC included early clinical trials of treatment of hypertension in relation to cardiovascular disease52,53,54, first use of MRI52,55,56, development of monoclonal antibodies52,57,58, advances in chemotherapy treatment for childhood52,59,60,61 and adult leukemia62, and invention of DNA sequencing, including determination of the base sequence of nucleic acids52,63,64,65 (Table 1).

TABLE 1. KEY ADVANCES OF THE BRITISH MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL UNDER CHAIRMANSHIP OF 10TH DUKE OF NORTHUMBERLAND, 1969-197752.

YEAR/S ADVANCES SCIENTISTS CITED
1970- Recognition of role of hypertension in treatment of cardiovascular disease and stroke Medical Research Council Working Party on Mild to Moderate Hypertension53,54
1970-79 Clinical trials of chemotherapy for leukaemia Medical Research Council Working Party59,60,61,62
1973 Invention of MRI Sir Peter Mansfield, 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine55,56
1975 Development of monoclonal antibodies Dr. Cesar Milstein and Dr. Georges Kohler, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1984 (shared with Niels K. Jerne)57,58
1977 Invention of DNA sequencing; determination of the base sequence of nucleic acids Dr. Frederick Sanger, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1980 (shared with Paul Berg and Walter Gilbert)63,64,65
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In 1985, The MRC Working Party published its long-term study of the relationship between treatment of hypertension and heart disease begun during the 10th Duke’s chairmanship. Both stroke rate and incidence of cardiovascular events were reduced with active treatment in the study population of 17,534 patients, or 85,572 patient years, recruited largely from general practices53. This MRC Working Party also demonstrated that diuretic or beta-blocker treatment of older adults aged 65-74 with hypertension reduced risk of stroke, coronary heart disease and death54.

Sir Peter Mansfield, FRS (1933-2017) and his team at Nottingham University received MRC grants that enabled them to develop magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment52,55. Decades later Mansfield shared the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Prof. Paul C. Lauterbur of the University of Illinois56.

The 1984 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Professors Cesar Milstein of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, England57, along with Georges J.F. Köhler and Niels K. Jerne for “theories concerning the specificity in development and control of the immune system and the discovery of the principle for production of monoclonal antibodies”58. This has increased treatment modalities for cancer and other conditions, including infectious diseases such Covid-1966.

Advances in the treatment of childhood and adult leukaemias have changed the prognosis and treatment plans for patients worldwide59,60,61,62. The MRC Childhood Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) trial was designed to explore whether results similar to those of the successful U.S. Children’s Cancer Study Group would result from an identical trial protocol. Findings demonstrated similar results and pointed out possible deficiencies in earlier MRC trials60. The record of these clinical trials provides historical perspective on key developments in the structure and operation of post-World War II British science and the increasing importance of statisticians in medical research60,61. Since the 1970s the MRC Adult Leukaemia Trials have shown “stepwise” improvement in outcome. At the same time adult survival rates were found to be less favorable than those for children.

A smaller proportion of adults with acute lymphocytic leukaemia were enrolled in the earlier clinical trials62.

Frederick Sanger (FRS 1954, CBE 1963, OM 1986), winner of the 1958 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for “his work on the structure of proteins, especially that of insulin63,64, was funded by the MRC within Cambridge University’s Department of Biochemistry. In 1962 Sanger was appointed Head of the Protein Unit at the newly opened MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge63. Here he continued his work by developing sequencing methods for RNA molecules, and determining sequencing of nucleic acids in DNA. This resulted in the innovative “dideoxy” technique for DNA sequencing, which enabled simultaneous reading of 500-800 base pairs63,64. Sanger, with Professor Walter Gilbert of Harvard University, was awarded a shared half of the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry “for their contributions concerning the determination of base sequences in nucleic acids” 65. The remaining half was awarded to Paul Berg of Stanford University “for his fundamental studies of the biochemistry of nucleic acids with particular regard to recombinant DNA”65.

The 10th Duke described to me at length the determination of the ranking, cost factors and relevance of grant applications submitted to the Medical Research Council. The review process was intended to “Develop and implement scientific research policy aimed at improving the prevention, diagnosis, management and therapy of disease, rehabilitation, and the general well-being of the community”67. The optimal use of allocated government funds would achieve parity in support of university research and the Medical Research Council’s own facilities. The 10th Duke’s chairmanship was facilitated by the offices he maintained on his Northumberland estates.

Hedley-Whytes’ Sabbatical, 1984-1985

During the 1984-1985 Academic Year my wife and I were in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on sabbatical from Harvard. I spoke regularly with the 10th Duke. He expressed great interest in all aspects of Epidemiology, clinical trials, Statistics and other subjects such as the welfare of members of the National Union of Mine Workers. As chancellor of the University of Newcastle he used his influence to assure the medical care of miners injured in the major 1984-85 Miners Strike68,69.

Epilogue

The Tenth Duke of Northumberland died on 11 October 1988. My wife and I heard this news in our Concord, Massachusetts home not far from the site where the 2nd Duke had fought against the American colonists70.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Judith Curthoys, MSt PGCertArchHist DAA FRHistS, Archivist and Data Protection Compliance Manager, Christ Church, Oxford for assistance. The authors thank Michael Cherrington, Policy and Information Manager, Medical Research Council, for archival and bibliographic assistance. The authors thank the Rights and Permissions Officer, Middlesex Guildhall Collection, The Supreme Court Arts Trust, for assistance with the portrait of the 1st Duke of Northumberland. The authors thank Ms. Jessica Desany-Ganong, Collection Manager and Registrar, Concord Museum, Concord, MA, for assistance with the portrait of the 2nd Duke of Northumberland. The authors also thank the late Sir Michael G.P. Stoker, the first author’s tutor at Clare College, Cambridge, 1952-1955, who emphasized the importance of virology to global health14,71.

Footnotes

1

This and other first person references are to the first author.

UMJ is an open access publication of the Ulster Medical Society (http://www.ums.ac.uk).

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