Alan Mais, Baron Mais

Alan Raymond Mais, Baron Mais, GBE, TD, ERD, JP (7 July 1911 – 28 November 1993)[1] was a British peer and former Lord Mayor of the City of London between 1972 and 1973.

Alan Mais and spouse (1973)

Early life

Alan was born in Southampton, the only child of Captain Ernest Mais, a master mariner and educated at Banister Court School, Hampshire, and later at the College of Estate Management, a part of London University, where he trained as a surveyor. He worked for engineers Richard Costain and Parker Construction before setting up his own consulting practice.

Military service

During World War II he was a major with special forces in France, Iran and Iraq. After returning to Britain late in 1943, he became involved in the Mulberry harbour project for the D-Day landings. When construction began off the Normandy coast immediately after D-day (6 June 1944) Mais, now a lieutenant-colonel, was in charge of constructing the pierheads and floating roadways at the British harbour under Colonel S. K. Gilbert of the Royal Engineers, who commanded the port construction force. He then joined the Canadians in the advance to the Rhine and, promoted full colonel, became deputy chief engineer in Antwerp.

Career

After the War Alan joined contractors Trollope and Colls, becoming joint managing director and chairman in 1963 and retiring in 1968 when the firm was taken over by Trafalgar House.

He was made a life peer by Harold Wilson in 1967 taking the title Baron Mais, of Walbrook in the City of London,[2] and he sat in the House of Lords on the Labour, Liberal and Liberal Democrats benches.

He became master of the Cutlers' Company and a freeman of the City of London and of the Paviors' Company. He was an alderman in the Walbrook ward from 1963, a sheriff of London in 1969, and Lord Mayor of London in 1972, the first peer to be elected to that office. He was a lieutenant of the City, a Justice of the peace and from 1976 Deputy Lieutenant of the county of Kent.

In February 1978, a series of lectures was initiated bearing his name, with Gordon Richardson, then Governor of the Bank of England, providing the inaugural lecture.[3] Since then, the annual Mais Lecture has come to be regarded as leading event in the banking and financial community of the City of London, having hosted each of the subsequent Bank of England Governors, as well as Prime Ministers, Chancellors of the Exchequer, and European Central Bankers.

Personal life

In 1936 Mais married Lorna Aline, the daughter of Stanley Aspinall Boardman, a wool merchant of Addiscombe in Surrey, with whom he had two sons and a daughter.

Coat of arms of Alan Mais, Baron Mais

Crest A demi-sea horse per pale Argent and Gules finned Or the dexter fin grasping a sword Gules and resting the sinister upon an anchor flukes to the sinister Sable. Escutcheon Per pale Argent and Gules a chevron engrailed between in chief two cinquefoils and in base a rose all counterchanged on a chief Azure a griffin passant Or supporting with the dexter claw a paving stone Argent. Supporters Dexter a griffin, sinister a dragon, both Gules armed and langued Azure winged Argent and gorged with a collar embattled Argent charged with a barrulet wavy Azure. Motto In Neminem Perfidus [4]

References

• ‘Mais, Alan Raymond, Baron Mais (1911–1993)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

1. "William Howie, 'Mais, Alan Raymond, Baron Mais (1911–1993)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 (subscriber access only)". Retrieved 9 May 2008.
2. "No. 44396". The London Gazette. 29 August 1967. p. 9499.
3. https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/-/media/boe/files/quarterly-bulletin/1978/reflections-on-the-conduct-of-monetary-policy.pdf
4. Debrett's Peerage. 1973.

Honorary titles
Preceded by Sir Edward Howard, 2nd Baronet	Lord Mayor of London 1972–1973	Succeeded by Sir Hugh Wontner