Sermon at Evensong on February 8th 2015 in thanksgiving for the
work of Lady Gass as Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
Readings: Micah 6 v 6 – 9; Matthew 5 v 1 – 12
Zadok the priest, the anthem that the choir sang earlier in the service, was written by
George Frederick Handel for the coronation of George the Second in 1727. It has been
sung at every coronation since then at the most solemn part of the coronation service
shortly before the monarch is anointed and crowned. It is preceded by a prayer for the
sovereign, part of which runs:
‘Confirm and stablish her with thy free and Princely Spirit,
the Spirit of wisdom and government,
the Spirit of counsel and ghostly strength,
the Spirit of knowledge and true godliness,
and fill her, O Lord, with the Spirit of thy holy fear’.
The role of Lord Lieutenant is closely linked to that of the crown. Lady Gass is the Queen’s
representative in the county of Somerset, and is present to welcome members of the royal
family when they visit. She may no longer command the military forces of Somerset but she
embodies the county, encourages its common life and acts on formal occasions as its first
citizen. To carry out the many tasks her role requires there can be little doubt that you
need the strength and freedom of God, and to be filled with the spirit of his holy fear.
Lady Gass over the past 16 years has managed to combine a tenacity in upholding the dignity
of this ancient office without the slightest trace of personal aggrandisement; she has related
easily and naturally to all sorts and conditions of people in this diverse county, from the
villages of Exmoor, to the City of Bath, from Weston Super Mare to Wincanton. She shares
with Her Majesty the Queen the ability to show in daily life the meaning of dedicated public
service, and it was a delight to many people when, in the New Year’s Honours List of 2014,
Lady Gass was appointed Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.
Lady Gass was born into a family that was noted for its commitment to the public good. The
Hoods included a line of distinguished Admirals including one who had fought with Nelson
at the Battle of the Nile. The Aclands had been connected to Exmoor from the 12th century
and both Aclands and Hoods provided members of parliament in the county.
These include Alexander Hood, Lord Bridport, MP for Bridgwater, who presented the first
ever petition for the abolition of the Slave Trade to parliament. It was unsuccessful! Lady
Gass’ husband, Sir Michael, had served as Governor of the Solomon Islands and as Colonial
Secretary in Hong Kong. In retirement he was a member of Somerset County Council. Lady
Gass has continued that line with great distinction. Sylvia, one of Lady Gass’ sisters, tells me
that the female line were always the driving force of both families.
The first Lord Lieutenant of Somerset appears to have been appointed in 1552. He was John
Russell, first Earl of Bedford and his descendants included Lord John Russell, the 19th
century Prime Minister and Bertrand Russell the renowned philosopher. There have been
some colourful characters who have served Somerset in this role. I particularly enjoyed
reading of Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Winchelsea, who was Lord Lieutenant from 1675-1683.
Earlier in his career Finch went as Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. It was said of him
that ‘his contemporaries called him ‘amorous’, and in Turkey he was reputed to have ‘had
many women’ and ‘built little houses for them’. King Charles the Second is said to have
remarked ‘My Lord, you have not only built a town, but peopled it too’. Heneage Finch also
had 16 children by two wives. And then there is Richard Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork, Lord
Lieutenant of Somerset for 40 years from 1864 –1904. The magazine Vanity Fair depicts him
as having the most wonderful mutton-chop whiskers. Lord Cork was MP for Frome and had
an estate there but also larger Estates in County Cork, County Kerry and Limerick. He was
master of Her Majesty’s Buckhounds and later Master of the Horse.
Lady Gass’ does not sport mutton-chop whiskers, nor is she renowned, as far as I know, for
her amorous adventures. But she will be remembered as being the first woman to hold the
office of High Sherriff of Somerset and the first woman to be appointed Lord Lieutenant of
the county. Education at Cheltenham Ladies College and at Girton College Cambridge
prepared her to be a pioneer and a role model for women in public life in this county, and
she remains keen to encourage women to use their skills and opportunities to the full. Here
at Wells Cathedral we have been very grateful to Lady Gass for her advocacy of the Girl
Choristers – her first question to me as we planned today’s service was ‘Will the Girl
Choristers be singing?’ It was framed in such a way that there could only be one answer.
Lady Gass has been a champion of young people. Nowhere is this better seen than in her
support of cadets throughout the county and especially her Lord Lieutenant’s cadets. It is
good to see some of them helping here this afternoon. But her support goes much further
than attending the formal opening of buildings or the award of honours. It has meant getting
up early in the morning and driving across the county to visit them at camp or to cheer
them on as they take on the challenge of the Ten Tors hike on Dartmoor.
Lady Gass is a hands-on, wellies on, Lord Lieutenant. Over the past 16 years she has driven
hundreds of thousands of miles across the county to attend a wide range of events. She has
been ably supported by her Deputy Lieutenants but they would be quick to acknowledge
that she has taken on the lion’s share of the work herself. I am told that Lady Gass had a
gym mistress at Cheltenham Ladies College who was known as ‘Tigger’. ‘Tigger’ wrote in
one of her school reports that ‘Elizabeth lacks spring’. Well, how wrong she was, Elizabeth
has sprung around Somerset appearing in several places in the course of a day. At a recent
planning meeting for next month’s Legal Service Lady Gass had driven from Stogursey to
Wells, no doubt making calls on the way, she was about to go to an evening engagement in
Taunton, and then return to her sister in Street so that she could be ready to drive to Bath
to catch the train to London early next morning.
The energy she has given to her work is combined with a care for people and a formidable
memory. Sylvia tells me that, as the oldest child, Elizabeth would always look after her
sisters and would take their side at school if they were in any kind of trouble. Elizabeth
continues to thinks of others, to visit those who are sick, to make sure that she goes to
support other Lord Lieutenants in their work, especially those who may have come to an
event in Somerset. If you are organising an occasion you can be sure that Lady Gass will be
up to date with Somerset news. Do you know that so and so has moved, or that his wife
has died? Do you know that the name of the new … they really should be invited.
If you look at her biography you will see the number of organisations in the county and
beyond to which she has given time and attention – they range from Exmoor National Park,
to English Heritage to the Armed Forces and the Emergency Services. It is fitting that a
share of the collection today is going to the Air Ambulance Services that provide emergency
medical support in this county.
The fine picture on the front of the service sheet is taken from a recent book entitled
‘Keepers: The Ancient Offices of England’. The Lord Lieutenant of Somerset is given a page
in this book alongside the Master of the Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers, the
bearer of the Dog Whipper’s Rod, the Queen’s Swan Upper and the Boy Bishop of
Hereford. But the success of Lady Gass is that she has made this ancient office live and given
it contemporary relevance to the life of the county. In the 21st century, at a time when local
government is fragmented and public services stretched to near breaking-point, the Lord
Lieutenant plays an increasingly important role in raising the profile of Somerset and
encouraging institutions to think not only of themselves, but of the needs of the whole
county. Lady Gass has always believed that a healthy Somerset needs a strong partnership of
statutory and voluntary organizations, and that we can all achieve more together than by
working in isolation.
Lady Gass, of course, has her quirks. There have been many mayors and civic dignitaries
who have paced nervously before events wondering whether Lady Gass was going to arrive
on time. (She did very well today!) And yet, somehow, even if right at the last moment,
there she is, ready to process up the aisle, to cut the ribbon or to make the official speech.
Modern technology remains a challenge to her. Computers and printers are a bit of a
mystery. I remember, as another technophobe, standing with her in the cathedral car park
one dark evening wondering whether between us we could manage to get her car to start
or her lights to come on. She has a dignified and modest dress sense and a fascinating line in
hats for every occasion. So modest indeed is Lady Gass that I gather that in her first days as
Lord Lieutenant she had to be persuaded that it was really necessary to wear her badge of
office. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself.
So what does Lady Gass do in her spare time? The idea of spare time, may, of course, be
something of a joke to Lady Gass. She is, however, deeply interested in archaeology and has
on occasion joined archaeological digs in the county. She will gladly tell you about the Alfred
Jewel and about the recent acquisition of a cat’s gravestone – actually a wonderful carving of
St Peter dating from 1000 AD - for the Museum of Somerset. Lady Gass is a good and
knowledgeable gardener and the garden at Fairfield may be getting more attention in the
future. She also chairs her own charitable trust that supports projects in the county.
Lady Gass’ term as Lord Lieutenant has been marked by humour, humility and dedication
and by a firm belief in the value of the office and its links with the crown. When I asked Lady
Gass which biblical reading she would like for today she had no hesitation in selecting the
Beatitudes from St Matthew’s gospel. They express perfectly the high ideals and absence of
self-seeking that has been the hallmark of the last 16 years. The verses remind us that
underlying all that she has done has been a straightforward faith in the God of mercy, the
God who is shown to us in the life of Jesus and whose power can continue to inspire good
and unselfish action in the world today.
Elizabeth, I want to say to you today that Somerset honours you, and is proud of all that you
have achieved as Lord Lieutenant. We are grateful for your 16 years of service and we thank
God for your graciousness. All of us wish you many happy years of digging and of continued
service to the county you have loved so much.
John Clarke – Dean of Wells