Charles Mosley | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Charles Mosley with his dog Fleur | |
| Born | Charles Gordon Mosley (1948-09-14)14 September 1948 London, England |
| Died | 5 November 2013(2013-11-05) (aged 65) Stoke Mandeville, England |
| Education | Eton andCambridge |
| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge |
| Occupations | Editor, author, broadcaster, publisher |
| Known for | Genealogy |
Charles Gordon Mosley (14 September 1948 – 5 November 2013) was a Britishgenealogist who specialised in British nobility. He was an author, broadcaster, editor, and publisher, best known for having been Editor-in-Chief ofBurke's Peerage & Baronetage (106th edition)—its first update since 1970—and of the re-titled 107th edition,Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage (2003).[1]
Mosley was born inWest London, the son of (George) Gordon Mosley (1918–1993) and Christine Daisy Ord, daughter of Lt-Col Roy Dowland of theIndian Civil Service. Gordon Mosley was with theBBC from 1947 to 1965, working at various times as assistant toHarman Grisewood, as BBC representative atDelhi, and as head of overseas talks and features.[2][3][4][5] Mosley's only sibling, Frances, worked in primary mathematics education, and is the creator of many successful mathematical games.
He grew up inWraysbury, Berkshire, and attendedEton College from 1962 to 1967, having been elected aKing's Scholar. He attendedKing's College, Cambridge, from 1967 to 1970, and graduated with a degree in English Literature, Philosophy and History. He served in theForeign & Commonwealth Office, and lived inItaly,Ireland, andFrance. From 2008 to 2010 Mosley was a Fellow of theRoyal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce.[1]
Mosley had a long career as an editor, becoming known as an expert ongenealogy androyal families.[citation needed] Mosley began his career as a supply teacher in East Sussex from 1970 to 1971. Mosley then worked on the editorial staff of theEncyclopædia Britannica from 1971 to 1973 as a sub-editor and a librarian. From 1974 to 1977, Mosley served in theInformation Research Department of the BritishForeign & Commonwealth Office. From 1977 to 1979, Mosley was based inRome, teaching English as a second language and helping put into shape a data bank of statistics on European Community member countries. In 1980 he began his association withDebrett's Limited, becoming the first editor ofDebrett's Handbook (1981), the forerunner ofDebrett's People of Today (1983–1987). In 1983, Mosley returned to the staff of theEncyclopædia Britannica, serving first as Deputy London Editor then as London Editor. In 1989 Mosley became Editor-in-Chief ofBurke's Peerage & Baronetage, a position he held until 2004, whereafter he renewed his association with Debrett's, serving as the Editor-in-Chief of Debrett's Limited until 2006 when he left the company to become a full-time author and broadcaster.
Mosley also wrote many books, including a special jubilee volume on theEnglish Monarchy entitledBlood Royal – From the time ofAlexander the Great to QueenElizabeth II, published in 2002. His last books wereThe Art of Oratory, published in 2007, andCharles Dickens: A celebration of his life and work, published in 2011. Mosley also contributed to periodicals and newspapers such asThe Guardian,The Daily Telegraph,The Independent, andThe Times. Mosley appeared onSky One'sSo You Think You're Royal?, a genealogical tracking/tracing programme, opining on whether a given claim would entitle the claimant to an entry in Debrett's Peerage, also numerous episodes ofBBC One's genealogy showWho Do You Think You Are?, with appearances on theU.S. version of the programme also.
His last bookThe Daffodil Library, a political thriller, was launched on 22 October 2013. On 1 November, his wife, the former publicist Lesley Lake,[6] who had been in poor health for some time, died of an infection. On the same day, Mosley was admitted toStoke Mandeville Hospital for treatment for cancer. He died on 5 November 2013.
