James Brabazon Grimston, 5th Earl of Verulam (11 October 1910 – 13 October 1960) was a British peer and businessman.[1]
Verulam was the eldest son ofJames Grimston, 4th Earl of Verulam, and Lady Violet Brabazon, younger daughter of the12th Earl of Meath.[2] He was educated atEton andChrist Church, Oxford. He succeeded to the earldom upon the death of his father in 1949.
At the age of 19, whilst studying at Oxford, Verulam first went toBrynmawr, Wales on an international work camp.[3] Brynmawr had suffered from high unemployment due to the closure of local coal mines in the 1920s and a Quaker initiative known as theBrynmawr Experiment had been set up to help find unemployed local people a livelihood.
In 1934,Peter Scott, previously the instigator of the Quaker work in Brynmawr, decided to set up aSubsistence Production Society (SPS) in the area, and Verulam was appointed as the Area Organiser, where he was known asJim Forrester, the surname being derived from his family courtesy titleLord Forrester.[3]
The SPS consisted of farms, a bakery and other facilities where members could obtain food and products they wanted in return for work.[3] In 1939, due to preparations for war providing work for local unemployed people, the SPS collapsed.
After the end of theSecond World War, Verulam continued to try to work in Brynmawr by establishing amodel rubber factory.[4]
Verulam's first job was inAustria after which he wasmanaging director of Enfield Zinc Products. In 1949 he becamechairman ofEnfield Rolling Mills.[5]
He was mayor of St Albans in 1956; andpresident of theCremation Society from 1955 to 1958. He was also adirector of theDistrict Bank and sat on various committees concerned with health, welfare and disability.
Verulam died in October 1960 at the age of 50. He was unmarried and was succeeded in the earldom and other titles by his younger brother,John.
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