Betty Suenson-Taylor
Lady Grantchester, Betty Suenson-Taylor (née Betty Moores, born June 1925) is the head of the Moores family and the daughter of Sir John Moores, founder of the Liverpool-based Littlewoods football pools and retailing businesses.
She married Kenneth Bent Suenson-Taylor, 2nd Baron Grantchester on 12 April 1947. As a result of her marriage, Betty Moores was styled as Baroness Grantchester on 2 July 1976. [1] Her son Christopher Suenson-Taylor (Lord Grantchester) is a Labour Peer.
She was director of Littlewoods between 1977 and 1997[1] and is credited steering the company back on to an even keel after a turbulent late 1980s and early 1990s.[2] The family started to sell off stores in 1998 and the pools business in 2000; those proceeds and past dividends are worth £445m. Another windfall came in 2002 when the mail order business was sold to the Barclay brothers for £750m. [3]
Contents
Early life and education
In 1971 she enrolled on a business course and was later invited to join the Littlewoods board. [4] She was educated at Newnham College, Cambridge.[5]
Lucy Cavendish College
In 1986 it was reported in the Times that Lady Grantchester provided ‘considerable financial support’ for the Lucy Cavendish College in Cambridge which gives undergraduate places for mature women students.[6]
Everton Football Club
In 1994 Lady Grantchester and her sister Janatha Stubbs were given a 40% stake of Everton football club by their brother Peter Moores who had inherited the shares from their father Sir John Moores.[7] She sold her stake in the club to Peter Johnson in 1997, the same year she retired from the board of Littlewoods.[8][9]
Personal Wealth
Betty Suenson-Taylor regularly features in the media as one of the wealthiest individuals in the UK. The summary below highlights how her wealth has been reported over time:
| Year | Estimated Wealth | Ranking | Source | Reference |
| 1992 | £170 million | 7th Wealthiest woman in Britain | The Daily Mail | [10] |
| 1997 | £1,000 million | 2nd Wealthiest woman in Britain | Press Association | [11] |
| 1999 | £1,500 million | 1st Wealthiest woman in the United Kingdom | The Independent | [12][13] |
| 2000 | £1,300 million | The Journal | [14] | |
| 2001 | £1,170 million | 4th Wealthiest woman in the United Kingdom | The Daily Record | [15] |
| 2002 | £380 million | 64th Wealthiest person in the United Kingdom | The Sunday Times | |
| 2003 | £1,260 million | 5th Wealthiest woman in the United Kingdom | The Daily Mail | [16] |
| 2005 | £1,160 million | 35th Wealthiest person in the United Kingdom | The Sunday Times | [17] |
| 2006 | £1,160 million | 42nd Wealthiest person in the United Kingdom | The Sunday Times | [18] |
| 2007 | £1,200 million | 53rd Wealthiest person in the United Kingdom | The Sunday Times | [19] |
| 2008 | £1,200 million | 60th Wealthiest person in the United Kingdom | The Sunday Times | [20] |
Affiliations
Trustee of the Family Education Trust since 2004, executive committee member in 2003[21] | European Atlantic Group Dinners attendee | European Atlantic Group[22][23][24] | Lucy Cavendish College [25]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Betty Moores, The Peerage, accessed 3 April 2012
- ↑ Kevin Cahill, The elite, guardian.co.uk, 11 April 1999, acc 3 April 2012
- ↑ Gary Bainbridge, Betty Moores: Littlewoods heiress, Liverpool Echo, Jan 1 (year cited is 2008 but this doesn't match text dates), acc 3 April 2012
- ↑ Teresa Poole, The Magnificent Seven / Women on the Board, The Times, 17-October-1986
- ↑ Patrick Donovan, Clan Warfare, The Guardian, 8-June-1995
- ↑ Teresa Poole, The Magnificent Seven / Women on the Board, The Times, 17-October-1986
- ↑ Cynthia Bateman, SOCCER: MOORES FAMILY DIVIDED OVER GOODISON TAKEOVER BIDS, The Guardian, 15-February-1994
- ↑ Nigel Cope, Moores matriarch quits Littlewoods board, The Independent, 2-May-1997
- ↑ Paul Joyce, GREGG IS LIFTED BY MOORES SUPPORT, The Express, 30-July-2004
- ↑ Vikki Orvice, Parade of the golden girls, Daily Mail, 28-Septmebr-1992
- ↑ Home News, North not short of millionaires, Press Association, 5-April-1997
- ↑ Home News, Britain's millionaires are getting younger, richer and quicker at amassing their wealth than ever before, according to a new report. Here are the top three entries listed region by region, Press Association, 10-April-1999
- ↑ Kathy Marks, THE SELF-MADE WOMAN MAKES HER MARK AMONG UK SUPER-RICH, The Independent, 12-April-1999
- ↑ National News, Not all rock stars are in Dire Straits, The Journal (Newcastle), 17-March-2000
- ↑ Lucy Rock, MINI-SKIRTS AND PIGTAILS .. SHE\'S UK\'S WEALTHIEST WOMAN, Daily Record, 22-January-2001
- ↑ David Wilkes, Harry\'s spell makes JK wealthier than the Queen, Daily Mail, 28-April-2003
- ↑ Philip Beresford with Stephen Boyd, 35 to 50, The Sunday Times, 3-April-2005
- ↑ Philip Beresford with Stephen Boyd, 41 to 50, The Sunday Times, 23-April-2006
- ↑ Philip Beresford with Stephen Boyd, Rankings 51-60, The Sunday Times, 29-April-2007
- ↑ FEATURES; Rich List 2008, Ranking 58-81, The Times, 27-April-2008
- ↑ Family Education Trust Report on annual conference, Bulletin No. 116 Summer 2004
- ↑ Mr W. de Gelsey, Court and Social: Dinners, The Times, 16-July-1986
- ↑ Mr W. de Gelsey, Court and Social: Dinners, The Times, 16-July-1986
- ↑ Court and Social: Dinner, The Times, 7-October-1986
- ↑ Teresa Poole, The Magnificent Seven / Women on the Board, The Times, 17-October-1986
