Trevor Hemmings

{{Short description|British billionaire businessman (1935–2021)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Trevor Hemmings

| image = John Inverdale & Trevor Hemmings National Hunt racing awards, Sandown 2011 (cropped-J1).jpg

| caption = Hemmings with John Inverdale at the National Hunt racing awards, Sandown 2011

| birth_name = Trevor James Hemmings

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|6|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Woolwich, London, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|10|11|1935|6|11|df=y}}

| death_place = Ballasyer Stud, Andreas, Isle of Man

| occupation = Businessman

| spouse = {{marriage|Eve Rumney|1955}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/horse-racing/article/trevor-hemmings-obituary-2dcx9hj0s|title=Trevor Hemmings obituary|via=www.thetimes.co.uk}}

| children = 4

}}

Trevor James Hemmings {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CVO}} (11 June 1935 – 11 October 2021) was a British billionaire businessman.

Early life

Hemmings was born in Woolwich, London, on 11 June 1935, the son of a Royal Ordnance worker.{{cite web | url=https://www.racingpost.com/news/trevor-hemmings-from-working-class-lancashire-lad-to-billionaire-tycoon-aRS5A3B01AyW/ | title=Trevor Hemmings: From working-class Lancashire lad to billionaire tycoon }} During the Second World War, part of the Royal Ordnance was relocated to Euxton, Lancashire, and the family moved there when he was aged five.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/oct/15/trevor-hemmings-obituary |title=Trevor Hemmings obituary | Horse racing |work=The Guardian |date= 15 October 2021|accessdate=2023-07-06 |last1=Adeney |first1=Martin }}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/trevor-hemmings-horse-racing-football-obituary-b1941831.html |title=Trevor Hemmings: Billionaire tycoon who dabbled in many industries |work=The Independent |date= 24 October 2021|accessdate=2023-07-06}}

Hemmings began work on the railways while studying business studies at night school. He then became an apprentice bricklayer and made his initial fortune through housebuilding businesses, the first of which he sold in the early 1970s and the second of which was bought by Barratt Developments for £5.7million.{{cite web|url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/archive/trevor-hemmings-13-07-2000/|title=Trevor Hemmings|date=13 July 2000}}

Career

Hemmings owned Preston North End F.C., Northern Trust Co. Ltd, Classic Lodges Ltd. and Trust Inns Ltd. He also owned over 100 racehorses, three of which won the Grand National: Hedgehunter{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/540426/hedgehunter|publisher=Racing Post|title=Hedgehunter – Race Record & Form – Racing Post|author=|date=|accessdate=19 August 2018}} (2005), Ballabriggs{{cite web|url=https://www.racingpost.com/profile/horse/655836/ballabriggs|publisher=Racing Post|title=Ballabriggs – Race Record & Form – Racing Post|author=|date=|accessdate=19 August 2018}}[https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/jan/07/gambling.theobserver Mamons; Trevor Hemmings; tycoon] The Observer; Nick Mathieson; 7 January 2007 (2011), and Many Clouds (2015).

In 2009, it was reported by the Sunday Times Rich List that Hemmings had lost £700m because of a collapse in the price of Royal Bank of Scotland shares, making him only the ninth richest man in the North West and the 178th in the country. The Rich List editor, Ian Coxon, said the drop in Hemmings' fortunes had been caused by the decrease in value of his North West property portfolio as well as his share investment.[http://www.my-hospitality.com/2009/04/blackpool-tower-owner-loses-millions/ "Blackpool Tower owner loses millions" by Nathan Harris at my-hospitality.com] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130129130715/http://www.my-hospitality.com/2009/04/blackpool-tower-owner-loses-millions/ |date=29 January 2013 }}

According to the Sunday Times Rich List in 2021, Hemmings was worth £1.115 billion.{{cite web|title=The Sunday Times Rich List 2021|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list|access-date=2021-11-17|website=The Times|language=en}}

Hemmings also purchased the site of the former Pontins holiday camp at Plemont Bay in Jersey in 2005.{{cite web|url=https://www.theislandwiki.org/index.php/Plemont_Holiday_Camp|title=Plemont Holiday Camp – Jerripedia|website=www.theislandwiki.org}} He submitted several plans to redevelop the site for housing, but there followed a long campaign against the development led by the National Trust for Jersey. Ultimately in 2014 the NTJ purchased the site from Hemmings for £7.15m, with £3.6m provided by the States of Jersey.{{cite web|url=https://www.bailiwickexpress.com/jsy/news/plemont-deal-approved/#.YWU7nhrMKUk|title = Plémont deal approved}}

Philanthropy

Hemmings provided the funds for the S.A.F.E centre, a project helping the victims of sexual violence in Preston, Lancashire.{{cite web|title=Millionaire Hemmings funds rape centre|url=https://www.lep.co.uk/news/millionaire_hemmings_funds_rape_centre_1_103832 |accessdate=15 April 2018 |language=en|date=4 February 2002}}

Recognition

Hemmings was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for his service with The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, now renamed Carers Trust.{{London Gazette |issue=59808 |date=11 June 2011 |page=3 |supp=y }}

Personal life

Hemmings married Eve Rumney in 1955, they had three sons and one daughter.{{cite news |last1=Mathiason |first1=Nick |title=A pie, a pint – and a billion |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/jan/07/gambling.theobserver |accessdate=7 November 2018 |work=The Guardian |date=7 January 2007}}

In later life, he primarily resided at the Ballasyer Stud, Andreas, Isle of Man.{{cite web|url=http://thesteepletimes.com/the-roll-call/business/tycoons/trevor-hemmings/|title=Reclusive "leisure entrepreneur" and racing obsessive Trevor Hemmings|author=|date=4 June 2017|website=thesteepletimes.com|accessdate=7 November 2018}} He died on 11 October 2021, at the age of 86.{{cite news |title=Trevor Hemmings: Preston North End owner dies aged 86 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58878608 |access-date=11 October 2021 |work=BBC News |date=11 October 2021}}