Charles Melville McLaren, 3rd Baron Aberconway, JP (16 April 1913 – 4 February 2003)[1] was a British industrialist and horticulturalist. He was the son of Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway, and Christabel Macnaghten. He died in 2003.
As a young man, he became a director of John Brown & Company, where his father was chairman. Due to this connection, he took part in the secret, unofficial meeting of British businessmen with Hermann Göring arranged by Birger Dahlerus in August 1939 as a last-ditch effort to forestall war.[2]
In 1953, he succeeded his father in the barony, the chairmanship of John Brown and English China Clays, and various other industrial interests. He continued in these chairmanships until 1986 and 1984, respectively. Despite his corporate responsibilities, Lord Aberconway took a keen interest in horticulture. Besides maintaining the family's Bodnant Garden, he was the President of the Royal Horticultural Society from 1961 to 1983 and oversaw the management of the Chelsea Flower Show. His annual assertion became famous:
I think I can say, without fear of contradiction, that this is the finest Chelsea Flower Show ever
Despite inheriting a seat in the House of Lords, he rarely attended.[citation needed] Throughout his life, he enjoyed writing pithy, memorable and topical letters to The Times.[citation needed] He is buried at the mausoleum called "The Poem" within Bodnant Garden, the traditional burial place of the Lords Aberconway.[3]
Family
He married Deirdre Knewstub, daughter of John Knewstub, on 6 December 1941, and had three children:
Julia Harriet McLaren (b. 22 September 1942), married Capt. Charles Ridley and has issue
Dr Caroline Mary McLaren (b. 24 October 1944), married Raimund Sargent and has issue
