Thomas Shaw, 3rd Baron Craigmyle

Thomas Donald Mackay Shaw, The (3rd) Lord Craigmyle, was the son of the 2nd Baron Craigmyle and born on 17 November 1923.

He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Oxford, obtaining a Master of Arts degree. In 1943, he became a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, serving until 1946.[1]

In 1955 he married the artist Anthea Esther Christine Rich (1933-2016), daughter of Canon Edward Rich. She grew up in Chiswick, studied at the Chelsea School of Art, before travelling to India where she met Lord Craigmyle. They were married in St James's, Spanish Place, London, in 1955. He followed his wife in converting to Roman Catholicism in 1956.

They had four sons and three daughters.[2] Their second son The Hon Thomas Columba Shaw is the current (4th) Baron Craigmyle.[2] Their youngest son Dr. Joseph Shaw is the current chairman of the Latin Mass Society.

Craigmyle struggled with alcoholism, and following his recovery committed much of his time and wealth to charitable work helping addicts, the homeless and the destitute.[3]

He was chairman of Craigmyle & Co Ltd, and Claridge Mills Ltd, and director of Inchape & C Ltd. Clubs: Royal Thames Yacht Club, Caledonian Club, Bengal (Calcutta). Membership of other associations: Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), Venerable Order of Saint John (CStJ), and President of the British Association of the Order of Malta (Sovereign Military & Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta).

Lord Craigmyle was "one of Britain's most philanthropic Roman Catholic laymen. A convert...with a deep piety and astonishing personal generosity, to the great benefit of the numerous causes he supported" [quoted from his obituary in The Times, 8 May 1998].

He died on 30 April 1998.

• Bailiff Grand Cross of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (F.R.S.A.)
• Knight of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (K.St.J.) (1989)
• Knight Commander with Star of the Order of Pius IX (1993)

• Thomas Donald Mackay Shaw, 3rd Baron Craigmyle
• Obituary, The Independent, by G. Noel, ref. the 3rd Baron Craigmyle
• Obituary in The Herald