Earl of Perth, 95; Oversaw the British Colonies in 1950s, ‘60s

The Earl of Perth, 95, who oversaw Britain’s colonies in the turbulent 1950s and ‘60s and managed the redevelopment of parts of war-damaged London, died Nov. 25 at his home in central Scotland. No cause of death was given.

A tall, patrician figure who loved the arts, Perth was born John David Drummond. He was appointed minister of state at the Colonial Office in 1957 by then-Prime Minister Anthony Eden, when many colonies were pushing toward independence.

In 1962, Perth became first commissioner of the Crown Estate, and it became his job to modernize and repair World War II damage in parts of London.

When World War II broke out, Perth joined the British Army’s Intelligence Corps and worked in Paris. Later, he was sent to the United States to report on American attitudes toward the war. He moved to the British War Cabinet Office and later the Ministry of Production.

He became the 17th earl on his father’s death in 1951, and restored Stobhall, the ancestral home in Perthshire, Scotland.