Ustinov, Sir Peter Alexander, son of lona von Ustinov, journalist, and Nadia, d. of Louis Benois of St Petersburg; b. 16 Apr. 1921; adm. Sept. 1934 (B), (A) Sept. 1935; left July 1937; London The­atre Studio; Roy. Sussex Regt in WW2, seconded RAOC (Army Film Service); a playwright, author, film director, actor and entertainer; Benjamin Franklin Medal RSA 1958; FRSA FRSL; Rector Dundee Univ. 1968-73; Order of Yugoslav Flag (with Golden Laurels) 1974; hon. degrees at many universities; a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF; CBE 197 5; Kt June 1990; Chancellor Durham Univ. J 992; author of plays The Love of Four Colonels, Romanoff and Juliet, Photo Finish, and autobiography Dear Me 1977; m. 1st 8 Aug. 1940 Isolde Denham; 2nd 15 Feb. 1954 Suzanne, d. of Edmond Cloutier, Queen's Printerto the Canadian Govt; 3rd 17 June 1972 Hélène du Lau d' Allemans; d. 28 Mar. 2004.

UTHWATT, HENRY UTHWATT, second son of William Andrews, Inner Temple, London, and Buckingham, Bucks., barrister, and Hannah, dau. of Farmer Shillingford, Buckingham, Bucks.; b. 15 Aug 1755; adm. 29 Jan 1770; KS 1774; elected to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1773, adm. pens. 9 Jun 1773, scholar 22 Apr 1774, matr. 1774; BA 1777; ordained priest (Peterborough) 20 Dec 1789; Curate, Plumpton, Northants 1789, afterwards Blakesley, Northants; assumed surname of Uthwatt in lieu of Andrews 18 Mar 1803, having inherited estate of Uthwatt family at Great Linford, Bucks.; m. 10 Mar 1783 Judith, dau. of Thomas Yates, Culworth, Northants; d. 1 Oct 1812.

UVEDALE, ROBERT, son of Robert Uvedale, St. Margaret’s, Westminster, and Margaret ---; b. 25 May 1642; adm.; KS 1656; while at school is said to have snatched one of the escutcheons from the bier at Oliver Cromwell’s funeral Nov 1658 (G. F. Russell Barker, Memoir of Richard Busby, 17-8); elected head to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1659, adm. pens. 10 May 1659, scholar 1659, matr. 1660; BA 1662/3; MA 1666; LLD 1682; Fellow, Trinity Coll. 1664 - c. 1679; Master, Enfield GS 1664; also kept boarding school at The Old Palace, Enfield, where he is supposed to have planted the Enfield cedar c. 1670; ordained deacon (London) Mar 1665/6, priest 9 Jan 1691/2 (sic); Rector of Orpington with St. Mary Cray, Kent, from 1691/2; Rector of Barking and Needham, Suffolk 1700; famous for his skill in cultivating exotic plants, and one of the earliest possessors of hothouses in England; most of his collection of growing plants were purchased at his death by Sir Robert Walpole for his garden at Houghton, Norfolk; his Herbarium in fourteen volumes is in the Sloane collection, British Museum; the genus Uvedalia was named in his honour by Petiver; contributed the life of Dion to Dryden’s translation of Plutarch, 1683-6; m. 20 Jun 1678 Mary, second dau. of Edward Stephens, Cherington, Gloucs., and grand-daughter of Sir Matthew Hale; d. 17 Aug 1722. DNB.

Valentine, Walter Jacob; b. April 17, 1904; adm. Jan. 17, 1918 (G); left Easter 1920.

Valli, Vermondo Frederick, son of Camillo Constant Valli and Louise, d. of William Conrad Gaisberg of Washington DC; b. 14 July 1917; adm. Jan. 1931 (H); left July 1936; Ch. Ch. Oxf., matric. 1936, BA 1939, MA 1943; RA 1941-6 (Maj.), despatches (NW Europe) Apr. 1946; man. dir. Coty (England) Ltd 1962; vice-pres. Rexall (Europe) 1967-71; gen. man. Proprietary Per­fumes Ltd (France) 1972; m. 9 Feb. 1945 Catherine Anstice, d. of Ven. Edgar Francis Hall, Archdeacon of Totnes, Devon; d. 1 Sept. 2000.

Van der Gucht, Claude, youngest son of Charles John Van der Gucht, of Maida Vale, by Susan Rosalie, daughter of William Henry Hodding, M.R.C.S., of London; b. June 22, 1878; adm. Sept. 22, 1892 (H); Q.S. 1893; left Feb. 1897; joined the Bombay Burma Trading Corpn. Ltd., Rangoon, Nov. 1898; local manager at Moulmein 1911-26; Consul for Siam at Moul­mein 1914-26; m. Sept. 17, 1903, Florence Isabel, daughter of George Roberts, of Hobart, Tasmania, d. Nov. 26, 1946.

Van der Pant, Francis Neville, son of Francis Henry Morgan Van der Pant, of London, by Isabel Mary, daughter of Thomas Frost Hawkins, of Great Cornard, Suffolk; b. Jan. 15, 1900; adm. April 30, 1914 (H); left July 1918; served in Great War I; 2nd Lieut. A.S.C. (M T.) Oct. 28, 1918; Guy's Hospital; L.D.S., R.C.S. 1923; in practice in London; served in Great War II as Capt. Army Dental Corps, in charge of Dental Centre, Lincoln Barracks, also Dental Surgeon, Military Hosp., Lincoln May 1941 - Dec. 1943; m.; d. 1975.

Van Praagh, John Arthur Wellesley, son of Arthur John Van Praagh and Hyacinthe Maud Wellesley, d. of W. H. Frizell; b. 11 Nov. 1923; adm. Sept. 1937 (A); left July 1942; RAF 1944-6 (Flt. Sgt. ); Corpus Christi Coll. Oxf., matric. 1948, BA 1951, MA 1955; PR Rank Organisation until 1965; antiques and fine arts dealer 1965-88, retd.; m. 11 Sept. 1954 Barbara, d. of William Fish of St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex; d. 2007.

Van Straubenzee, Sir William Radcliffe, son of Brig. Arthur Bowen van Straubenzee DSO MC RA, and Margaret Joan, d. of Alexander Nelson Radcliffe of Bag Park, Widecombe-in-the­Moor, Devon; b. 27 Jan. 1924; adm. Sept. 1937 (G); left July 1942; RA 1939-45 (Maj. DAA and QMG Far East); adm. solicitor Mar. 1952, practised in London; chmn. Young Conservatives 1951-3; hon. sec. Westminster Boys’ Club 1952-65, chmn. 1965-8; MBE 1954; contested (Cons. ) Clapham 1955; MP (Cons. ) Wokingham 1959-87; PPS to Min. of Education 1960-2; Parliamentary under-sec. State, Ministry of Education and Science 1970-2; Minister of State, Northern Ireland 1972-4; knighted 1981; member, House of Laity, Church Assembly, Church of England 1965-70, General Synod 1975-87; a Church commissioner 1968-87, Second Church Estates Commissioner 1979-87; d. 2 Nov. 1999.

VANCE, ROBERT SHEPPARD, second son of George Vance MD, Sackville Street, Piccadilly, London, medical practitioner, and Elizabeth Bradridge, only dau. of John Sheppard, Morton Abbott, Devon; b. 31 Aug 1814; adm. 12 Jan 1829 (Scott's); left 1831; Exeter Coll. Oxford, matr. 2 Jun 1831; d. from effects of a fall from his horse near Wheatley, Oxfordshire 15 Oct 1832.