Woolf Barnato
| Woolf Barnato | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
Woolf Barnato at the 1929 24 Hours of Le Mans
|
|
| Born |
Joel Woolf Barnato 27 September 1895 Spencer House, London |
| Died | 27 July 1948 (aged 52) London |
| Resting place | St Jude's Church, Englefield Green |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Nationality |
 British |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Participating years | 1928–1930 |
| Teams | Bentley Motors Ltd. |
| Best finish | 1st (1928, 1929, 1930) |
| Class wins | 3 (1928, 1929, 1930) |
Joel Woolf Barnato (27 September 1895 – 27 July 1948) was a British financier and racing driver, one of the "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s. He achieved three consecutive wins out of three entries in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
The youngest son of Fanny Bees and Barney Barnato, who had made a fortune as a "Randlord" in South African diamond and gold mining, he was a relative of the Joel family of entrepreneurs.
Born at Spencer House, 27 St James's Place, London, he had a sister Leah Primrose (died 1933) and brother Isaac "Jack" Henry (died 1918 of bronchial pneumonia). The family divided their time between London, Brighton, Colwyn Bay and South Africa.
In 1897, when Woolf two years old, his father died near Madeira during a sea crossing from South Africa to London. The official verdict was suicide ('death by drowning while temporarily insane'). Woolf hence inherited his father's fortune at the time, but with the monies placed in trust, he only inherited his first instalment of £250,000, in 1914 aged 19. In addition, Woolf also benefited from a further inheritance after the murder of Woolf Barnato Joel in Johannesburg in 1898.
Barnato was educated at Charterhouse School and Trinity College, Cambridge.
Barnato's attitude to a new sport that took his interests, was to immerse himself in the learning process, practising endlessly and taking lessons only from the very best instructors he could find. His desire to excel at whatever he attempted was considerable.
He collected prizes (including the 1925 Duke of York Trophy) for motor boat racing, using his Bentley-powered boat 'Ardenrun V', a good amateur boxer and a keen shot. He bred horses whilst at his house Ardenrun, and hunted with the Old Surrey and Burstow Foxhounds. A strong swimmer, he played tennis to 'country house level'. He also took lessons at Coombe Hill Golf Club, Kingston, Surrey, with the club professional Archie Compston, a friend of King Edward VIII.
...
Wikipedia