Michael Edward (Bear) Grylls OBE

Bear Grylls OBE (Honorary Colonel, Royal Marines Reserve)

SAMUEL SMILES (1812-1904), born in Haddington, East Lothian, married Mary Anne Holmes, and was father of

WILLIAM HOLMES SMILES (1846-1904), of Woodhouse, Yorkshire, and Belfast, Managing Director, Belfast Ropework Company, who wedded, in 1874, Lucy Dorling, by whom he had numerous issue, of whom

SIR WALTER DORLING SMILES CIE DSO DL (1883-1953), of Portavo Point, Donaghadee, County Down, MP for Blackburn, 1931-45, North Down, 1945-50, who wedded Margaret Heigway, and had issue, an only child,

PATRICIA SMILES (1921-95),  MP for North Down, 1953-55, who married firstly, in 1941, Captain Neville Montagu Ford, son of the Very Rev Dr Lionel Ford, Dean of York, Headmaster, Harrow School, and had issue, two daughters,

SARAH (Sally) SMILES JUSTICE, of whom hereafter;

Mary.

Mrs Patricia Ford wedded secondly, in 1956, Sir Nigel Fisher MP, without further issue.

Portavo Point House (Timothy Ferres, November, 2022)

The elder daughter,

SARAH (Sally) SMILES JUSTICE FORD (Lady Grylls), married, in 1965, William Michael John Grylls (Sir Michael Grylls MP), and had issue,

MICHAEL EDWARD;

Lara Sarah.

The only son,

MICHAEL EDWARD "Bear" GRYLLS OBE (1974-), adventurer, explorer, writer, television presenter, married, in 2000, Shara Cannings Knight, and has issue, three sons,

Jesse;

Marmaduke;

Huckleberry.

The Smiles Papers are deposited at PRONI.

First published in November, 2022.