Helenus Milmo

Sir Helenus Patrick Joseph Milmo, DL (born Helenus Padraic Seosamh Milmo; 24 August 1908 – 30 August 1988)^[1] was an Irish lawyer in Britain and High Court judge.

Sir Helenus Milmo DL
Born	Helenus Padraic Seosamh Milmo (1908-08-24)24 August 1908 County Limerick, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Died	30 August 1988(1988-08-30) (aged 80) Chichester, West Sussex, England
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge
Occupation	Lawyer
Spouse(s)	Joan Frances Morley (died 1978) Mrs. Anne Brand ​ (m. 1980)​
Relatives	Chuka Umunna (grandson)

Early life and education

Milmo was born in County Limerick, Ireland, on 24 August 1908, the third son of Daniel and Kathleen (née White) Milmo, but spent his early years in Furbogh, Galway Gaeltacht. Milmo attended St. Gerard's School, Downside School, and Trinity College, Cambridge; he was called to the Bar as a barrister.^[2]

Career

During the Second World War, Milmo was a member of MI5.^[3] Having previously worked under Kim Philby, Milmo was selected to investigate Philby in 1951, when Philby's espionage had become increasingly obvious. Milmo failed to elicit definitive answers^[3] and concluded "that Philby is and has been for many years a Soviet agent. But the case remained unproven."^[4] Milmo's peers were not entirely forgiving. "Some felt", wrote Peter Carter-Ruck when Milmo died in 1988, "that he was perhaps too much of a gentleman for that daunting task."^[3]

In 1961, Milmo was appointed a Queen's Counsel and in 1964 became a judge of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales and was knighted.^[2][5]

Personal life

A Roman Catholic, in 1933 Milmo married Joan Frances Morley, the second daughter of Francis Morley of Sloan Court, Chelsea, London.^[2] The couple had five children:

• Deirdre (born 1934)
• Patrick, KC (born 1938), a barrister
• Verity (born 1941)
• Shaun (born 1943), a journalist
• Patricia (born 1949/1950), a solicitor; she married Bennett Umunna in 1976

His grandson Chuka Umunna has been a British Member of Parliament.^[6][7] His other grandchildren include journalists Cahal and Daniel Milmo, and Marc, an investment banker and Director at finnCap.^{[citation needed]}

Joan Milmo died in 1978, aged 71. Milmo's second marriage, in 1980, was to Mrs Anne Brand, the widow of Francis Bernard Brand. Mrs Brand was born Anne Gilmore O'Connell, the daughter of Maurice William O'Connell. Anne, Lady Milmo (born 27 May 1907 – died 28 November 2003) died at age 96.^[8]

Sir Helenus Milmo died in 1988^[2] in Chichester, West Sussex.