John R. Russell, 85; Duke Made His Family Estate a Tourist Draw

John Robert Russell, 85, the 13th Duke of Bedford who turned his ancient Woburn Abbey north of London into a tourist attraction, died Oct. 25 in Santa Fe, N.M.

Woburn and its 16,000-acre estate had belonged to the Russell family since King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in the 16th century. But by the time the duke inherited it in 1953, it was nearly derelict and faced heavy taxes.

To the horror of some aristocrats, Russell installed a fun fair, safari park and souvenir shop, and offered dinner with the family to paying guests. The move helped the family retain the property, which draws 1 million visitors a year.

Russell was tutored at home as a boy and, after he married a commoner, was briefly disinherited by his grandfather. He served briefly in the Coldstream Guards during World War II.

After his discharge, he worked as a reporter for the Sunday Express newspaper. Russell and his wife did much of the work to clean up the abbey themselves.