Lionel Cust
British army and foreign officer
About Lionel Cust
Lived 1896 – 1962 (aged 65). Lionel Cust was a British military officer, civil servant and art historian.
Colonel Sir Lionel George Archer Cust (6 June 1896 – 22 May 1962) was a British civil servant, art historian, and General Secretary of the Royal Empire Society.
He was the son of Sir Lionel Henry Cust, grandson of Henry Cockayne Cust, and great-grandson of Brownlow Cust, 1st Baron Brownlow and Francis Needham, 1st Earl of Kilmorey. He was educated at Eton and joined the Royal Artillery.
He received the OBE in 1939 and the CBE in 1954. He was knighted in 1959. He was a member of the Mandatory Palestine Civil Service from 1920-36. From December 1928 he was the private secretary to the high commissioner for Palestine.
Cust is notable for authoring the best known summary of the Status quo of Holy Land sites in 1929: The Status Quo in the Holy Places.
He was a cousin of Ronald Storrs.
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Important facts
People in Lionel Cust's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Lionel Cust?
British army and foreign officer (1896-1962)
When was Lionel Cust born?
Lionel Cust was born on 6 June 1896 in London.
When did Lionel Cust die?
Lionel Cust died on 22 May 1962 in Marylebone.
What was Lionel Cust's occupation?
Lionel Cust was a military officer, civil servant and art historian.
What nationality was Lionel Cust?
Lionel Cust was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Lionel Cust. https://biography.guide/lionel-cust/
MLA: "Lionel Cust." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/lionel-cust/.
Chicago: "Lionel Cust." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/lionel-cust/.
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