Toby Frere

Early life and education Frere was born in London, the son of publisher Alexander Stuart Frere-Reeves and Patricia Marion Caldecott Wallace. His mother was the daughter of writer Edgar Wallace. J. B. Priestley was his godfather. He was named after his great-grandfather Henry Tobias Frere, a first-class cricketer. When he was 1, his father legally dropped Reeves from their surname. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, as a submariner based at Halifax, he was involved in setting up a barrier patrol with American air support off Newfoundland.

He commanded the submarines HMS Andrew, HMS Odin and HMS Revenge before taking charge of the frigate HMS Brazen. and then Flag Officer, Submarines and Commander Submarines for the Eastern Atlantic in 1991 before becoming Chief of Fleet Support in 1994 and retiring in 1997. as well as Chairman of the Governors of Oundle School.

Family In 1968, he married Jane Barraclough; they had two daughters.