John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, dies aged 81

John Montagu "died peacefully in his sleep" on 1 February, Mapperton House said

The 11th Earl of Sandwich has died at the age of 81.

John Montagu "died peacefully in his sleep" on 1 February, his estate announced in a statement.

It said Lord Sandwich, who was born in 1943, had a career in overseas aid, human rights and development, but was also "devoted" to Mapperton Estate, near Beaminster in Dorset.

His son, Luke Montagu, became the 12th Earl of Sandwich upon his death.

Lord Sandwich worked in publishing in the 1960s, and then started a career in international development and joined Christian Aid in 1980 - a charity he would later go on to be director of.

Lord Sandwich was vocal on a number of humanitarian issues

He joined the House of Lords in 1995 and was elected as a hereditary peer in 1999, where "he spoke on poverty, refugees and other humanitarian causes" for almost three decades, the statement said.

He was also a member of the Sudan & South Sudan All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), and co-founded the APPG for Prescribed Drug Dependence.

He met Caroline Hayman at Cambridge University and they married in 1968.

"[The couple] took over the management of Mapperton Estate in the mid 1980s, and together restored properties, woodlands, farmland and the gardens," the statement said.

"He was an expert in his family history, and enjoyed giving tours of the house and collection to visitors over the years.

"He also helped develop a successful sandwich venture in the United States."

The fourth Earl of Sandwich is said to have come up with the idea of putting meat between two slices of bread while playing cards.

Lord Sandwich is survived by his three children and 10 grandchildren.