Archibald James
Encyclopedia
Sir Archibald William Henry James (September 1893 – 5 May 1980) was a British
Conservative Party
politician and Air Force pioneer.
Born in Paddington
, London
, the son of H A James of Hurstmonceux Place, East Sussex
, he was educated at Eton
and Trinity College, Cambridge
.
He married twice, to Bridget Guthrie (1919) with whom he had one son David
and one daughter, and to Eugenia Stirling (1940) with whom he had two sons.
From 1914-1926 he served with the 3rd Hussars, the Royal Flying Corps
and the RAF, rising to the rank of Wing Commander
.
At the 1929 general election
, he stood as the Unionist
candidate in the marginal constituency of Wellingborough
in Northamptonshire
, but lost to Labour
's George Dallas
.
He stood again in Wellingborough at the 1931 general election
, when the Labour vote collapsed nationally after Labour Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald
split his party by forming a National Government
, and James won the seat on a swing of 16.6% of the vote.
He was narrowly re-elected at the 1935 general election
, when Dallas cut his majority to only 372 votes, and held the seat until 1945. In the Labour landslide at the 1945 general election
, he lost to Labour's George Lindgren
, who took the seat with a majority of 5,990.
Whilst in Parliament he held the following offices of state: PPS
to R A Butler at the India Office and Ministry of Labour ('36-'38), Board of Education ('42) and Honorary First Secretary to the British Embassy in Madrid ('40-'41).
After his stint in parliament, James moved to Southern Rhodesia
, where he owned land at Bita in the Marandellas
district. He died in Worthing
, West Sussex
aged 86.
His son David
followed in his footsteps as Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown 1959-1964 and for North Dorset 1970-1979.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and Air Force pioneer.
Born in Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of H A James of Hurstmonceux Place, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, he was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
.
He married twice, to Bridget Guthrie (1919) with whom he had one son David
David James (politician)
David Pelham James, MBE, DSC was a British Conservative Party politician, author and adventurer. Eldest son of Sir Archibald James and Bridget James Miller...
and one daughter, and to Eugenia Stirling (1940) with whom he had two sons.
From 1914-1926 he served with the 3rd Hussars, the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
and the RAF, rising to the rank of Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
.
At the 1929 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, he stood as the Unionist
Unionist
-United Kingdom:In the United Kingdom, British unionists are those people and political organisations who wish their area to remain or become part of the United Kingdom...
candidate in the marginal constituency of Wellingborough
Wellingborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Wellingborough is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, but lost to Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
's George Dallas
George Dallas (Labour politician)
George Dallas was a British Labour Party politician.Born in Glasgow, Dallas worked as a coal miner in his youth. He joined the Socialist League in about 1894 before moving to London to work for a coal merchant...
.
He stood again in Wellingborough at the 1931 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
, when the Labour vote collapsed nationally after Labour Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
split his party by forming a National Government
National Government 1931-1935
See also First National MinistryThe United Kingdom's National Government was composed of members of the following parties:*National Labour*Conservative Party*Liberal Party*Liberal Nationals...
, and James won the seat on a swing of 16.6% of the vote.
He was narrowly re-elected at the 1935 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1935
The United Kingdom general election held on 14 November 1935 resulted in a large, though reduced, majority for the National Government now led by Conservative Stanley Baldwin. The greatest number of MPs, as before, were Conservative, while the National Liberal vote held steady...
, when Dallas cut his majority to only 372 votes, and held the seat until 1945. In the Labour landslide at the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
, he lost to Labour's George Lindgren
George Lindgren, Baron Lindgren
George Samuel Lindgren, JP, DL was a British Labour Party politician.Born in Islington, London, at the 1935 general election, he was an unsuccessful candidate in the safe Conservative seat of Hitchin in Hertfordshire, coming a distant second with 36.7% of the votes.At the 1945 general election,...
, who took the seat with a majority of 5,990.
Whilst in Parliament he held the following offices of state: PPS
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to R A Butler at the India Office and Ministry of Labour ('36-'38), Board of Education ('42) and Honorary First Secretary to the British Embassy in Madrid ('40-'41).
After his stint in parliament, James moved to Southern Rhodesia
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, where he owned land at Bita in the Marandellas
Marondera
Marondera is a town in Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe, located about 72 km east of Harare; population 39,384...
district. He died in Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
aged 86.
His son David
David James (politician)
David Pelham James, MBE, DSC was a British Conservative Party politician, author and adventurer. Eldest son of Sir Archibald James and Bridget James Miller...
followed in his footsteps as Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown 1959-1964 and for North Dorset 1970-1979.