Christopher Sykes (MP)
Encyclopedia
Sir Christopher Sykes was an English Conservative
politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1892. He was a friend of Edward VII
as Prince of Wales
.
Sykes was the second son of Sir Tatton Sykes, 4th Baronet
and his wife Mary Ann Foulis, daughter of Sir William Foulis, 7th Baronet. His father was a popular horse breeder who bred bloodstock; however, he was an authoritarian father who bullied his children. Sykes was educated at Rugby School
and Trinity College, Cambridge
. He began mixing with London's great and good and became a connoisseur
of books, china and furniture. He was a Deputy Lieutenant
and J.P.
for the East Riding of Yorkshire.
At the 1865 general election
Sykes was elected Conservative Member of Parliament
(MP) for Beverley
. At the 1868 general election
he was elected MP for the East Riding of Yorkshire
. He held this seat until 1885, when it was divided under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
, and was then elected for Buckrose
, one of the constituencies into which his previous constituency had been divided. He held the seat until 1892. Between 1868 and 1892, he made only six speeches, and did not speak on any particular issue except in favour of a bill for the preservation of seabirds
, earning him the nickname Gull's Friend. He was considered to be the basis for the character "Mr Brauncepath" in Lothair
the novel by Benjamin Disraeli. He was honoured with the Order of St. Lazarus of Belgium in 1879.
Sykes became a close friend of Edward VII as Prince of Wales
. The Prince was entertained in great splendour at Brantingham Thorpe, Sykes' country house in Yorkshire, during the Doncaster Races, and at his London home in Berkeley Square. The Prince exploited his friend and subjected him to humiliations, for example, on one occasion, poured a decanter
of brandy over his head.
However, Sykes's lavish entertainment of the Marlborough House Set soon put a strain on his finances. Nearly bankrupted in 1890, Sykes was forced to sell both Brantingham Thorpe and his London home. At a general election two years later, he lost his parliamentary seat. Despite this, the Prince of Wales never forgot his devoted friend, and after Sykes' death in 1898, he installed a tablet to his memory at Westminster Abbey
.
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 who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1892. He was a friend of Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
as Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
.
Sykes was the second son of Sir Tatton Sykes, 4th Baronet
Sykes family of Sledmere
The Sykes family of Sledmere own Sledmere House in Yorkshire, England.-Family history:The Sykes family settled in Sykes Dyke near Carlisle in Cumberland during the Middle Ages. The earliest correspondence in the Sykes archives relates to Richard Sykes , from his factors in Danzig and local gentry...
and his wife Mary Ann Foulis, daughter of Sir William Foulis, 7th Baronet. His father was a popular horse breeder who bred bloodstock; however, he was an authoritarian father who bullied his children. Sykes was educated at Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
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 began mixing with London's great and good and became a connoisseur
Connoisseur
A connoisseur is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts, cuisines, or an expert judge in matters of taste.Modern connoisseurship must be seen along with museums, art galleries and "the cult of originality"...
of books, china and furniture. He was a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
and J.P.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for the East Riding of Yorkshire.
At the 1865 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1865
The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...
Sykes was elected Conservative Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Beverley
Beverley (UK Parliament constituency)
Beverley has been the name of a parliamentary constituency in the East Riding of Yorkshire for three separate periods. From medieval times until 1869, it was a parliamentary borough, consisting solely of the market town of Beverley, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons...
. At the 1868 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1868
The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom...
he was elected MP for the East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
East Riding of Yorkshire was a parliamentary constituency in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. He held this seat until 1885, when it was divided under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, in an attempt to equalise representation across...
, and was then elected for Buckrose
Buckrose (UK Parliament constituency)
Buckrose was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a county constituency comprising the northern part of the East Riding of Yorkshire, represented by one Member of Parliament, and was created for the 1885 general election.It was redefined in...
, one of the constituencies into which his previous constituency had been divided. He held the seat until 1892. Between 1868 and 1892, he made only six speeches, and did not speak on any particular issue except in favour of a bill for the preservation of seabirds
Sea Birds Preservation Act 1869
The Sea Birds Preservation Act 1869 was an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It was the first Act to protect wild birds in that country.-History:...
, earning him the nickname Gull's Friend. He was considered to be the basis for the character "Mr Brauncepath" in Lothair
Lothair (novel)
Lothair was the first novel written by Benjamin Disraeli after his first term as Prime Minister. It deals with the comparative merits of the Catholic and Anglican churches as heirs of Judaism, and with the topical question of Italian unification...
the novel by Benjamin Disraeli. He was honoured with the Order of St. Lazarus of Belgium in 1879.
Sykes became a close friend of Edward VII as Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
. The Prince was entertained in great splendour at Brantingham Thorpe, Sykes' country house in Yorkshire, during the Doncaster Races, and at his London home in Berkeley Square. The Prince exploited his friend and subjected him to humiliations, for example, on one occasion, poured a decanter
Decanter
A decanter is a vessel that is used to hold the decantation of a liquid which may contain sediment. Decanters are normally used as serving vessels for wine. Decanters vary in shape and design. They are usually made of an inert material and will hold at least one standard bottle of wine...
of brandy over his head.
However, Sykes's lavish entertainment of the Marlborough House Set soon put a strain on his finances. Nearly bankrupted in 1890, Sykes was forced to sell both Brantingham Thorpe and his London home. At a general election two years later, he lost his parliamentary seat. Despite this, the Prince of Wales never forgot his devoted friend, and after Sykes' death in 1898, he installed a tablet to his memory at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
.