Edwin Leather
Encyclopedia
Sir Edwin Hartley Cameron "Ted" Leather, KCMG
, KCVO
(22 May 1919 – 5 April 2005) was a Conservative
politician in the United Kingdom, and Governor of Bermuda
.
, Canada
. He was educated at Trinity College School
, Port Hope
. He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada
in Kingston, Ontario
in 1937.
. He wrote a manual for the Home Guard called "Combat without Weapons". He worked as an insurance broker in England and was secretary of the Central London branch of the Association of Supervisory Staff, Executives and Technicians
.
At the 1945 general election
Leather stood without success in the Bristol South constituency, but at the 1950 general election
he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for North Somerset
. He was a backbencher
throughout the period of Conservative governments from 1951–1964. He supported the Unions, and held office in the Association of Supervisory Staff, Executives and Technicians and supported the miners.
Leather never held political office but was a popular speaker at Party Conference and other events, as well as on radio and television. He was a One Nation
Tory; he forcefully opposed racism and supported the European Union.
Leather was proposed for knighthood but, still a Canadian citizen, required the support of the Canadian government which had not made any honour recommendation for some years; Prime Minister John Diefenbaker
declined to support the recommendation. He was eventually knighted in 1962 when he was made a Knight bachelor, having taken British citizenship. He quit Westminster in 1964 because of illness. Poor health and the low pay for MPs forced Leather to retire from Parliament at the 1964 general election
and enter business. He returned to the political scene a few years later, as vice-chairman of the National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations
, taking a leading role in fund raising and at Party Conference. In 1973, following the murder of Sir Richard Sharples
, Leather was appointed Governor of Bermuda
. Despite the assassination of his predecessor and an aide, he lived informally and mixed with locals; he continued to live in Bermuda after his retirement in 1977. He got in trouble with the chief of police for recklessly riding his bicycle on the island of Bermuda. He became the local representative of N M Rothschild & Sons
and wrote several thrillers. As Governor, his nickname was "Imperial Leather", a pun on his surname, position and the famous brand of soap
.
He was appointed KCMG in 1974 and in 1975 became the first Canadian to be appointed KCVO
since the future 1st Lord Shaughnessy in 1907. Leather was an active freemason and an Anglican lay reader
. During his time as Governor of Bermuda, Sir Edwin made a significant effort to include a number of influential Bermudians as part of the vice-regal household. Among them were Rev. Thomas N. Nisbett, Bermuda's first Black Anglican priest (later Canon Thomas Nisbett
), and Major Eugene Raynor, who became Colonel and Commanding Officer of the Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda's armed forces.
He was an accomplished gymnast and founded the International Sports Fellowship.
scheme in Canada. He would go on to become Chairman of the Canadian Red Cross Society.
See also Nickle Resolution.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(22 May 1919 – 5 April 2005) was a Conservative
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 in the United Kingdom, and Governor of Bermuda
Governor of Bermuda
The Governor of Bermuda is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Bermuda. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government...
.
Education
Sir Edwin H. C. Leather was born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was educated at Trinity College School
Trinity College School
Trinity College School is a coeducational, independent boarding/day school located in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. TCS was founded on May 1, 1865, more than 2 years prior to Canadian Confederation. It includes a Senior School for grades 9 to 12 and a Junior School for grades 5 to 8.Among its...
, Port Hope
Port Hope
Port Hope mar refer to:*Port Hope, Michigan, U.S.*Port Hope, Ontario, Canada**Port Hope Aerodrome**Port Hope Conference**Port Hope Panthers**Port Hope railway station**Port Hope Transit...
. He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
in 1937.
Career
During the Second World War, Captain Leather served with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Canadian Army in England and Europe. He was badly injured in a practice jump when his parachute failed to open. He rejoined his Battalion for D-day. He served in Europe during World War II with the Toronto Scottish and Royal Canadian ArtilleryRoyal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery is the artillery personnel branch of the Canadian Forces .-History:...
. He wrote a manual for the Home Guard called "Combat without Weapons". He worked as an insurance broker in England and was secretary of the Central London branch of the Association of Supervisory Staff, Executives and Technicians
Association of Supervisory Staff, Executives and Technicians
The Association of Supervisory Staff, Executives and Technicians , was a British trade union, chiefly representing supervisors in the metal working and transport industries...
.
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...
Leather stood without success in the Bristol South constituency, but at the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for North Somerset
North Somerset (UK Parliament constituency)
North Somerset 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...
. He was a backbencher
Backbencher
In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...
throughout the period of Conservative governments from 1951–1964. He supported the Unions, and held office in the Association of Supervisory Staff, Executives and Technicians and supported the miners.
Leather never held political office but was a popular speaker at Party Conference and other events, as well as on radio and television. He was a One Nation
One Nation Conservatism
One nation, one nation conservatism, and Tory democracy are terms used in political debate in the United Kingdom to refer to a certain wing of the Conservative Party...
Tory; he forcefully opposed racism and supported the European Union.
Leather was proposed for knighthood but, still a Canadian citizen, required the support of the Canadian government which had not made any honour recommendation for some years; Prime Minister John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
declined to support the recommendation. He was eventually knighted in 1962 when he was made a Knight bachelor, having taken British citizenship. He quit Westminster in 1964 because of illness. Poor health and the low pay for MPs forced Leather to retire from Parliament at the 1964 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
and enter business. He returned to the political scene a few years later, as vice-chairman of the National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations
National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations
The National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations was a federation of the voluntary wing of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom....
, taking a leading role in fund raising and at Party Conference. In 1973, following the murder of Sir Richard Sharples
Richard Sharples
Major Sir Richard Christopher Sharples KCMG OBE MC , St. George, Bermuda) was a British politician and Governor of Bermuda from late 1972 to 10 March 1973 when he was shot dead by assassins linked to the militant Black Beret Cadre, a small Bermudian Black Power group.-Career:Sharples passed out...
, Leather was appointed Governor of Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. Despite the assassination of his predecessor and an aide, he lived informally and mixed with locals; he continued to live in Bermuda after his retirement in 1977. He got in trouble with the chief of police for recklessly riding his bicycle on the island of Bermuda. He became the local representative of N M Rothschild & Sons
N M Rothschild & Sons
N M Rothschild & Sons is a private investment banking company, belonging to the Rothschild family...
and wrote several thrillers. As Governor, his nickname was "Imperial Leather", a pun on his surname, position and the famous brand of soap
Imperial Leather
Imperial Leather is a brand of soaps, toiletries and healthcare products manufactured by PZ Cussons. The brand originates in Britain and is now available in a number of other countries including Australia, Denmark, Germany , Pakistan, India, Kenya, South Africa, iran and Dubai...
.
He was appointed KCMG in 1974 and in 1975 became the first Canadian to be appointed KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
since the future 1st Lord Shaughnessy in 1907. Leather was an active freemason and an Anglican lay reader
Lay Reader
A lay reader is a layperson authorized by a bishop of the Anglican Church to read some parts of a service of worship. They are members of the congregation called to preach or lead services, but not called to full-time ministry.Anglican lay readers are licensed by the bishop to a particular parish...
. During his time as Governor of Bermuda, Sir Edwin made a significant effort to include a number of influential Bermudians as part of the vice-regal household. Among them were Rev. Thomas N. Nisbett, Bermuda's first Black Anglican priest (later Canon Thomas Nisbett
Thomas Norman Nisbett
Rev. Canon Thomas N. Nisbett, OBE is a carpenter/cabinet maker/house builder and Anglican priest. Born in North Village, Pembroke, Bermuda, he was the first Black Anglican priest of the Anglican Church of Bermuda....
), and Major Eugene Raynor, who became Colonel and Commanding Officer of the Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda's armed forces.
He was an accomplished gymnast and founded the International Sports Fellowship.
Family
Edwin Leather's parents were Harold and Grace Leather. Leather married Sheila Greenlees in 1940; they had two daughters. Leather's home was Park House, Batheaston. During the First World War Harold Leather served in East Africa with the Army Service Corps, finishing the war as a Lieutenant. Upon his return to Canada he established Leather Cartage in Hamilton Ontario. During the Second World War Harold was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (1943) for his work in coordinating the Red Cross parcelRed Cross parcel
Red Cross parcel usually refers to packages containing mostly food, tobacco and personal hygiene items sent by the International Association of the Red Cross to prisoners of war during the First and Second World Wars, as well as at other times. It can also refer to medical parcels and so-called...
scheme in Canada. He would go on to become Chairman of the Canadian Red Cross Society.
Publications
- Sir Edwin Leather monograph, 'Memorandum on a Choice of Countries', 1943.
- Sir Edwin Leather 'Human Nature and the Profit Motive', ts. draft for book begun 12 April 1943. The novel features the character, Rupert Conway, of Leather's previous three novels.
- Sir Edwin Leather 'Combat without Weapons', handbook, Aldershot: Gale & PoldenGale & PoldenGale and Polden was a British printer and publisher. Founded in Brompton, near Chatham, Kent in 1868, the business subsequently moved to Aldershot, where they were based until closure in November 1981 after the company had been bought by media mogul Robert Maxwell.-Early years:The firm of Gale and...
, 1942
See also Nickle Resolution.
Books
- Preston, Adrian & Dennis, Peter (eds.) (1976) Swords and Covenants. Totowa: Rowman and Littlefield (#4237)
- Preston, Richard Arthur (1969) To Serve Canada: a History of the Royal Military College of Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto Press is Canada's leading scholarly publisher and one of the largest university presses in North America. Founded in 1901, UTP has published over 6,500 books, with well over 3,500 of these still in print....
(#H16511)- Preston, Richard Arthur (1982) Canada's RMC: a History of Royal Military College; 2nd ed. (#H16511)
- Preston, Richard Arthur (1968) R.M.C. and Kingston: the effect of imperial and military influences on a Canadian community. Kingston, Ontario (#H16511)
- Smith, R. Guy C. (ed.) (1984) As You Were! Ex-Cadets Remember. 2 vols. Volume I: 1876–1918. Volume II: 1919–1984. Kingston, Ont.: RMCRoyal Military College of CanadaThe Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
; The R.M.C. Club of Canada (#H1877)