Harwood Harrison
Encyclopedia
Sir Harwood Harrison, 1st Baronet (6 June 1907 – 11 September 1980) was a British Conservative Party
politician. He was the Member of Parliament
(MP) for the constituency of Eye
in Suffolk
from 1951
to 1979
, having first contested it in 1950
.
Harrison was the eldest son of the Rev'd E W Harrison and E E Tribe of Bugbrooke
, Northamptonshire
where his family had owned land since the eighteenth century. The family home, Bugbrooke Hall, is now owned by the Jesus Army
. He was educated at Northampton Grammar School
and Trinity College, Oxford
and worked as a company director for a feeding-stuffs manufacturer. He served as an Ipswich
Borough Councillor from 1935–1946 and served during World War II
with The Suffolk Regiment, commanding the 4th Battalion. He was taken prisoner in Singapore
and spent time on the Burma Railway.
Harrison won Eye at the 1951 general election
, defeating Edgar Granville. He was Harold Macmillan
's Parliamentary Private Secretary
when Macmillan was Housing Secretary. He served as a Government Whip as a Lord of the Treasury
from 8 April 1956 to 16 January 1959, and Comptroller of the Household
between 1959 and 1961. He subsequently chaired backbench Conservative committees. He was created a Baronet on 6 July 1961.
On his retirement as MP for Eye at the 1979 general election
, the seat was contested by another Conservative, John Gummer
, elected with a majority of 27%. The seat was abolished at 1983 general election
and was divided up into the three new seats: Suffolk Coastal
, Central Suffolk
and Waveney
, all of which returned Conservative candidates. Gummer was elected Member of Parliament for Suffolk Coastal, Michael Lord
for Central Suffolk and James Prior for Waveney.
He married Peggy Stenhouse, daughter of Lt Col V D Stenhouse in 1932 and had two children, Sir Michael James Harwood Harrison, 2nd Baronet and Joanna Kathleen Sanders.
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. He was the 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 the constituency of Eye
Eye (UK Parliament constituency)
Eye was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote system of election...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
from 1951
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
to 1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
, having first contested it in 1950
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...
.
Harrison was the eldest son of the Rev'd E W Harrison and E E Tribe of Bugbrooke
Bugbrooke
Bugbrooke is a large village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England, on a ridge overlooking the valley of the River Nene.-Location:It is about south west of Northampton...
, 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,...
where his family had owned land since the eighteenth century. The family home, Bugbrooke Hall, is now owned by the Jesus Army
Jesus Army
The Jesus Army is the identity that the Jesus Fellowship Church uses in its outreach and street-based work. It is a neocharismatic evangelical Christian movement based in the United Kingdom, that is part of the British New Church Movement....
. He was educated at Northampton Grammar School
Northampton School For Boys
Northampton School for Boys is a secondary school in Northampton, England.- Foundation and History :The school was originally founded in 1541 by mayor Thomas Chipsey, as the town's free boys grammar school. In 1557, the school moved to St. Gregory's church, which was adapted for its use...
and Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
and worked as a company director for a feeding-stuffs manufacturer. He served as an Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
Borough Councillor from 1935–1946 and served during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
with The Suffolk Regiment, commanding the 4th Battalion. He was taken prisoner in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and spent time on the Burma Railway.
Harrison won Eye at the 1951 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
, defeating Edgar Granville. He was Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
's Parliamentary Private Secretary
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...
when Macmillan was Housing Secretary. He served as a Government Whip as a Lord of the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
from 8 April 1956 to 16 January 1959, and Comptroller of the Household
Comptroller of the Household
The Comptroller of the Household is an ancient position in the English royal household, currently the second-ranking member of the Lord Steward's department, and often a cabinet member. He was an ex officio member of the Board of Green Cloth, until that body was abolished in the reform of the local...
between 1959 and 1961. He subsequently chaired backbench Conservative committees. He was created a Baronet on 6 July 1961.
On his retirement as MP for Eye at the 1979 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
, the seat was contested by another Conservative, John Gummer
John Gummer
John Selwyn Gummer, Baron Deben, PC is a British Conservative Party politician, formerly Member of Parliament for Suffolk Coastal, now a member of the House of Lords. He is Chairman of the environmental consultancy company Sancroft International and Chairman of Veolia Water...
, elected with a majority of 27%. The seat was abolished at 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
and was divided up into the three new seats: Suffolk Coastal
Suffolk Coastal (UK Parliament constituency)
Suffolk Coastal 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.This East Anglian constituency was created in 1983....
, Central Suffolk
Suffolk Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Central Suffolk was a county constituency in the county of Suffolk. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
and Waveney
Waveney (UK Parliament constituency)
Waveney 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.-Boundaries:...
, all of which returned Conservative candidates. Gummer was elected Member of Parliament for Suffolk Coastal, Michael Lord
Michael Lord
Michael Nicholson Lord, Baron Framlingham is a British politician, and was Conservative Member of Parliament for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich between 1997 and 2010...
for Central Suffolk and James Prior for Waveney.
He married Peggy Stenhouse, daughter of Lt Col V D Stenhouse in 1932 and had two children, Sir Michael James Harwood Harrison, 2nd Baronet and Joanna Kathleen Sanders.