John Maude
Encyclopedia
John Cyril Maude KC
(3 April 1901 – 16 August 1986) was a British barrister and Conservative Party
politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1945 to 1951, and then became a judge.
and Winifred Emery
.
He was educated at Eton College
and Christ Church, Oxford
, and was called to the bar in 1925 at the Middle Temple
.
of Devizes
from 1939 to 1944, and of Plymouth
from 1944 to 1954. He became a King's Counsel in 1943, and a bencher
in 1951. He was Counsel to the Post Office at the Central Criminal Court
from 1935 to 1942, and junior counsel to the Treasury
from 1942 to 1942.
During the Second World War
, he served as a temporary Civil Assistant at the War Office
in 1939. In 1940 he joined the Military Intelligence Corps with the rank of Major
, and worked in the offices of the War Cabinet
in 1942.
He was elected at the 1945 general election
as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Exeter
. Having been selected as a candidate, he found that the election campaign clashed with his duties in a libel case at the High Court
, but his application to postpone the cases was refused by Justice Cassels.
Maude made his maiden speech
in the Commons on 17 October 1945, in a debate on housing. He spoke of the overcrowding caused by the destruction of 1,800 of the city's houses during the Baedeker Blitz
, and called for an end to the billeting of civil servants in private houses.
He voted in 1948 against the suspension of the death penalty, asserting that "the rope" and "the long drop" were feared terribly by criminals.
He was re-elected in 1950
,
doubling his majority
despite adverse boundary changes.
In April 1950, shortly after his re-election, he announced that he would stand down at the next election.
He retired from Parliament at the general election in October 1951
.
From 1954 to 1965 he was an additional judge at the City of London Court, and from 1965 to 1968 he was an additional judge at the Central Criminal Court.
He was chairman of the Old Vic
Trust from 1951 to 1954, and chairman of the British Drama League from 1952 to 1954.
.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(3 April 1901 – 16 August 1986) was a British barrister and 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. He sat in the House of Commons from 1945 to 1951, and then became a judge.
Early life
Maude was the son of the actors Cyril MaudeCyril Maude
Cyril Francis Maude was an English actor-manager.-Biography:Maude was born in London and educated at the Charterhouse School. In 1881, he was sent to Adelaide, South Australia, on the clipper ship City of Adelaide to regain his health...
and Winifred Emery
Winifred Emery
Winifred Emery , born Maud Isabel Emery, was an English actress and actor-manager of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She was the wife of the actor Cyril Maude....
.
He was educated at Eton College
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 Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, and was called to the bar in 1925 at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
.
Career
He was the RecorderRecorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
of Devizes
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
from 1939 to 1944, and of Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
from 1944 to 1954. He became a King's Counsel in 1943, and a bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
in 1951. He was Counsel to the Post Office at the Central Criminal Court
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
from 1935 to 1942, and junior counsel to the Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
from 1942 to 1942.
During the Second World War
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...
, he served as a temporary Civil Assistant at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
in 1939. In 1940 he joined the Military Intelligence Corps with the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, and worked in the offices of the War Cabinet
War Cabinet
A War Cabinet is a committee formed by a government in a time of war. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers. It is also quite common for a War Cabinet to have senior military officers and opposition politicians as members....
in 1942.
He was elected 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...
as 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 Exeter
Exeter (UK Parliament constituency)
Exeter is a borough 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....
. Having been selected as a candidate, he found that the election campaign clashed with his duties in a libel case at the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
, but his application to postpone the cases was refused by Justice Cassels.
Maude made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
in the Commons on 17 October 1945, in a debate on housing. He spoke of the overcrowding caused by the destruction of 1,800 of the city's houses during the Baedeker Blitz
Baedeker Blitz
The Baedeker Blitz or Baedeker raids were a series of Vergeltungsangriffe by the German air force on English cities in response to the bombing of the erstwhile Hanseatic League city of Lübeck during the night from 28 to 29 March 1942 during World War II.-Background:Lübeck was bombed on the night...
, and called for an end to the billeting of civil servants in private houses.
He voted in 1948 against the suspension of the death penalty, asserting that "the rope" and "the long drop" were feared terribly by criminals.
He was re-elected 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...
,
doubling his majority
despite adverse boundary changes.
In April 1950, shortly after his re-election, he announced that he would stand down at the next election.
He retired from Parliament at the general election in October 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...
.
From 1954 to 1965 he was an additional judge at the City of London Court, and from 1965 to 1968 he was an additional judge at the Central Criminal Court.
He was chairman of the Old Vic
Old Vic
The Old Vic is a theatre located just south-east of Waterloo Station in London on the corner of The Cut and Waterloo Road. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, it was taken over by Emma Cons in 1880 when it was known formally as the Royal Victoria Hall. In 1898, a niece of Cons, Lilian...
Trust from 1951 to 1954, and chairman of the British Drama League from 1952 to 1954.
Personal life
Maude married twice, firstly in 1927 to Rosamund Murray of Boston, Massachusetts. They divorced in 1955, and in the same year he married Maureen Buchanan, daughter of the Hon. Arthur Guinness and widow of the 4th Marquis of Dufferin and AvaBasil Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 4th Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
Basil Sheridan Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 4th Marquess of Dufferin and Ava DL , styled Earl of Ava until 1918, was a Conservative politician and soldier.-Early life and family:...
.