John Rathbone
Encyclopedia
John Rankin Rathbone was a British
Conservative Party
politician. A fighter pilot with the Royal Air Force
, he was killed shortly after the Battle of Britain
.
From the 1935 general election
until his death, he was Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Bodmin constituency
in Cornwall
. After his death, his American-born wife Beatrice
was elected unopposed to succeed him as MP.
Rathbone was the nephew of Eleanor Rathbone
, who had been an independent MP for the Combined English Universities
between 1929 and 1946, and a staunch women's rights campaigner. He was a grandson of William Rathbone
, Liberal
MP for Liverpool and later Carnarvonshire.
His son, also called John Rankin Rathbone, but known as Tim Rathbone
, was the Conservative MP for Lewes
from 1974 to 1997.
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. A fighter pilot with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, he was killed shortly after the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
.
From 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...
until his death, he was 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 Bodmin constituency
Bodmin (UK Parliament constituency)
Bodmin was the name of a parliamentary constituency in Cornwall from 1295 until 1983. Initially, it was a parliamentary borough, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England and later the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until the 1868 general...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. After his death, his American-born wife Beatrice
Beatrice Wright
Beatrice Frederika Wright, Lady Wright, née Clough, later Rathbone was an American-born British politician....
was elected unopposed to succeed him as MP.
Rathbone was the nephew of Eleanor Rathbone
Eleanor Rathbone
Eleanor Florence Rathbone was an independent British Member of Parliament and long-term campaigner for women's rights. She was a member of the noted Rathbone family of Liverpool.-Life:...
, who had been an independent MP for the Combined English Universities
Combined English Universities (UK Parliament constituency)
Combined English Universities was a university constituency represented in the United Kingdom Parliament . It was formed by enfranchising and combining all the English Universities, except for Cambridge, Oxford and London, which were already separately represented.-Boundaries:This University...
between 1929 and 1946, and a staunch women's rights campaigner. He was a grandson of William Rathbone
William Rathbone VI
William Rathbone VI was an English merchant and businessman noted for his philanthropic and public work...
, Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
MP for Liverpool and later Carnarvonshire.
His son, also called John Rankin Rathbone, but known as Tim Rathbone
Tim Rathbone
John Rankin "Tim" Rathbone was the Conservative Member of Parliament for the seat of Lewes between 1974 and 1997....
, was the Conservative MP for Lewes
Lewes (UK Parliament constituency)
Lewes is a constituency located in East Sussex and centred on the town of Lewes. It is represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was a safe Conservative seat until 1997, but the Liberal Democrats have gained a strong foothold.-Boundaries:The constituency is...
from 1974 to 1997.