Percy Clive
Encyclopedia
Percy Archer Clive DSO
, DL
(13 March 1873 – 5 April 1918) was a British
army
officer and Liberal Unionist Party
politician.
Percy Clive was the eldest son of Charles Meysey Bolton Clive of Whitfield estate, Herefordshire, and Lady Katherine Feilding. He was educated at Eton
and Sandhurst
and entered the Grenadier Guards
as a second lieutenant in 1891. He was appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant
of Herefordshire
in December 1894,
and was attached to the Niger Field Force from 1897 to 1899 based in Lagos
, rising to the rank of captain. In May 1899 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
.
He was elected to the Commons as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Ross division
of Herefordshire
in the "khaki election" of 1900
, while fighting in the Second Boer War
. He did not return to England to take his seat until February 1902. In December 1903 he was appointed private parliamentary secretary to E G Pretyman
, Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty.
He was unseated at the 1906 general election
, which saw the Liberal Party
win a landslide victory. He returned to Parliament
at a by-election in January 1908, and remained Ross's MP until his death. Following a merger of the Unionist parties in 1912 he became a Conservative
.
He returned to the army in World War I and was wounded twice. Clive was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
, the Legion of Honour, and the Croix de Guerre
, and was twice Mentioned in Despatches. As Lieutenant-Colonel of the Grenadier Guards
he was killed in action when attached to the 1/5th Lancashire Fusiliers
, 5 April 1918 at Bucquoy
. Memorial services were held on 17 April at St Margaret's, Westminster and Hereford Cathedral
.
His elder son Major Meysey George Dallas Clive (1907–1943) was killed with the Grenadier Guards in North Africa on 1 May 1943. His younger son Lewis Clive
(1910–1938) won a gold medal for rowing at the 1932 Olympics and was a member of the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War, killed in action in August 1938.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, DL
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....
(13 March 1873 – 5 April 1918) was a British
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...
army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer and Liberal Unionist Party
Liberal Unionist Party
The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington and Joseph Chamberlain, the party formed a political alliance with the Conservative Party in opposition to Irish Home Rule...
politician.
Percy Clive was the eldest son of Charles Meysey Bolton Clive of Whitfield estate, Herefordshire, and Lady Katherine Feilding. He was educated at Eton
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 Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
and entered the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
as a second lieutenant in 1891. He was appointed as 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....
of Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
in December 1894,
and was attached to the Niger Field Force from 1897 to 1899 based in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, rising to the rank of captain. In May 1899 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
.
He was elected to the Commons 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 the Ross division
Ross (UK Parliament constituency)
Ross, or the Southern division of Herefordshire was a county constituency centred on the town of Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.The constituency was...
of Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
in the "khaki election" of 1900
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
, while fighting in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. He did not return to England to take his seat until February 1902. In December 1903 he was appointed private parliamentary secretary to E G Pretyman
Ernest George Pretyman
Ernest George Pretyman PC, JP, DL , known as E. G. Pretyman, was a British soldier and Conservative Party politician.-Background and education:...
, Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty.
He was unseated at the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
, which saw the Liberal Party
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...
win a landslide victory. He returned to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
at a by-election in January 1908, and remained Ross's MP until his death. Following a merger of the Unionist parties in 1912 he became 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...
.
He returned to the army in World War I and was wounded twice. Clive was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, the Legion of Honour, and the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
, and was twice Mentioned in Despatches. As Lieutenant-Colonel of the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
he was killed in action when attached to the 1/5th Lancashire Fusiliers
Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British infantry regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.- Formation and early history:...
, 5 April 1918 at Bucquoy
Bucquoy
Bucquoy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 12 miles south of Arras on the D919 road, at the junction with the D8.-Population:-Places of interest:...
. Memorial services were held on 17 April at St Margaret's, Westminster and Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral
The current Hereford Cathedral, located at Hereford in England, dates from 1079. Its most famous treasure is Mappa Mundi, a mediæval map of the world dating from the 13th century. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building.-Origins:...
.
His elder son Major Meysey George Dallas Clive (1907–1943) was killed with the Grenadier Guards in North Africa on 1 May 1943. His younger son Lewis Clive
Lewis Clive
Lewis Clive was a British rower who won a gold medal in the 1932 Summer Olympics. He was killed in action during the Spanish Civil War....
(1910–1938) won a gold medal for rowing at the 1932 Olympics and was a member of the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War, killed in action in August 1938.