Wavell Wakefield, 1st Baron Wakefield of Kendal
Encyclopedia
William Wavell Wakefield, 1st Baron Wakefield of Kendal (10 March 1898 - 12 August 1983), known as Sir Wavell Wakefield between 1944 and 1963, was an English
rugby union
player for Harlequins and England
, President of the Rugby Football Union
and Conservative
politician.
, London
, the son of Roger William Wakefield. He was the brother of Sir Edward Wakefield, 1st Baronet, also a Conservative politician. His youngest brother, Roger Cuthbert Wakefield
, was an early British & Irish Lion, touring on the 1927 British Lions tour to Argentina
. He attended Sedbergh School
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
(now part of Cumbria
), leaving during the First World War to join the Royal Naval Air Service
.
rugby team and joined Harlequins. On 11 October 1919, he made his debut for Harlequins against Richmond
and he continued to play for the club for the next ten years. He occasionally played for other teams during this time, but Harlequins was always his main club. During his career with Harlequins, he appeared a total of 136 times, including 82 as captain, and he made his final appearance on 25 January 1930 against Cambridge University
. He scored 51 tries for the club, along with one penalty and 14 conversions. He was club captain in the seasons 1920/21, 1924/25 and 1927/28 to 1929/30.
In 1920, Wakefield made his England debut against Wales. He captained the Cambridge University team in 1922. In total, he appeared for England 31 times and was captain on 13 occasions. He led England to back-to-back Grand Slam
s. His final appearance for England was against France in April 1927. Through his career, Wakefield's influence on the game was pronounced. As an excellent all-round athlete he helped revolutionise the role of the back row forward. Prior to Wakefield their role was mainly static—pushing in the set scrum and winning the ball in loose scrums (or rucks, as they later became). Wakefield's athleticism enabled him to play a more dynamic role: pressuring the opposition half backs in defence and supporting the attacks of the three quarters, and these remain the prime responsibilities of the modern open side flank forward. Rugby historian Barry Bowker described Wakefield thus; "A complete footballer, he had all the attributes - strength, weight and speed - of a great forward. He was a master of the art of dribbling with pace, was up with his backs to share in an attack and took and gave passes well".
He remained involved in Rugby and was the RFU president in 1950. From 1950 to 1980 he was president of Harlequins. An all-round sportsman, Wakefield also became the president of the Ski Club of Great Britain
, the British Sub-Aqua Club and the British Water Ski Federation. In 1999 Wakefield was inducted as the first English member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame
.
radio company.
In 1935, he moved into politics, becoming Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Swindon
. At the 1945 general election
, he moved to St Marylebone
. He was knighted in 1944 and in 1963, upon retiring from Parliament, was raised to the peerage as Baron Wakefield of Kendal, of Kendal in the County of Westmorland. For many years he was an active member of the Conservative Monday Club
.
Apart from his sporting and political careers Wakefield was instrumental in the preservation of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway and Lake District Estates, being Director of the former company after the death of Midlands Stockbroker Colin Gilbert. Upon Wakefield's death, his daughter, The Hon. Mrs Joan Raynsford OBE, took over as the head director of the railway company. His other two daughters, the late Mrs Sheila Hensman OBE and Mrs Ruth Adorian OBE also became active directors.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player for Harlequins and England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, President of the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
and 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.
Background and education
Wakefield was born in BeckenhamBeckenham
Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles south east of Charing Cross and 1.75 miles west of Bromley town...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of Roger William Wakefield. He was the brother of Sir Edward Wakefield, 1st Baronet, also a Conservative politician. His youngest brother, Roger Cuthbert Wakefield
Roger Cuthbert Wakefield
Roger Cuthbert Wakefield CMG, OBE, FRICS was a prominent English surveyor, former director of the British Sudan Survey department, and an early twentieth century rugby union international who is known as one of the “lost lions” due to his participation on the 1927 British Lions tour to Argentina...
, was an early British & Irish Lion, touring on the 1927 British Lions tour to Argentina
1927 British Lions tour to Argentina
-Touring party:*Manager: James "Bim" Baxter-Results:-References:...
. He attended Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School is a boarding school in Sedbergh, Cumbria, for boys and girls aged 13 to 18. Nestled in the Howgill Fells, it is known for sporting sides, such as its Rugby Union 1st XV.-Background:...
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
(now part of Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
), leaving during the First World War to join the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
.
Rugby career
After the war Wakefield became the captain of the RAFRoyal 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...
rugby team and joined Harlequins. On 11 October 1919, he made his debut for Harlequins against Richmond
Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
and he continued to play for the club for the next ten years. He occasionally played for other teams during this time, but Harlequins was always his main club. During his career with Harlequins, he appeared a total of 136 times, including 82 as captain, and he made his final appearance on 25 January 1930 against Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. He scored 51 tries for the club, along with one penalty and 14 conversions. He was club captain in the seasons 1920/21, 1924/25 and 1927/28 to 1929/30.
In 1920, Wakefield made his England debut against Wales. He captained the Cambridge University team in 1922. In total, he appeared for England 31 times and was captain on 13 occasions. He led England to back-to-back Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
s. His final appearance for England was against France in April 1927. Through his career, Wakefield's influence on the game was pronounced. As an excellent all-round athlete he helped revolutionise the role of the back row forward. Prior to Wakefield their role was mainly static—pushing in the set scrum and winning the ball in loose scrums (or rucks, as they later became). Wakefield's athleticism enabled him to play a more dynamic role: pressuring the opposition half backs in defence and supporting the attacks of the three quarters, and these remain the prime responsibilities of the modern open side flank forward. Rugby historian Barry Bowker described Wakefield thus; "A complete footballer, he had all the attributes - strength, weight and speed - of a great forward. He was a master of the art of dribbling with pace, was up with his backs to share in an attack and took and gave passes well".
He remained involved in Rugby and was the RFU president in 1950. From 1950 to 1980 he was president of Harlequins. An all-round sportsman, Wakefield also became the president of the Ski Club of Great Britain
Ski Club of Great Britain
The Ski Club of Great Britain is a recreational snow sports club, founded on May 6, 1903. It is a not-for-profit organisation. The Ski Club was until the 1960s responsible for the British racing teams.-Respect the Mountain campaign:...
, the British Sub-Aqua Club and the British Water Ski Federation. In 1999 Wakefield was inducted as the first English member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame
International Rugby Hall of Fame
The International Rugby Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for rugby union. It was created in 1997 in New Zealand and is run as a charitable trust with an address at Chiswick in London. Most of the trustees are also inductees. IRHOF accepts new inductees every two years...
.
Business and political career
In 1931, Wakefield joined the RediffusionRediffusion
Rediffusion was a business which distributed radio and TV signals through wired relay networks. The business gave rise to a number of other companies, including Associated-Rediffusion, later known as Rediffusion London, one of the first companies to win a terrestrial ITV franchise in the UK...
radio company.
In 1935, he moved into politics, becoming 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...
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 Swindon
Swindon (UK Parliament constituency)
Swindon was a parliamentary constituency in the town of Swindon in Wiltshire, England.It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from the 1918 general election until it was abolished for the 1997 general election.It was then replaced by the...
. 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...
, he moved to St Marylebone
St Marylebone (UK Parliament constituency)
St Marylebone was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Marylebone district of Central London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. He was knighted in 1944 and in 1963, upon retiring from Parliament, was raised to the peerage as Baron Wakefield of Kendal, of Kendal in the County of Westmorland. For many years he was an active member of the Conservative Monday Club
Conservative Monday Club
The Conservative Monday Club is a British pressure group "on the right-wing" of the Conservative Party.-Overview:...
.
Apart from his sporting and political careers Wakefield was instrumental in the preservation of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway and Lake District Estates, being Director of the former company after the death of Midlands Stockbroker Colin Gilbert. Upon Wakefield's death, his daughter, The Hon. Mrs Joan Raynsford OBE, took over as the head director of the railway company. His other two daughters, the late Mrs Sheila Hensman OBE and Mrs Ruth Adorian OBE also became active directors.