Abraham Montagu Lyons
Encyclopedia
Abraham Montagu Lyons was an English
lawyer
, judge
, politician
and author who served as a Conservative
member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
for Leicester East (UK Parliament constituency)
, and as Recorder
of Great Grimsby.
, Nottinghamshire
. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on 23 October 1914.
to the Middle Temple
on 28 June 1922, at which time he was a solicitor
living in West Bridgford; became "leader" of the Midland circuit, and "took silk
" in 1933. In 1936 he was appointed Recorder of Great Grimsby He was said to have been one of the few Jewish
judges in 1930s England to take an active role in the Jewish community.
, unseating Labour
incumbent Edward Frank Wise
. He was re-elected in the 1935 election
, but was defeated in the postwar election of 1945
by Labourite Terence Norbert Donovan
.
and appointed to the command of the No. 910 (County of Essex) Balloon Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force
. He is referred to in Hansard
as "Major Lyons" but in his last appearance in that record (April 12, 1945) is referred to as "Colonel Lyons"; the latter may have been a brevet
commission.
.
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...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, politician
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and author who served as 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...
member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
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...
for Leicester East (UK Parliament constituency)
Leicester East (UK Parliament constituency)
- Elections in the 2000s :In 2005 this seat bucked the national trend as there was a swing to Labour whereas the national swing was 2.5% to the Conservatives.- Elections in the 1990s :- Elections in the 1970s :...
, and as Recorder
Recorder (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 Great Grimsby.
Background
Lyons was the only son of Rabinovitch Lyons of West BridgfordWest Bridgford
West Bridgford is a town in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of the city of Nottingham, delimited by the River Trent; this proximity means that it forms a continuous urban area with Nottingham, effectively makes West Bridgford a suburb of the city, and...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on 23 October 1914.
Legal career
Lyons was calledCall to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
to 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...
on 28 June 1922, at which time he was a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
living in West Bridgford; became "leader" of the Midland circuit, and "took silk
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...
" in 1933. In 1936 he was appointed Recorder of Great Grimsby He was said to have been one of the few Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
judges in 1930s England to take an active role in the Jewish community.
Service in Parliament
Lyons was elected in the 1931 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
, unseating Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
incumbent Edward Frank Wise
Edward Frank Wise
.Edward Frank Wise was a Labour Member of Parliament from Leicester East. He entered Parliament on 30 May 1929, having defeated Tory incumbent John Loder in the United Kingdom general election, 1929; and left Parliament on 7 October 1931 as a result of the subsequent general election, when he was...
. He was re-elected in the 1935 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...
, but was defeated in the postwar election of 1945
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...
by Labourite Terence Norbert Donovan
Terence Donovan, Baron Donovan
Terence Norbert Donovan, Baron Donovan PC was a British Labour Party politician, and later a judge.Born in West Ham, London, Donovan came to office in the Labour landslide in the 1945 general election. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Leicester East...
.
Writings
He was the author of The Law and Procedure Relating to Bastardy Orders (London: Stevens and Sons, 1923) and (with S.W. Magnus) of Advertisement Control (Leigh-on-Sea: Thames Bank, 1949), a commentary on the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, and on the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations, 1948.World War II service
On 5 July 1938, he was granted a commission as Squadron LeaderSquadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
and appointed to the command of the No. 910 (County of Essex) Balloon Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force
Royal Auxiliary Air Force
The Royal Auxiliary Air Force , originally the Auxiliary Air Force , is the voluntary active duty reserve element of the Royal Air Force, providing a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service...
. He is referred to in Hansard
Hansard
Hansard is the name of the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard, an early printer and publisher of these transcripts.-Origins:...
as "Major Lyons" but in his last appearance in that record (April 12, 1945) is referred to as "Colonel Lyons"; the latter may have been a brevet
Brevet
Brevet may refer to:* Brevet , a temporary authorization for a person to hold a higher rank* Brevet , a long-distance bicycle ride with check-point controls* Aircrew brevet, a Royal Air Force and British Army badge...
commission.
Later years
From 1959-1960 he served as Master of the Livery for the Worshipful Company of PattenmakersWorshipful Company of Pattenmakers
The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Pattenmakers, who were incorporated by Royal Charter in 1670, were makers of wooden-soled overshoes. Pattens were helpful in walking through the muddy streets of London. However, with the advent of...
.