Aidan Crawley
Encyclopedia
Aidan Merivale Crawley, MBE
(10 April 1908 Benenden
, Kent – 3 November 1993 Banbury
, Oxfordshire
) was a British journalist, television executive and editor, and politician. He was a member of both of Britain's major political parties: the Labour Party
and Conservative Party
, and was elected to the House of Commons
as a Labour MP from 1945 to 1951, and as a Conservative MP from 1962 to 1967.
, a famous independent school
in Harrow on the Hill in north-west London, followed by Trinity College
at the University of Oxford in Oxford
. He played cricket for Oxford University Cricket Club
and Kent
.
games after the Second World War, while a sitting MP. He was also a prisoner of war.
He was Labour Member of Parliament for Buckingham
from 1945 to 1951, when he lost to the Conservative
candidate Frank Markham
, himself an ex-Labour MP.
In 1955, he was the first editor-in-chief of Independent Television News
and was responsible for introducing American-style newscasters to British media and pledged to transform television's attitudes to politicians. He left ITN after a row when the company tried to trim down the news operations and rejoined the BBC
.
In 1962, he was elected to Parliament
as a Conservative, winning the by-election
in West Derbyshire
. He held the seat through two general elections, before resigning in 1967 to become Chairman of London Weekend Television
where he remained until 1973. He became President of the M.C.C.
in 1972.
Crawley authored several books, including biographies of Konrad Adenauer
and Charles De Gaulle
.
Aidan Crawley was Under-Secretary of State for Air
in Clement Attlee's Labour Government; in the 1960s he was Conservative MP for West Derbyshire, and finally, from 1969 to 1973, chairman of London Weekend Television
, Somerset. Stafford Crawley was the brother-in-law of the Earl of Cavan
who was first married to his sister Caroline Inez Crawley (dsp 1920). His own wife Nancy was related to the Lords Wraxall, of Tyntesfield and the Lords Aldenham
and Hunsdon
. Stafford Crawley was chaplain to the Archbishop at Bishopthorpe and later Canon of St George's Chapel, Windsor
. The Crawleys had three sons and two daughters, of whom Aidan was the middle son. A daughter Anstice, Lady Goodman (see below), was also prominent in public life.
-6 September 1983 near Biarritz
in a car crash), daughter of the controversial society doctor, Edward Spencer Cowles MD. with whom he had 3 children.
However, Crawley suffered several tragedies. His wife died in 1983 in a road accident in France. Five years later, he lost both his sons in a plane crash (they were travelling together to their sister's 40th birthday party), leaving young children and widows who were seven months pregnant. He then lost heavily in the Lloyds crash and at the time of his death, Crawley was virtually penniless.
He was survived by his daughter Harriet, his two widowed daughters-in-law and six grandchildren (two children from his elder son Andrew, three from his younger son Randall, and one from his daughter).
Children:
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(10 April 1908 Benenden
Benenden
Benenden is a village and civil parish in the Tunbridge Wells District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the Weald six miles to the west of Tenterden...
, Kent – 3 November 1993 Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
) was a British journalist, television executive and editor, and politician. He was a member of both of Britain's major political parties: the Labour Party
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...
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...
, and was elected to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
as a Labour MP from 1945 to 1951, and as a Conservative MP from 1962 to 1967.
Education
Crawley was educated at Harrow SchoolHarrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, a famous independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in Harrow on the Hill in north-west London, followed by Trinity College
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
at the University of Oxford in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. He played cricket for Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
.
Life and career
The bulk of Crawley's career was in the late 1920s and early 1930s, but he played a few first-classFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
games after the Second World War, while a sitting MP. He was also a prisoner of war.
He was Labour Member of Parliament for Buckingham
Buckingham (UK Parliament constituency)
Buckingham is a parliamentary 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.-Boundaries:...
from 1945 to 1951, when he lost to the 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...
candidate Frank Markham
Frank Markham
Sir Sydney Frank Markham was a British politician, who represented three parties in Parliament.He was elected as a Labour MP at the 1929 general election as MP for Chatham, and defected with Ramsay MacDonald to become a National Labour MP just before standing down at the 1931 general election...
, himself an ex-Labour MP.
In 1955, he was the first editor-in-chief of Independent Television News
Independent Television News
ITN is a news and content provider with headquarters in the United Kingdom. It is made up of four key businesses: ITN News, ITN Source, ITN Productions and ITN Consulting. The ITN logotype can be displayed in any of 4 different colours, each of which represents a business unit. This is the...
and was responsible for introducing American-style newscasters to British media and pledged to transform television's attitudes to politicians. He left ITN after a row when the company tried to trim down the news operations and rejoined the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
In 1962, he was elected 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...
as a Conservative, winning the by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in West Derbyshire
West Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)
West Derbyshire was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. From 1885 until it was replaced by the Derbyshire Dales constituency in the 2010 General Election, it elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.It...
. He held the seat through two general elections, before resigning in 1967 to become Chairman of London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
where he remained until 1973. He became President of the M.C.C.
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
in 1972.
Crawley authored several books, including biographies of Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
and Charles De Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
.
- De Gaulle: A Biography (London: Collins, 1969)
- Escape from Germany 1939-1945
- Spoils of the War: The Rise of Western Germany 1945-1972
- Patterns of Government in Africa
- Leap before you look: a memoir, 1988.
Aidan Crawley was Under-Secretary of State for Air
Under-Secretary of State for Air
The Under-Secretary of State for Air was a junior ministerial post in the United Kingdom Government, supporting the Secretary of State for Air in his role of managing the Royal Air Force....
in Clement Attlee's Labour Government; in the 1960s he was Conservative MP for West Derbyshire, and finally, from 1969 to 1973, chairman of London Weekend Television
Family
Aidan Crawley was the second son (of three sons and two daughters) of the Rev. (Arthur) Stafford Crawley, Canon of Windsor, himself the youngest son of a successful railway contractor, George Baden Crawley (1833–1879), and his wife Inez, who married as her second husband Rear-Admiral JE Pringle. His mother was the former Anstice Katherine Gibbs (usually known as Nancy), sixth of the ten children of Antony and Janet Gibbs of TyntesfieldTyntesfield
Tyntesfield is a Victorian Gothic Revival estate near Wraxall, North Somerset, England, near Nailsea, seven miles from Bristol.The house was acquired by the National Trust in June 2002 after a fund raising campaign to prevent it being sold to private interests and ensure it be opened to the public...
, Somerset. Stafford Crawley was the brother-in-law of the Earl of Cavan
Earl of Cavan
Earl of Cavan is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1647 for Charles Lambart, 2nd Baron Lambart. He was made Viscount Kilcoursie, in the King's County, at the same time, also in the Peerage of Ireland...
who was first married to his sister Caroline Inez Crawley (dsp 1920). His own wife Nancy was related to the Lords Wraxall, of Tyntesfield and the Lords Aldenham
Baron Aldenham
Baron Aldenham, of Aldenham in the County of Hertford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was created on 31 January 1896 for the businessman Hucks Gibbs. He was head of the family firm of Antony Gibbs & Sons and a director and Governor of the Bank of England...
and Hunsdon
Baron Hunsdon
Baron Hunsdon is a title that has been created twice. It was first created in 1559 in the Peerage of England for the soldier and courtier Henry Carey. His grandson, the fourth Baron, was created Viscount Rochford in 1621 and Earl of Dover, in the County of Kent, in 1628. These titles were also in...
. Stafford Crawley was chaplain to the Archbishop at Bishopthorpe and later Canon of St George's Chapel, Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
. The Crawleys had three sons and two daughters, of whom Aidan was the middle son. A daughter Anstice, Lady Goodman (see below), was also prominent in public life.
Marriage and issue
In 1945, he married the sometime war correspondent (Harriet) Virginia Spencer Cowles OBE (24 August 1910 Brattleboro, VermontVermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
-6 September 1983 near Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
in a car crash), daughter of the controversial society doctor, Edward Spencer Cowles MD. with whom he had 3 children.
However, Crawley suffered several tragedies. His wife died in 1983 in a road accident in France. Five years later, he lost both his sons in a plane crash (they were travelling together to their sister's 40th birthday party), leaving young children and widows who were seven months pregnant. He then lost heavily in the Lloyds crash and at the time of his death, Crawley was virtually penniless.
He was survived by his daughter Harriet, his two widowed daughters-in-law and six grandchildren (two children from his elder son Andrew, three from his younger son Randall, and one from his daughter).
Children:
- Andrew Hayward Crawley (1947-11 September 1988); md 1986 Sarah Lawrence, and had issue, one son and a posthumous daughter. Andrew and Randall were killed when their private plane hit a mountain on the way to their sister's 40th birthday party.
- Randall Stafford Crawley (14 July 1950 - 10 September 1988 Italy), who was married 3 November 1982 to Marita Georgina PhillipsMarita CrawleyMarita Georgina Phillips , a British songwriter and playwright, was born the third daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips and his wife, Georgina Wernher, who was the elder daughter and co-heiress of Sir Harold Wernher, 3rd Bt, by his wife Countess Anastasia de Torby...
, now Mrs Andrew Knight (b. 28 May 1954), third daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips, by his wife Georgina Wernher, and sister of the Duchess of AbercornAlexandra Hamilton, Duchess of AbercornAlexandra Anastasia "Sacha" Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn OBE is the wife of James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn....
and the Duchess of WestminsterNatalia Grosvenor, Duchess of WestminsterNatalia Ayesha Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster is the wife of Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster.The Duchess of Westminster is the younger daughter of Lt.-Col. Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips and his wife, Georgina Wernher. Her elder sister is Alexandra, Duchess of Abercorn...
. Randall left issue, two sons (the younger Galen born after his death, and godson of HRH The Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
) and a daughter. His widow Marita, recently remarried in 2006 Andrew KnightAndrew KnightAndrew Stephen Bower Knight is a journalist, editor, and director of News Corporation.-Career:He joined The Economist Magazine in 1966 on the international business and investment sections...
(b. 1939), former journalist and editor. - Harriet Spencer Crawley (b. 1948), a successful author and former television presenter of "Collecting Now", married firstly Gleb Chestekov in 1993. She married 2ndly circa 2001 Julian Ayer (1939-26 December 2004, died GalleGalleGalle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
, Sri Lanka in the Boxing Day Tsunami2004 Indian Ocean earthquakeThe 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
), the adoptive son of the philosopher Sir Alfred Jules Ayer, or "Freddie" Ayer. They had no issue. Harriet also has issue one son- Spencer Henry Crawley, now a promising cricketer.
Notable relatives
- Crawley's sister was Anstice, Lady Goodman (7 December 1911 - 4 January 2001), whose marriage to Sir Victor Goodman was childless.
- Crawley's niece Penelope Anstice Crawley (b. 1950) married 1971 Lord Guernsey, now 12th Earl of AylesfordEarl of AylesfordEarl of Aylesford, in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1714 for the lawyer and politician Heneage Finch, 1st Baron Guernsey. He had already been created Baron Guernsey in the Peerage of England in 1703...
(b. 1947), the heir to the 11th Earl of AylesfordEarl of AylesfordEarl of Aylesford, in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1714 for the lawyer and politician Heneage Finch, 1st Baron Guernsey. He had already been created Baron Guernsey in the Peerage of England in 1703...
and has issue, including one son. Her husband succeeded to the earldom on 12 February 2008, and her son is now styled Lord Guernsey. This is not the first notable marriage for a Crawley female; her great-aunt Caroline Inez Crawley (d. 1920, without issue) was first wife of Field Marshal the 10th Earl of CavanFrederick Lambart, 10th Earl of CavanField Marshal Frederick Rudolph Lambart, 10th Earl of Cavan, KP, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE was a British Army officer and Chief of the Imperial General Staff.-Army career:...
. - An ancestress Matilda Crawley-Boevey (1817–1877), of the Crawley-Boevey baronetsCrawley-Boevey BaronetsThe Barrow, later Crawley-Boevey Baronetcy, of Highgrove in the County of Gloucester, is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. It was created on 22 January 1784 for Charles Barrow, Member of Parliament for Gloucester, with remainder to Thomas Crawley-Boevey, who succeeded as second Baronet...
married William Gibbs of TyntesfieldTyntesfieldTyntesfield is a Victorian Gothic Revival estate near Wraxall, North Somerset, England, near Nailsea, seven miles from Bristol.The house was acquired by the National Trust in June 2002 after a fund raising campaign to prevent it being sold to private interests and ensure it be opened to the public...
and Clyst St. George, and had issue, seven children, of whom four are listed in the Plantagenet Roll. Her granddaughter Anstice Katharine Gibbs married a Crawley cousin (above), and was mother of Aidan Merivale Crawley. Anstice's first cousin patrilineally was 1st Baron WraxallGeorge Gibbs, 1st Baron WraxallGeorge Abraham Gibbs, 1st Baron Wraxall, PC , was a British Conservative politician.Educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford Gibbs was the eldest of the seven sons of Major Antony Gibbs and Janet Louisa Merivale, daughter of John Louis Merivale...
, while close relatives patrilineally were the Lords AldenhamBaron AldenhamBaron Aldenham, of Aldenham in the County of Hertford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was created on 31 January 1896 for the businessman Hucks Gibbs. He was head of the family firm of Antony Gibbs & Sons and a director and Governor of the Bank of England...
and HunsdonBaron HunsdonBaron Hunsdon is a title that has been created twice. It was first created in 1559 in the Peerage of England for the soldier and courtier Henry Carey. His grandson, the fourth Baron, was created Viscount Rochford in 1621 and Earl of Dover, in the County of Kent, in 1628. These titles were also in...
(now united as of 1939).
External links
- Crawley ancestry can be found at the following sources:
- the Plantagenet Roll: Clarence Volume
- the 1895 issue of Debrett's Peerage (archived online).
- Descendants of the Conqueror: Clarence 25. This shows all the descendants of the Crawley-Boevey baronetsCrawley-Boevey BaronetsThe Barrow, later Crawley-Boevey Baronetcy, of Highgrove in the County of Gloucester, is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. It was created on 22 January 1784 for Charles Barrow, Member of Parliament for Gloucester, with remainder to Thomas Crawley-Boevey, who succeeded as second Baronet...
, starting with the 2nd Baronet and his brothers. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
- Rev. Arthur Stafford Crawley (1876-1948), Canon of Windsor, information in the National Archives.