Cyril Black
Encyclopedia
Sir Cyril Wilson Black was a British
Conservative politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Wimbledon
from 1950 to his retirement at the 1970 general election.
. He qualified as a Chartered Surveyor
.
denomination serving with distinction in the Baptist Churches of the South West London
Group, London Baptist Association and Baptist Union of Great Britain
and Ireland [as it then was]. He was one time President of the London Baptist Association; and an active participant and committee member in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's 1955 All-Scotland and London Crusades and the 1966 London Crusade. He was a member of the Free Church Federal Council and used his influence to try to counter the Macmillan government's attempts to liberalise Gambling Laws.
He was on the conservative evangelical wing of the denomination and used his influence to curb ecumenism. He spoke at many public meetings and was a prolific correspondent to the Baptist Times. He was involved in the new King James Version of the Bible and participated in the initial meeting in London in early 1976 and attended the final meetings at St. Andrews University in July 1981 and "contributed wisdom in written form at other times" [preface to the Bible].
In 1967, he privately prosecuted the novel Last Exit to Brooklyn
by Hubert Selby.
, Her Majesty's Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Greater London. He was Chairman of Surrey County Council
from 1950 to 1964 and Mayor of Merton
from 1966 to 1967. He was knighted in 1959.
He was elected as a Conservative Party
Member
of the House of Commons at the 1950 General Election
for the Wimbledon constituency
. He held the seat until his retirement at the 1970 general election
.
Society from 1939 to 1973; Chairman of Beaumont Properties Ltd from 1933 to 1980; Chairman of the London Shop Property Trust Ltd from 1951 to 1979; Chairman of M. F. North Ltd 1948 to 1981 and the Director of a large number of other companies.
Sir Cyril Black was also grandfather to Andrew Black
.
Councillor, Alderman
and Member of Parliament, as is a local Community Centre.
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 politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Wimbledon
Wimbledon (UK Parliament constituency)
Wimbledon is one of two parliamentary constituencies in the London Borough of Merton in south-west London. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first-past-the-post voting system....
from 1950 to his retirement at the 1970 general election.
Birth and education
He was born 8 April 1902, the son of Robert Wilson Black, JP, and Annie Louise Black (née North). He was educated at King's College SchoolKing's College School
King's College School, commonly referred to as KCS, King's, or KCS Wimbledon, is an independent school for day pupils in Wimbledon in south-west London. The school was founded as the junior department of King's College London and occupied part of its premises in Strand, before relocating to...
. He qualified as a Chartered Surveyor
Chartered Surveyor
Chartered Surveyor is the description ofProfessional Members and Fellows of the RICS entitled to use the designation in Commonwealth countries and Ireland...
.
Religious activity
He was a prominent member of the BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
denomination serving with distinction in the Baptist Churches of the South West London
SW postcode area
The SW postcode area, also known as the London SW postcode area, is a group of postcode districts covering part of southwest London, England. The area originates from the South Western and Battersea districts of the London post town.-Postal administration:The postcode area originated in 1857 as...
Group, London Baptist Association and Baptist Union of Great Britain
Baptist Union of Great Britain
The Baptist Union of Great Britain, despite its name, is the association of Baptist churches in England and Wales. -History:...
and Ireland [as it then was]. He was one time President of the London Baptist Association; and an active participant and committee member in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's 1955 All-Scotland and London Crusades and the 1966 London Crusade. He was a member of the Free Church Federal Council and used his influence to try to counter the Macmillan government's attempts to liberalise Gambling Laws.
He was on the conservative evangelical wing of the denomination and used his influence to curb ecumenism. He spoke at many public meetings and was a prolific correspondent to the Baptist Times. He was involved in the new King James Version of the Bible and participated in the initial meeting in London in early 1976 and attended the final meetings at St. Andrews University in July 1981 and "contributed wisdom in written form at other times" [preface to the Bible].
In 1967, he privately prosecuted the novel Last Exit to Brooklyn
Last Exit to Brooklyn
Last Exit to Brooklyn is a 1964 novel by American author Hubert Selby, Jr. The novel has become a cult classic because of its harsh, uncompromising look at lower class Brooklyn in the 1950s and for its brusque, everyman style of prose....
by Hubert Selby.
Public service
Sir Cyril Black, served as a Justice of the PeaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, Her Majesty's Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Greater London. He was Chairman of Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Surrey in England. The council is composed of 80 elected councillors.The council is controlled by the Conservative party.The leader of the council is David Hodge....
from 1950 to 1964 and Mayor of Merton
Merton
- People :As a stage name* Merton , American YouTube personalityWith the surname* Paul Merton , British actor and comedian* Robert C. Merton , American nobel-prize winning economist, or to his Merton Model...
from 1966 to 1967. He was knighted in 1959.
He was elected as a 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...
Member
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,...
of the House of Commons at the 1950 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
for the Wimbledon constituency
Wimbledon (UK Parliament constituency)
Wimbledon is one of two parliamentary constituencies in the London Borough of Merton in south-west London. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first-past-the-post voting system....
. He held the seat until his retirement at the 1970 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
.
Business activities
He was Chairman of the Temperance Permanent BuildingSociety from 1939 to 1973; Chairman of Beaumont Properties Ltd from 1933 to 1980; Chairman of the London Shop Property Trust Ltd from 1951 to 1979; Chairman of M. F. North Ltd 1948 to 1981 and the Director of a large number of other companies.
Marriage and family
In 1930, he and Dorothy Joyce, daughter of Thomas Birkett, Wigston Hall, Leicester were married. They had one son and two daughters.Sir Cyril Black was also grandfather to Andrew Black
Andrew Black (gambling entrepreneur)
Andrew Black, together with Edward Wray, was founder of Betfair, the world's first and largest bet exchange. Black and Wray have won many awards, including Ernst & Young young entrepreneurs of the year in 2002....
.
Death and heritage
He died 29 October 1991. Sir Cyril Black Way in Wimbledon is named after its famous formerCouncillor, Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
and Member of Parliament, as is a local Community Centre.
Further reading
- Obituary in The Guardian, 31 October 1991 p. 39 "No betting, no ginger beer" by Andrew RothAndrew RothAndrew Roth was a biographer and journalist known for his compilation of Parliamentary Profiles, a directory of British Members of Parliament, which is available online in The Guardian...
.