Cyril Dumpleton
Encyclopedia
Cyril Walter Dumpleton JP
(25 June 1897 – 1 October 1966) was a British Labour Party
politician who served as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for the St Albans division
of Hertfordshire
from 1945 to 1950.
, the son of Walter Dumpleton, and was educated at an elementary school
.
In 1920 he married Louise Lefevre, the daughter of Charles Lefevre from Birmingham. He was a member of the Society of Friends
(known as "quakers").
, Dumpleton served with the Royal Naval Air Service
and the Royal Air Force
, and later became manger of a printing and publishing business.
He was a member of St Albans City Council from 1937 to 1950, Mayor of St Albans from 1943 to 1944, and became an Alderman
in 1946. He was also a Justice of the Peace
for Hertfordshire.
At the 1945 general election
he was elected to the House of Commons as the MP for St Albans, defeating the sitting Conservative
MP John Grimston
. St Albans had been a Conservative seat since 1885
, apart from a two-year period 1904
to 1906
, and at the last contested election in 1935
the Conservative majority had been 35%. The 1935 and 1945 results were not directly comparable, because the Liberal Party
contested the seat in 1945 but not 1935; but Dumpleton's 3.7% majority was vulnerable, and he was defeated at the 1950 general election
, when Grimston re-took the seat with a majority of 4.5%.
After his defeat, Dumpleton did not stand for Parliament again. He worked as a public relations
executive with the Colonial Development Corporation from 1950 to 1962, and died at Dawlish
in Devon in 1966, aged 69.
Justice 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...
(25 June 1897 – 1 October 1966) was a British 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...
politician who served 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 St Albans division
St Albans (UK Parliament constituency)
St Albans is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Established in 1885, it is a county constituency in Hertfordshire, and elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.From 1554 to 1852 there was a...
of Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
from 1945 to 1950.
Early life and family
Dumpleton was born in St AlbansSt Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, the son of Walter Dumpleton, and was educated at an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
.
In 1920 he married Louise Lefevre, the daughter of Charles Lefevre from Birmingham. He was a member of the Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
(known as "quakers").
Career
During World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Dumpleton served with 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...
and the Royal Air Force
Royal 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...
, and later became manger of a printing and publishing business.
He was a member of St Albans City Council from 1937 to 1950, Mayor of St Albans from 1943 to 1944, and became an 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...
in 1946. He was also a Justice of the Peace
Justice 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...
for Hertfordshire.
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 was elected to the House of Commons as the MP for St Albans, defeating the sitting 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...
MP John Grimston
John Grimston, 6th Earl of Verulam
John Grimston, 6th Earl of Verulam , known as the Honourable John Grimston until 1960, was a British peer and Conservative Member of Parliament ....
. St Albans had been a Conservative seat since 1885
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
, apart from a two-year period 1904
St Albans by-election, 1904
The St Albans by-election of 1904 was a parliamentary by-election held in England in February 1904 for the House of Commons. It elected a new Member of Parliament for the constituency of St Albans, a county division of Hertfordshire....
to 1906
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**...
, and at the last contested election in 1935
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...
the Conservative majority had been 35%. The 1935 and 1945 results were not directly comparable, because 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...
contested the seat in 1945 but not 1935; but Dumpleton's 3.7% majority was vulnerable, and he was defeated 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...
, when Grimston re-took the seat with a majority of 4.5%.
After his defeat, Dumpleton did not stand for Parliament again. He worked as a public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
executive with the Colonial Development Corporation from 1950 to 1962, and died at Dawlish
Dawlish
Dawlish is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon in England, from the county town of Exeter. It has a population of 12,819...
in Devon in 1966, aged 69.