Dennis Coleridge Boles
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel Dennis Coleridge Boles (4 June 1885 – 25 April 1958) was a soldier and Conservative Party
politician in the United Kingdom
. He was elected as the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Wells
in Somerset
at a by-election in December 1939
, and held the seat until he stepped down at the 1951 general election
.
Dennis Boles was the son of Francis James Coleridge Boles (brother of Sir Dennis Boles
) of Rackenford Manor, Devon and Charlotte Jones (sister of Walter Jones
). He was educated at Eton, where he was President of "Pop", and set a record score of 183 in the Eton v Harrow
cricket match at Lord's in 1904. He also played cricket for Devon
in the Minor Counties Championship between 1903 and 1909. After Sandhurst, where he won the Sword of Honour, he was commissioned in the 17th Lancers
and served in India. In the Great War he served on the Staff of the 5th Indian Cavalry Brigade in France, and then saw active service in France and Ireland as Adjutant of the 17th Lancers. Dennis was a noted polo player, winning the Coronation Cup for the 17th Lancers against an Argentine team in 1922, and playing for the British Army against the American Army in 1925. In 1928 he became Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal Horse Guards
, and Silver Stick to the King, before leaving the Army in 1936. He married Monica, the daughter of John Reid-Walker of Ruckley Grange, Shifnal, in 1921 and had two sons and one daughter.
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 in the United Kingdom
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...
. He was elected 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 Wells
Wells (UK Parliament constituency)
Wells is a county constituency centred on the city of Wells in Somerset. 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...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
at a by-election in December 1939
Wells by-election, 1939
The Wells by-election, 1939 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Wells in Somerset on 13 December 1939. The seat had become vacant when Anthony Muirhead, the constituency's Conservative Party Member of Parliament had died on 29 October, aged 48. He...
, and held the seat until he stepped down at the 1951 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1951
The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats...
.
Dennis Boles was the son of Francis James Coleridge Boles (brother of Sir Dennis Boles
Sir Dennis Boles, 1st Baronet
Sir Dennis Fortescue Boles, 1st Baronet CBE, DL , was a British Conservative politician.Boles was the son of Reverend James Thomas Boles of Ryll Court, Exmouth, Devon. He was educated at Bradfield School and Exeter College, Oxford...
) of Rackenford Manor, Devon and Charlotte Jones (sister of Walter Jones
Walter Jones (polo)
Walter John Henry Jones , was an English polo player.He was born at The Elms, Warrington, the son of William Charles Jones and Lucretia Elizabeth Jones. His father was the owner of Jones Brothers Cotton Mills in Leigh, and extremely wealthy...
). He was educated at Eton, where he was President of "Pop", and set a record score of 183 in the Eton v Harrow
Eton v Harrow
The Eton v Harrow cricket match is an annual cricket match between Eton College and Harrow School. It one of the longest-running annual cricket fixtures in the world. It is the last annual school cricket match played at Lord's Cricket Ground...
cricket match at Lord's in 1904. He also played cricket for Devon
Devon County Cricket Club
Devon County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Devon and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
in the Minor Counties Championship between 1903 and 1909. After Sandhurst, where he won the Sword of Honour, he was commissioned in the 17th Lancers
17th Lancers
The 17th Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, notable for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War...
and served in India. In the Great War he served on the Staff of the 5th Indian Cavalry Brigade in France, and then saw active service in France and Ireland as Adjutant of the 17th Lancers. Dennis was a noted polo player, winning the Coronation Cup for the 17th Lancers against an Argentine team in 1922, and playing for the British Army against the American Army in 1925. In 1928 he became Lieutenant-Colonel of the Royal Horse Guards
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
, and Silver Stick to the King, before leaving the Army in 1936. He married Monica, the daughter of John Reid-Walker of Ruckley Grange, Shifnal, in 1921 and had two sons and one daughter.