Martin Archer-Shee
Encyclopedia
Lt. Col Sir Martin Archer-Shee (5 May 1873 – 6 January 1935) was a British
army
officer and Conservative Party
politician.
He was the son of Martin Archer-Shee and his wife Elizabeth née Pell of New York
. His father was a bank manager and grandson of the painter Martin Archer Shee
.
before entering the Royal Navy
as a cadet in 1886. After two years on the training ship HMS Brittania
he became a midshipman
on HMS Agincourt
, part of the Channel Fleet
, later transferring to HMS Cleopatra.
in order to become an officer in the army. ,He obtained a commission in the 19th Hussars
. He served in the Second Anglo-Boer War rising to the rank of brevet
major in 1902. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
in 1900. He resigned from the army in 1905. In the same year he married Frances Pell, and the couple had seven children.
(MP) representing Finsbury Central, winning the seat for the Conservatives and unseating the Liberal-Labour
MP, W C Steadman
. In parliament he was an advocate of Tariff Reform and argued for the case for an enlargement of the navy.
His half-brother was George Archer-Shee
, whose expulsion from Osborne Naval College inspired the play The Winslow Boy
. Archer-Shee used his political connections to secure the services of Edward Carson in George's court case.
s during the conflict: the 12th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, the 2/4th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment
and the 10th Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers
. He was mentioned in dispatches four times, and was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
for his services.
Archer-Shee was elected MP for the new constituency of Finsbury
, parliamentary boundaries having been altered by the Representation of the People Act 1918
. He held the seat at the 1922 general election
, and was knighted
in 1923. He was defeated in 1923
by his Labour Party
opponent, George Masterman Gillett
. He attempted to re-enter parliament in the following year
, but failed to be elected at Peckham
. This was to be his last electoral contest: although his name was proposed when a vacancy occurred at Fulham East in 1933, he chose not to stand in the ensuing by-election
.
Archer-Shee died at his home Ashurst Lodge, Sunninghill, Berkshire
in January 1935 after a long illness. Following a requiem mass at South Ascot
Friary he was buried in Sunninghill.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer 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...
politician.
He was the son of Martin Archer-Shee and his wife Elizabeth née Pell of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His father was a bank manager and grandson of the painter Martin Archer Shee
Martin Archer Shee
Sir Martin Archer Shee RA was a British portrait painter and president of the Royal Academy.-Biography:...
.
Royal Navy
Archer-Shee was educated at the The Oratory SchoolThe Oratory School
The Oratory School is a Roman Catholic, independent school for boys in Woodcote, Berkshire. It is the last Catholic all-boys boarding school remaining in Great Britain. It has approximately 420 pupils...
before entering the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as a cadet in 1886. After two years on the training ship HMS Brittania
HMS Prince of Wales (1860)
HMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate three-decker line-of-battle ships of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 January 1860...
he became a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
on HMS Agincourt
HMS Agincourt (1865)
HMS Agincourt was one of three Minotaur class ironclads, the sistership of HMS Minotaur and a near sister to HMS Northumberland...
, part of the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
, later transferring to HMS Cleopatra.
Boer War
In 1890 he resigned from the navy in order to enter the Royal Military College SandhurstRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
in order to become an officer in the army. ,He obtained a commission in the 19th Hussars
19th Royal Hussars
The 19th Royal Hussars was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, created in 1857 and amalgamated to form the 15th/19th Hussars in 1922.-History:...
. He served in the Second Anglo-Boer War rising to the rank of 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...
major in 1902. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
in 1900. He resigned from the army in 1905. In the same year he married Frances Pell, and the couple had seven children.
Member of parliament for Finsbury Central
At the January 1910 general election he was elected to the House of Commons as member of parliamentMember 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) representing Finsbury Central, winning the seat for the Conservatives and unseating the Liberal-Labour
Liberal-Labour
Liberal-Labour may refer to:* Liberal-Labour * Liberal-Labour...
MP, W C Steadman
William Charles Steadman
William Charles Steadman, usually known as W. C. Steadman , was a prominent trade unionist and politician....
. In parliament he was an advocate of Tariff Reform and argued for the case for an enlargement of the navy.
His half-brother was George Archer-Shee
George Archer-Shee
George Archer-Shee became a British cause célèbre in 1910 when the issue of whether he stole a five shilling postal order ended up being decided in the High Court....
, whose expulsion from Osborne Naval College inspired the play The Winslow Boy
The Winslow Boy
thumb|1st edition cover The Winslow Boy is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an actual incident in the Edwardian era, which took place at the Royal Naval College, Osborne.-Performance History:...
. Archer-Shee used his political connections to secure the services of Edward Carson in George's court case.
World War I
With the outbreak of war in 1914, Archer-Shee rejoined the army. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and commanded three different infantry battalionBattalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s during the conflict: the 12th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, the 2/4th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment
York and Lancaster Regiment
-History:It was formed in 1881 through the amalgamation of two other regiments:*65th Regiment*84th RegimentThe title of the regiment was derived not from the cities of York and Lancaster, or from the counties...
and the 10th Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers
King's Own Scottish Borderers
The King's Own Scottish Borderers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division.-History:It was raised on 18 March 1689 by the Earl of Leven to defend Edinburgh against the Jacobite forces of James II. It is said that 800 men were recruited within the space of two hours...
. He was mentioned in dispatches four times, and was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
for his services.
Member of parliament for Finsbury
At the 1918 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
Archer-Shee was elected MP for the new constituency of Finsbury
Finsbury (UK Parliament constituency)
The parliamentary borough of Finsbury was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1832 to 1885, and from 1918 to 1950. The constituency created in 1832 included part of the county of Middlesex north of the City of London and was named after the Finsbury...
, parliamentary boundaries having been altered by the Representation of the People Act 1918
Representation of the People Act 1918
The Representation of the People Act 1918 was an Act of Parliament passed to reform the electoral system in the United Kingdom. It is sometimes known as the Fourth Reform Act...
. He held the seat at the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
, and was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1923. He was defeated in 1923
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
by his 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...
opponent, George Masterman Gillett
George Gillett
George Gillett may refer to:*George A. Gillett , New Zealand multi-code footballer*George N. Gillett, Jr. , American businessman, professional sports franchise owner*George Masterman Gillett, Member of Parliament for Finsbury, 1923–1935...
. He attempted to re-enter parliament in the following year
United Kingdom general election, 1924
- Seats summary :- References :* F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987* - External links :* * *...
, but failed to be elected at Peckham
Peckham (UK Parliament constituency)
Peckham was a borough constituency in South London which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
. This was to be his last electoral contest: although his name was proposed when a vacancy occurred at Fulham East in 1933, he chose not to stand in the ensuing by-election
Fulham East by-election, 1933
The Fulham East by-election, in Fulham, on 25 October 1933 was held after Conservative Member of Parliament Kenyon Vaughan-Morgan died. In what had been a safe Conservative seat the election was surprisingly won by John Charles Wilmot of Labour....
.
Archer-Shee died at his home Ashurst Lodge, Sunninghill, Berkshire
Sunninghill, Berkshire
Sunninghill is a village in the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the English shire county of Berkshire-Location:...
in January 1935 after a long illness. Following a requiem mass at South Ascot
South Ascot
South Ascot is a village just south of and down the hill from the small town of Ascot in the English county of Berkshire. It is bounded on the west by the Kingsride area of Swinley Woods, on the north by the Reading to Waterloo railway line and merges with Sunninghill to the east.- Local government...
Friary he was buried in Sunninghill.