Nigel Kennedy (politician)
Encyclopedia
Myles Storr Nigel Kennedy (12 October 1889 – 19 January 1964) was a British
barrister, army
officer, and politician. He served a single term in Parliament as a Conservative Party
Member of Parliament (MP), but never contributed to any debate. He was a member of Lancashire County Council
for nearly twenty years. His Military and political career came to a premature end when his colourful private life brought about a court judgment against him and resulted in his bankruptcy.
He was the last proprietor of Roanhead
mines, which he managed from 1914 intil they were worked out in July 1942.
, was a Deputy Lieutenant
and High Sheriff
of Lancashire
who lived in Stone Cross near Ulverston
in the Furness
or North Lonsdale area of the county. Kennedy was his eldest son and was born in Ulverston in 1889. He attended Harrow School
before going up to Trinity College, Cambridge
. He was admitted to the degree of a Bachelor of Arts
in 1911, and proceeded to the degree of Master of Arts in 1916. After leaving Cambridge, Kennedy began to study law through the Council of Legal Education
.
In 1912 Kennedy was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Special Reserve of Officers for the 3rd Battalion, the Border Regiment
. He served in the regiment during the Great War
, being mentioned in dispatches
, but also suffering from shell shock
. He finished the war having been promoted to Captain. After resuming his legal studies, in 1920 he was called to the Bar
by the Inner Temple
.
, Col. Claude Lowther
, had been elected as a supporter of the Lloyd George Coalition in 1918, but in July 1921 had ceased to support it and aligned with Horatio Bottomley
. As a result the local Conservative association sought a new candidate and Kennedy was adopted in October 1921.
When the general election of 1922
was called, Lowther stood down on health grounds. At his adoption meeting at Ulverston on 28 October, Kennedy declared he stood for the broadest principles of the Conservative Party, with a broad-minded view of modern conditions. He spoke at Dalton
Co-operative Hall on 30 October, where he was heckled; challenged to support full maintenance for the unemployed, Kennedy said that the country could not afford it. He issued an election address calling for the "fostering of private initiative and enterprise". He wanted a reduction of taxation and rating
on farmers, and opposed local option
. He supported a contributory scheme for state old age pensions. At a meeting in Ulverston on 4 November where many of the audience were unemployed, Kennedy called for industry entirely free from Government interference, and for private enterprise to build the homes needed in Britain.
constituency by motor boats. The Minister said it would.
His lack of activity was not prominently raised in the local campaign during the 1923 general election
, but at the Dalton Co-operative Hall his arrival was greeted with cries of "The silent Member" and "When are you going to make your maiden speech?" amid the applause. Kennedy said he hoped to make his maiden speech shortly, if re-elected.
Kennedy faced a single opponent from the Liberal Party
. The Times
s correspondent thought that the farming policy of the government was crucial, despite the presence of industrial centres in some towns, and so Kennedy would depend on the agricultural vote. The Conservative policy of protectionism, which Kennedy strongly supported was unpopular with farmers. At an Ulverston meeting on 29 November 1923, Kennedy had to field many hostile questions on the subject. Kennedy was defeated by 1,010 votes.
. He was elected a County Alderman
in 1927. He formally left the Army at the end of 1929, receiving the rank of Major. In June 1935, Kennedy spoke at Lancashire County Council in support of an appeal to local authorities in the county to subscribe to the Lancashire Playing-fields Association, saying that the county council would follow. Suffering a recurrence of shell shock
in 1935, his health broke down and he entered a nursing home. In May of the following year he attended the Old Harrovian dinner.
. He swiftly proposed marriage, and eventually she accepted and left her job; while he arranged for a chaperone when they went away for a trip north, the chaperone left and Kennedy seduced Harrison. On a later trip to London where Kennedy was having his portrait painted, a woman at the studio remarked "I never know where I am with Nigel's girl friends". Kennedy replied "There is safety in numbers. I am a confirmed bachelor", and on being reminded by Harrison that they were engaged, said "I can easily get out of that." Kennedy had broken off their engagement when leaving Fortnum & Mason
with another girl, telling Harrison "Don't talk to me. I am a corpse." Kennedy did not attend the court and judgment for breach of promise
was entered against him in default of his appearance. The Judge, Mr Justice Croom-Johnson
, referred the case to the Official Referee who on 13 January 1941 ordered Kennedy to pay £2,000 damages, with costs.
As he was unable to pay, on Friday 17 January 1941 an auction of Kennedy's belongings (including antique furniture, books, a Rover saloon car, and a wireless set) was held in Ulverston. On 17 March 1941, Kennedy was adjudicated a bankrupt on a petition by his creditor. The bankruptcy disqualified him from serving as an Alderman, and lasted for seven years (extended from the usual five). After the war, Kennedy married Dorothy Emerson-Millington in 1946. Kennedy died in Barrow-in-Furness
Hospital in January 1964, having been ill for some time.
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...
barrister, 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 politician. He served a single term in Parliament 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 of Parliament (MP), but never contributed to any debate. He was a member of Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...
for nearly twenty years. His Military and political career came to a premature end when his colourful private life brought about a court judgment against him and resulted in his bankruptcy.
He was the last proprietor of Roanhead
Roanhead
Roanhead refers to the limestone outcrop of Roanhead Crag and the farmland behind it, but in recent years the term has been taken to mean the sandy beaches ajoining Sandscale Haws extending to Snab Point, and as this meaning is used on official websites, it must be accepted.The Irish Sea lies to...
mines, which he managed from 1914 intil they were worked out in July 1942.
Early life
Kennedy's father, Myles Burton KennedyMyles Burton Kennedy
Myles Burton Kennedy was a Furness ironmaster, proprietor of Roanhead mines and chairman of the North Lonsdale Iron & Steel Co.-Parentage:...
, was a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
and High Sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
who lived in Stone Cross near Ulverston
Ulverston
Ulverston is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria in north-west England. Historically part of Lancashire, the town is located in the Furness area, close to the Lake District, and just north of Morecambe Bay....
in the Furness
Furness
Furness is a peninsula in south Cumbria, England. At its widest extent, it is considered to cover the whole of North Lonsdale, that part of the Lonsdale hundred that is an exclave of the historic county of Lancashire, lying to the north of Morecambe Bay....
or North Lonsdale area of the county. Kennedy was his eldest son and was born in Ulverston in 1889. He attended Harrow School
Harrow 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...
before going up to Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
. He was admitted to the degree of a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1911, and proceeded to the degree of Master of Arts in 1916. After leaving Cambridge, Kennedy began to study law through the Council of Legal Education
Council of Legal Education
The Council of Legal Education was an English supervisory body established by the four Inns of Court to regulate and improve the legal education of barristers within England and Wales.-History:...
.
In 1912 Kennedy was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Special Reserve of Officers for the 3rd Battalion, the Border Regiment
Border Regiment
The Border Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 34th Regiment of Foot and the 55th Regiment of Foot....
. He served in the regiment during the Great War
World 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...
, being mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
, but also suffering from shell shock
Shell Shock
Shell Shock, also known as 82nd Marines Attack was a 1964 film by B-movie director John Hayes. The film takes place in Italy during World War II, and tells the story of a sergeant with his group of soldiers....
. He finished the war having been promoted to Captain. After resuming his legal studies, in 1920 he was called to the Bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
by the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
.
1922 election
The sitting Member of Parliament for the Lonsdale division of LancashireLonsdale (UK Parliament constituency)
Lonsdale was a county constituency in north Lancashire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post system.-Members of Parliament:...
, Col. Claude Lowther
Claude Lowther
Colonel Claude William Henry Lowther was an English Conservative politician. He was the son of Francis William Lowther and Louise Beatrice de Fonblanque; Francis William was the illegitimate son of the Earl of Lonsdale and an opera singer, and received £125,000 on the Earl's death.Lowther was...
, had been elected as a supporter of the Lloyd George Coalition in 1918, but in July 1921 had ceased to support it and aligned with Horatio Bottomley
Horatio Bottomley
Horatio William Bottomley was a British financier, swindler, journalist, newspaper proprietor, populist politician and Member of Parliament .-Early life:...
. As a result the local Conservative association sought a new candidate and Kennedy was adopted in October 1921.
When the general election of 1922
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...
was called, Lowther stood down on health grounds. At his adoption meeting at Ulverston on 28 October, Kennedy declared he stood for the broadest principles of the Conservative Party, with a broad-minded view of modern conditions. He spoke at Dalton
Dalton-in-Furness
Dalton-in-Furness is a small town of 8,394 people, north east of Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria, England.-History:Dalton is mentioned in the Domesday Book, written as "Daltune" as one of the townships forming the Manor of Hougun held by Earl Tostig. Historically, it was the capital of Furness...
Co-operative Hall on 30 October, where he was heckled; challenged to support full maintenance for the unemployed, Kennedy said that the country could not afford it. He issued an election address calling for the "fostering of private initiative and enterprise". He wanted a reduction of taxation and rating
Rates (tax)
Rates are a type of property tax system in the United Kingdom, and in places with systems deriving from the British one, the proceeds of which are used to fund local government...
on farmers, and opposed local option
Local Option
Local Option is a term used to describe the freedom whereby local political jurisdictions, typically counties or municipalities, can decide by popular vote certain controversial issues within their borders. In practice, it usually relates to the issue of alcoholic beverage sales...
. He supported a contributory scheme for state old age pensions. At a meeting in Ulverston on 4 November where many of the audience were unemployed, Kennedy called for industry entirely free from Government interference, and for private enterprise to build the homes needed in Britain.
Defeat
Kennedy easily won his seat, obtaining more than twice as many votes as his nearest rival in a three way contest. He took the oath on 21 November 1922, and was named to Standing Committee B on 6 March 1923, but had never spoken in the Chamber, nor asked a question, by the time Parliament was suddenly dissolved a year later and he had to defend his seat. Kennedy's only recorded contribution to debate came on 24 April 1923 when he spoke on Clause 8 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Bill in Standing Committee B. He asked whether the Bill would allow fishery boards to take action against pollution of watercourses in his Lake DistrictLake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
constituency by motor boats. The Minister said it would.
His lack of activity was not prominently raised in the local campaign during the 1923 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, but at the Dalton Co-operative Hall his arrival was greeted with cries of "The silent Member" and "When are you going to make your maiden speech?" amid the applause. Kennedy said he hoped to make his maiden speech shortly, if re-elected.
Kennedy faced a single opponent from 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...
. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
s correspondent thought that the farming policy of the government was crucial, despite the presence of industrial centres in some towns, and so Kennedy would depend on the agricultural vote. The Conservative policy of protectionism, which Kennedy strongly supported was unpopular with farmers. At an Ulverston meeting on 29 November 1923, Kennedy had to field many hostile questions on the subject. Kennedy was defeated by 1,010 votes.
Later life
In the county council elections of 1922, Kennedy had been elected to Lancashire County CouncilLancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It currently consists of 84 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, who won control of the council in the local council elections in June 2009, ending 28 years of...
. He was elected a County 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 1927. He formally left the Army at the end of 1929, receiving the rank of Major. In June 1935, Kennedy spoke at Lancashire County Council in support of an appeal to local authorities in the county to subscribe to the Lancashire Playing-fields Association, saying that the county council would follow. Suffering a recurrence of shell shock
Combat stress reaction
Combat stress reaction , in the past commonly known as shell shock or battle fatigue, is a range of behaviours resulting from the stress of battle which decrease the combatant's fighting efficiency. The most common symptoms are fatigue, slower reaction times, indecision, disconnection from one's...
in 1935, his health broke down and he entered a nursing home. In May of the following year he attended the Old Harrovian dinner.
Breach of promise
Kennedy's personal life brought him financial disaster in 1941. The story accepted by the court was that in January 1940 Kennedy had met Marie Harrison, head barmaid at the Grand Hotel in Leicester, telling her that he was wealthy enough to pay £1,200 a year in surtaxSurtax
A surtax may be a tax levied upon a tax, or a tax levied upon income.-United Kingdom:In 1929, Supertax was renamed Sur-tax...
. He swiftly proposed marriage, and eventually she accepted and left her job; while he arranged for a chaperone when they went away for a trip north, the chaperone left and Kennedy seduced Harrison. On a later trip to London where Kennedy was having his portrait painted, a woman at the studio remarked "I never know where I am with Nigel's girl friends". Kennedy replied "There is safety in numbers. I am a confirmed bachelor", and on being reminded by Harrison that they were engaged, said "I can easily get out of that." Kennedy had broken off their engagement when leaving Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason, often shortened to just "Fortnum's" is a department store, situated in central London, with two other branches in Japan. Its headquarters is located at 181 Piccadilly, where it was established in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason...
with another girl, telling Harrison "Don't talk to me. I am a corpse." Kennedy did not attend the court and judgment for breach of promise
Breach of promise
Breach of promise is a former common law tort.From at least medieval times until the early 20th century, a man's promise of engagement to marry a woman was considered, in many jurisdictions, a legally binding contract...
was entered against him in default of his appearance. The Judge, Mr Justice Croom-Johnson
Reginald Croom-Johnson
Sir Reginald Powell Croom-Johnson KC was a British politician and judge.Croom-Johnson began his career as a solicitor in 1901. In 1909 he married Ruby Ernestine Hobbs. They had two sons, one of whom was killed in 1940 while serving in the Second World War. In 1929, he was elected the Conservative...
, referred the case to the Official Referee who on 13 January 1941 ordered Kennedy to pay £2,000 damages, with costs.
As he was unable to pay, on Friday 17 January 1941 an auction of Kennedy's belongings (including antique furniture, books, a Rover saloon car, and a wireless set) was held in Ulverston. On 17 March 1941, Kennedy was adjudicated a bankrupt on a petition by his creditor. The bankruptcy disqualified him from serving as an Alderman, and lasted for seven years (extended from the usual five). After the war, Kennedy married Dorothy Emerson-Millington in 1946. Kennedy died in Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
Hospital in January 1964, having been ill for some time.