Patricia Hornsby-Smith
Encyclopedia
Margaret Patricia Hornsby-Smith, Baroness Hornsby-Smith, (17 March 1914 – 3 July 1985) was a Conservative Party
politician in the United Kingdom
.
, the second child and only daughter of shopkeeper Frederick Charles Hornsby-Smith, a saddle dealer and master
umbrella maker, and his wife, Ellen Minter.
She was educated at the local elementary school, and at Richmond County School for Girls
. After leaving school she worked as a private secretary for several firms and for an employers' federation. Her interest in politics was established early and she joined the Junior Imperial League at the age of sixteen. The following year she was invited to join the Conservative Party’s supporting team of speakers for the 1931 election
campaign.
During the war
she also undertook voluntary work. In 1941 she took a job in the civil service as Principal Private Secretary
to Lord Selborne
, the minister of economic warfare, a post she held until the end of the war.
where she served from 1945 – 1949.
At the 1950 general election
, she was elected as Member of Parliament
for Chislehurst
, winning a majority of only 167 votes over the sitting Labour
MP, George Wallace.
She was re-elected at the next four general elections (1951
, 1955
, 1959
, 1964
), served as Parliamentary Secretary 1951 – 1957 and was made a Privy Counsellor
in 1959. In 1964 she presented the Nurses Act to Parliament. At the 1966 election
, she lost her seat to Labour's Alistair Macdonald
, by a majority of only 810. Four years later, at the 1970 election
, she regained the seat with a majority of 3363.
Constituency boundary changes implemented in the February 1974 general election
encouraged Hornsby-Smith to allow Roger Sims
to stand for Chislehurst, and to compete instead for the new constituency of Sidcup
. However, Edward Heath
also selected to run for Sidcup so Hornsby-Smith stood in another new seat; Aldridge-Brownhills
. She lost to the Labour candidate Geoffrey Edge
by just 366 votes.
Hornsby-Smith was subsequently elevated to a life peerage in May that year as Baroness Hornsby-Smith, of Chislehurst in the County of Kent
.
, played by Sylvestra Le Touzel
.
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...
.
Early life and education
Margaret Patricia Hornsby-Smith was born 17 March 1918 in East SheenEast Sheen
East Sheen, also known as 'Sheen', is an affluent suburb of London, England in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It forms part of the London post town in the SW postcode area....
, the second child and only daughter of shopkeeper Frederick Charles Hornsby-Smith, a saddle dealer and master
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
umbrella maker, and his wife, Ellen Minter.
She was educated at the local elementary school, and at Richmond County School for Girls
Richmond County School for Girls
Richmond County School for Girls was a school in what is now the London Borough of Richmond, once noted for the fact that its female pupils played cricket, and from which a number of female cricketers emerged some of whom went on to play for England.-History:The school had its origins in the...
. After leaving school she worked as a private secretary for several firms and for an employers' federation. Her interest in politics was established early and she joined the Junior Imperial League at the age of sixteen. The following year she was invited to join the Conservative Party’s supporting team of speakers for the 1931 election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
campaign.
During the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
she also undertook voluntary work. In 1941 she took a job in the civil service as Principal Private Secretary
Principal Private Secretary
In the British Civil Service and Australian Public Service the Principal Private Secretary is the civil servant who runs a cabinet minister's private office...
to Lord Selborne
Roundell Palmer, 3rd Earl of Selborne
Roundell Cecil Palmer, 3rd Earl of Selborne, CH, PC was a British Conservative politician, known as Viscount Wolmer from 1895 to 1941....
, the minister of economic warfare, a post she held until the end of the war.
Political career
Her political career took off after the war. She was elected for a term on Barnes councilMunicipal Borough of Barnes
Barnes was a local government district in north west Surrey from 1894 to 1965.It was formed as an urban district in 1894 and became a municipal borough in 1932....
where she served from 1945 – 1949.
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...
, she was elected as 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,...
for Chislehurst
Chislehurst (UK Parliament constituency)
Chislehurst was a parliamentary constituency in what is now the London Borough of Bromley. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, winning a majority of only 167 votes over the sitting Labour
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...
MP, George Wallace.
She was re-elected at the next four general elections (1951
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...
, 1955
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
, 1959
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
, 1964
United Kingdom general election, 1964
The United Kingdom general election of 1964 was held on 15 October 1964, more than five years after the preceding election, and thirteen years after the Conservative Party had retaken power...
), served as Parliamentary Secretary 1951 – 1957 and was made a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1959. In 1964 she presented the Nurses Act to Parliament. At the 1966 election
United Kingdom general election, 1966
The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs...
, she lost her seat to Labour's Alistair Macdonald
Alistair Macdonald
Alistair Huistean Macdonald was a British Labour Party politician.Macdonald was educated at Dulwich College, Enfield Technical College and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He was a bank clerk and area treasurer of the National Union of Bank Employees...
, by a majority of only 810. Four years later, at the 1970 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...
, she regained the seat with a majority of 3363.
Constituency boundary changes implemented in the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
encouraged Hornsby-Smith to allow Roger Sims
Roger Sims
Roger Edward Sims is a British Conservative politician. He was MP for Chislehurst between February 1974 and May 1997, when he retired.- References :...
to stand for Chislehurst, and to compete instead for the new constituency of Sidcup
Sidcup (UK Parliament constituency)
Sidcup was a parliamentary constituency centred on Sidcup, an outer suburb of London in the London Borough of Bexley. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
. However, Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
also selected to run for Sidcup so Hornsby-Smith stood in another new seat; Aldridge-Brownhills
Aldridge-Brownhills (UK Parliament constituency)
Aldridge-Brownhills is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
. She lost to the Labour candidate Geoffrey Edge
Geoffrey Edge
Geoffrey Edge was British Labour Party politician.Geoffrey Edge was born in West Bromwich and educated at the London School of Economics. He then became a university lecturer. Edge was Member of Parliament for Aldridge-Brownhills from 1974 to 1979, when he lost the seat to the Conservative Richard...
by just 366 votes.
Hornsby-Smith was subsequently elevated to a life peerage in May that year as Baroness Hornsby-Smith, of Chislehurst in the County of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Other activities
She was portrayed as a character in the 2008 drama The Long Walk to FinchleyThe Long Walk to Finchley
Margaret Thatcher - The Long Walk to Finchley, subtitled in the initial credits How Maggie Might Have Done It, is a 2008 BBC Four television drama based on the early political career of the young Margaret Thatcher , from her attempts to gain a seat in Dartford in 1949 via invasion to her first...
, played by Sylvestra Le Touzel
Sylvestra Le Touzel
Sylvestra Le Touzel is a British television, film and stage actor who was born on Jersey in the Channel Islands and raised in Kensington, London. She was schooled in East Acton.-TV:...
.
External links
- Patricia Hornsby-Smith pictures at the National Portrait Gallery, London