Paul Bryan
Encyclopedia
Sir Paul Elmore Oliver Bryan DSO
MC
(3 August 1913 – 11 October 2004) was a British
Conservative
politician.
Bryan was born in Karuizawa
, Japan
, the seventh of nine children of The Rev Ingram Bryan. He lived in Japan until he was eight and then returned to England and was educated at St John's School, Leatherhead
. He studied Modern Languages at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
where he took great interest in sport, playing cricket and rugby - he was scrum half in the college rugby team where he played alongside his friend Iain Macleod
, the future Tory Chancellor. After graduating he worked in Halifax, Yorkshire, where he met his first wife Betty Hoyle. They were married in 1939.
Paul Bryan had a distinguaished wartime career. He served with he Royal West Kent Regiment during World War II
. He entered as a private soldier and attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel gaining the Military Cross
and the Distinguished Service Order
. In 1942 he fought first in North Africa as part of the Torch Landings. He was given command of 6th Battalion for the invasion of Sicily and then Italy in September 1943. For his "outstanding" leadership shown in the capture of Centuripe, Bronte and Monte Rivoglia in Sicily, he was awarded a DSO. After leading his battalion at Monte Cassino
, he finished the war as commandant of a training unit established at Barmouth, Wales. Here he brought his wartime colleagues Denis Forman and Fred Majdelaney as instructors.
After the war he worked in Sowerby Bridge where he started to take an interest in politics. He contested Sowerby
in 1949, 1950 and 1951.
In 1955 he became Member of Parliament
for Howden
in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and later for Boothferry
from 1983 until he retired in 1987. In 1956 Edward Heath
, then Chief Whip, invited him to become a whip. He was vice-chairman of the Conservative Party 1961-65, a whip
1956 and 1958–61, and Minister for Employment from 1970 to 1972. Bryan was one of the first Tory MPs after the Labour victories of 1974 to suggest openly that it was time for Edward Heath to go. In the leadership contest of 1975, he served on William Whitelaw's campaign committee. He was captain of the Parliamentary Golf Society and vice-chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee from 1977 to 1987.
Through his wartime friend Denis Forman
he became involved in Granada Television
where Sidney Bernstein invited him to be on the board. He put together the consortium which won the licence for Piccadilly Radio in Manchester. He was chairman of Croydon Cable Television from 1985.
Having been brought up in The Far East he took a great interest in Japan and China. He was chairman of the All-Party Hong Kong Parliamentary Group from 1974 to 1987. He made many friends among political leaders and businessmen both in the colony and in mainland China. He took Chris Patten
on his first visit to Hong Kong and later took great interest in the negotiations for the transfer of the colony to China. He took a practical approach to the negotiations. He had immense sympathy for the people of Hong Kong but believed that a handover to China was unavoidable; at the same time, he remained optimistic about the prospects for the colony under Chinese rule.
He was immensely proud of his three daughters: Dr Elizabeth Bryan, a distinguished Paediatrian, Felicity Bryan
, a literary agent and writer, and Bernadette Hingley who was one of the first women priests in the Church of England.
In 1971 he married Cynthia Duncan, the widow of Patrick Duncan and gained four stepchildren: Patrick Duncan, Alex Duncan, Ann Duncan and Emma Duncan.
He had a passion for Golf which he learned from his first father-in-law James Hoyle. He played regularly at Ganton Golf Course until his last years. He was President of Ganton Golf Club
. While he never considered himself a good golfer, he gained fame in 1962 by hitting two holes-in-one in one round. After his death, members of the club placed a bench, inscribed with his name, on the beautiful course from which you can see both the holes. He became a Knight Bachelor
in 1972.
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...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(3 August 1913 – 11 October 2004) was a British
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...
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...
politician.
Bryan was born in Karuizawa
Karuizawa, Nagano
is a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.As of January 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population of 17,833 and has a total area of ....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the seventh of nine children of The Rev Ingram Bryan. He lived in Japan until he was eight and then returned to England and was educated at St John's School, Leatherhead
Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
. He studied Modern Languages at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
where he took great interest in sport, playing cricket and rugby - he was scrum half in the college rugby team where he played alongside his friend Iain Macleod
Iain Macleod
Iain Norman Macleod was a British Conservative Party politician and government minister.-Early life:...
, the future Tory Chancellor. After graduating he worked in Halifax, Yorkshire, where he met his first wife Betty Hoyle. They were married in 1939.
Paul Bryan had a distinguaished wartime career. He served with he Royal West Kent Regiment during World War II
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...
. He entered as a private soldier and attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel gaining the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
and 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 1942 he fought first in North Africa as part of the Torch Landings. He was given command of 6th Battalion for the invasion of Sicily and then Italy in September 1943. For his "outstanding" leadership shown in the capture of Centuripe, Bronte and Monte Rivoglia in Sicily, he was awarded a DSO. After leading his battalion at Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
, he finished the war as commandant of a training unit established at Barmouth, Wales. Here he brought his wartime colleagues Denis Forman and Fred Majdelaney as instructors.
After the war he worked in Sowerby Bridge where he started to take an interest in politics. He contested Sowerby
Sowerby (UK Parliament constituency)
Sowerby was a county constituency centred on the village of Sowerby in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
in 1949, 1950 and 1951.
In 1955 he became 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 Howden
Howden (UK Parliament constituency)
Howden was a constituency in Yorkshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and later for Boothferry
Boothferry (UK Parliament constituency)
Boothferry was a constituency in Humberside which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 1983 general election, and abolished for the 1997 general election.-History:...
from 1983 until he retired in 1987. In 1956 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 ....
, then Chief Whip, invited him to become a whip. He was vice-chairman of the Conservative Party 1961-65, a whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
1956 and 1958–61, and Minister for Employment from 1970 to 1972. Bryan was one of the first Tory MPs after the Labour victories of 1974 to suggest openly that it was time for Edward Heath to go. In the leadership contest of 1975, he served on William Whitelaw's campaign committee. He was captain of the Parliamentary Golf Society and vice-chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee from 1977 to 1987.
Through his wartime friend Denis Forman
Denis Forman
Sir Denis Forman is a former executive in the British film and television industry.-Career:Forman was born in 1917 at Cragielands in Dumfries and educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge. Forman had a distinguished military career during the Second World War and was wounded at Monte Cassino. After...
he became involved in Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
where Sidney Bernstein invited him to be on the board. He put together the consortium which won the licence for Piccadilly Radio in Manchester. He was chairman of Croydon Cable Television from 1985.
Having been brought up in The Far East he took a great interest in Japan and China. He was chairman of the All-Party Hong Kong Parliamentary Group from 1974 to 1987. He made many friends among political leaders and businessmen both in the colony and in mainland China. He took Chris Patten
Chris Patten
Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust....
on his first visit to Hong Kong and later took great interest in the negotiations for the transfer of the colony to China. He took a practical approach to the negotiations. He had immense sympathy for the people of Hong Kong but believed that a handover to China was unavoidable; at the same time, he remained optimistic about the prospects for the colony under Chinese rule.
He was immensely proud of his three daughters: Dr Elizabeth Bryan, a distinguished Paediatrian, Felicity Bryan
Felicity Bryan
Felicity Bryan is founder of Felicity Bryan Associates, a literary agency based in Oxford. She is co-founder of the Laurence Stern Fellowship on the Washington Post.Bryan, the second of three daughters of Paul Bryan and Betty Bryan, was brought up in Yorkshire...
, a literary agent and writer, and Bernadette Hingley who was one of the first women priests in the Church of England.
In 1971 he married Cynthia Duncan, the widow of Patrick Duncan and gained four stepchildren: Patrick Duncan, Alex Duncan, Ann Duncan and Emma Duncan.
He had a passion for Golf which he learned from his first father-in-law James Hoyle. He played regularly at Ganton Golf Course until his last years. He was President of Ganton Golf Club
Ganton Golf Club
Ganton Golf Club is an 18-hole golf course in Ganton, North Yorkshire, England.Founded in 1891, the course was initially designed by Tom Chisholm and Robert Bird, but modifications to the course have been made since by a number of people including James Braid, Alister MacKenzie, Harry Colt, John...
. While he never considered himself a good golfer, he gained fame in 1962 by hitting two holes-in-one in one round. After his death, members of the club placed a bench, inscribed with his name, on the beautiful course from which you can see both the holes. He became a Knight Bachelor
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 1972.