Percivall Pott (politician)
Encyclopedia
Henry Percivall Pott, usually known as H. Percivall Pott (29 March 1908 – 17 January 1964) was a British
farmer, company director and politician. He concentrated in his political career on agricultural issues, and was a fairly low-profile backbench Member of Parliament for nine years.
, a pioneering surgeon of the 18th century. His father retired as a London stockbroker to live at Upham. After education at Oundle School
, Henry Percivall began working on a farm in Northamptonshire
. He was at one time Farm Manager to the Duke of Gloucester at Barnwell. In 1936 Pott was elected to the Northamptonshire County Executive Committee of the National Farmers Union. He specialised in farming poultry
and in 1938 he was chosen as part of a delegation from the National Poultry Council to the Danish National Agricultural Exhibition.
from 1941, and achieved the rank of Squadron Leader. In 1946, after he was discharged from the RAFVR, Pott married Mary Larkworthy, who had also been a member of the National Poultry Council delegation eight years before. He moved to Hampshire where he was on the Hampshire County Executive of the NFU from 1947 to 1952. He was also on the Estate Management Committee of the Hampshire Agricultural Executive Committee from 1948 to 1953.
. He was elected to Hampshire County Council
in 1949, and became a Justice of the Peace
in 1951. His business involvement also extended to two Water companies: he was a Director of the Mid-Wessex Water Company and became Chairman of Wey Valley Water Company.
When Christopher Hollis
announced his retirement as Member of Parliament
for Devizes
, Pott was selected to follow him as Conservative candidate. The Times
analysis of the election prospects noted that the seat had a Conservative majority of only 1,577 and that Labour prospects were helped by the building of overspill housing from Swindon
. The Labour candidate was also a farmer. However, Pott kept the seat Conservative and increased the majority to 2,075.
for sanction for their actions, then no-one of any calibre would get involved in local government. He also signed a motion opposing the "Suez Group" which supported the development of an economic and politically based organisation behind NATO.
At the 1959 general election
Pott faced down a renewed Labour onslaught which tried to gain the seat. He increased the majority to 3,838, with the help of an unofficial Liberal
candidate intervening. In May 1960 he tried to stop Esso
building an oil pipeline between its refinery at Fawley
and London Heathrow Airport
.
in 1962. In 1963 Pott announced that he would not fight the next election, but in the end he was found dead in bed at his London flat in January 1964 before Parliament had been dissolved.
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...
farmer, company director and politician. He concentrated in his political career on agricultural issues, and was a fairly low-profile backbench Member of Parliament for nine years.
Entry to farming
Pott was descended from Percivall PottPercivall Pott
Sir Percivall Pott London, England) was an English surgeon, one of the founders of orthopedy, and the first scientist to demonstrate that a cancer may be caused by an environmental carcinogen.-Life:...
, a pioneering surgeon of the 18th century. His father retired as a London stockbroker to live at Upham. After education at Oundle School
Oundle School
Oundle School is a co-educational British public school located in the ancient market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire. The school has been maintained by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City of London since its foundation in 1556. Oundle has eight boys' houses, five girls' houses, a day...
, Henry Percivall began working on a farm in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. He was at one time Farm Manager to the Duke of Gloucester at Barnwell. In 1936 Pott was elected to the Northamptonshire County Executive Committee of the National Farmers Union. He specialised in farming poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
and in 1938 he was chosen as part of a delegation from the National Poultry Council to the Danish National Agricultural Exhibition.
Wartime
During the Second World War, Pott served in the Royal Air Force Volunteer ReserveRoyal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
from 1941, and achieved the rank of Squadron Leader. In 1946, after he was discharged from the RAFVR, Pott married Mary Larkworthy, who had also been a member of the National Poultry Council delegation eight years before. He moved to Hampshire where he was on the Hampshire County Executive of the NFU from 1947 to 1952. He was also on the Estate Management Committee of the Hampshire Agricultural Executive Committee from 1948 to 1953.
Politics
Meanwhile Pott became involved in politics as a member of the Conservative PartyConservative 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...
. He was elected to Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Hampshire in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are district councils, and town and parish councils...
in 1949, and became a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
in 1951. His business involvement also extended to two Water companies: he was a Director of the Mid-Wessex Water Company and became Chairman of Wey Valley Water Company.
When Christopher Hollis
Christopher Hollis
Maurice Christopher Hollis, known as Christopher Hollis was a British schoolmaster, university teacher, author and Conservative politician.-Life:...
announced his retirement 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 Devizes
Devizes (UK Parliament constituency)
Devizes is a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire, England, which is now represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and before 1707 in the House of Commons of England....
, Pott was selected to follow him as Conservative candidate. 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...
analysis of the election prospects noted that the seat had a Conservative majority of only 1,577 and that Labour prospects were helped by the building of overspill housing from Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
. The Labour candidate was also a farmer. However, Pott kept the seat Conservative and increased the majority to 2,075.
Parliament
As many expected, Pott concentrated on agriculture issues in the House of Commons. He spoke rarely, and remained loyal to the Conservative Party, casting no dissenting votes against the Conservative whip. In December 1957, he welcomed the Local Government Bill and observed that if local authorities had to look to WhitehallWhitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
for sanction for their actions, then no-one of any calibre would get involved in local government. He also signed a motion opposing the "Suez Group" which supported the development of an economic and politically based organisation behind NATO.
At the 1959 general election
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...
Pott faced down a renewed Labour onslaught which tried to gain the seat. He increased the majority to 3,838, with the help of an unofficial Liberal
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...
candidate intervening. In May 1960 he tried to stop Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
building an oil pipeline between its refinery at Fawley
Fawley, Hampshire
Fawley is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It is situated in the New Forest on the western shore of the Solent, approximately 7 miles south of Southampton. Fawley is also the site of an oil refinery, operated by Exxon-Mobil, which is the largest facility of its kind in the United...
and London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
.
Death
His Parliamentary activity was reduced by illness, although he did speak in support of the Conservative candidate in the Chippenham by-electionChippenham by-election, 1962
A by-election was held for the British House of Commons constituency of Chippenham, Wiltshire, England, on 22 November 1962.It was won by the Conservative Party candidate, Daniel Awdry.-External links:*-See also:* Chippenham by-election, 1943...
in 1962. In 1963 Pott announced that he would not fight the next election, but in the end he was found dead in bed at his London flat in January 1964 before Parliament had been dissolved.