Roger Nathan, 2nd Baron Nathan
Encyclopedia
Roger Carol Michael Nathan, 2nd Baron Nathan (5 December 1922 – 19 July 2007) was an English
solicitor
and hereditary peer
.
Nathan was the son of Harry Nathan
and his wife Eleanor. His father was a Liberal
politician who joined the Labour Party
in 1934, who was created Baron Nathan
in 1940 after he stood down as MP
for Wandsworth Central
to allow Ernest Bevin
to take the seat.
Nathan was educated at Stowe School
and at New College, Oxford
. He was called up in the Second World War. After studying at Sandhurst
, he was commission in the 17th/21st Lancers
in 1942 and served in North Africa
, Italy
, Austria
and Greece
. He was mention in dispatches, and demobilised as a captain in 1946.
He returned to New College, Oxford, and read law. From 1948, he took his articles
with his father, then on leave as Minister of Civil Aviation, and joined his father's firm, Herbert Oppenheimer Nathan and Vandyk. He became a partner when he qualified in 1950, on the same day as his marriage. He worked on the flotation
s of Sainsbury's and Plessey
on the London Stock Exchange
.
He succeeded his father as the 2nd Baron Nathan
in 1963 and sat on the crossbenches. He become senior partner of Herbert Oppenheimer in 1978. The firm collapsed in 1988, and he joined many of its former partners at Denton Hall Burgin and Warren
, where he was a consultant until 1992.
He was involved in environmental issues, and various charities. He was a member of the Cavalry Club
, and served as Master of the Gardeners' Company. He was chairman and then a vice-president of the Royal Society of Arts
from 1975 to 1977. He was president of the Jewish Welfare Board
from 1967 to 1971, and chairman and later honorary president of the Central British Fund for Jewish Relief and Rehabilitation. He became an honorary Doctor of Laws at the University of Sussex
in 1988.
He lived at Collyers Farm at Lickfold in Sussex
. He was president of the Society of Sussex Downsmen in 1987, and later chairman of the South Downs Conservation Board.
He enjoyed playing the piano and the violin. He also enjoyed horse riding, hunting with the Eridge Hunt and Cowdray Hunt. His memoirs, The Spice of Life, were published in 2003.
He married Philippa Solomon in 1950, daughter of Major J. B. Solomon, MC. They had two daughters and a son. He was succeeded in the barony by his son, Rupert.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and hereditary peer
Hereditary peer
Hereditary peers form part of the Peerage in the United Kingdom. There are over seven hundred peers who hold titles that may be inherited. Formerly, most of them were entitled to sit in the House of Lords, but since the House of Lords Act 1999 only ninety-two are permitted to do so...
.
Nathan was the son of Harry Nathan
Harry Nathan, 1st Baron Nathan
Harry Louis Nathan, 1st Baron Nathan, PC was a Liberal politician, who later joined the Labour Party....
and his wife Eleanor. His father was a 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...
politician who joined the 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...
in 1934, who was created Baron Nathan
Baron Nathan
Baron Nathan, of Churt in the County of Surrey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1940 for the lawyer and politician Harry Nathan...
in 1940 after he stood down as MP
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 Wandsworth Central
Wandsworth Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Wandsworth Central was a parliamentary constituency in the Wandsworth district of South London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
to allow Ernest Bevin
Ernest Bevin
Ernest Bevin was a British trade union leader and Labour politician. He served as general secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union from 1922 to 1945, as Minister of Labour in the war-time coalition government, and as Foreign Secretary in the post-war Labour Government.-Early...
to take the seat.
Nathan was educated at Stowe School
Stowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
and at New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
. He was called up in the Second World War. After studying at Sandhurst
Royal 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...
, he was commission in the 17th/21st Lancers
17th/21st Lancers
The 17th/21st Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1922 to 1993.It was formed in 1922 in England by the amalgamation of the 17th Lancers and the 21st Lancers . From 1930 to 1939 it was deployed overseas; first in Egypt for two years, and then in India for seven...
in 1942 and served in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. He was mention in dispatches, and demobilised as a captain in 1946.
He returned to New College, Oxford, and read law. From 1948, he took his articles
Articled clerk
An articled clerk, also known as an articling student, is an apprentice in a professional firm in Commonwealth countries. Generally the term arises in the accountancy profession and in the legal profession. The articled clerk signs a contract, known as "articles of clerkship", committing to a...
with his father, then on leave as Minister of Civil Aviation, and joined his father's firm, Herbert Oppenheimer Nathan and Vandyk. He became a partner when he qualified in 1950, on the same day as his marriage. He worked on the flotation
Flotation
Flotation involves phenomena related to the relative buoyancy of objects. The term may refer to:* Flotation, any material added to the hull of a watercraft to keep the hull afloat...
s of Sainsbury's and Plessey
Plessey
The Plessey Company plc was a British-based international electronics, defence and telecommunications company. It originated in 1917, growing and diversifying into electronics. It expanded after the second world war by acquisition of companies and formed overseas companies...
on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
.
He succeeded his father as the 2nd Baron Nathan
Baron Nathan
Baron Nathan, of Churt in the County of Surrey, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1940 for the lawyer and politician Harry Nathan...
in 1963 and sat on the crossbenches. He become senior partner of Herbert Oppenheimer in 1978. The firm collapsed in 1988, and he joined many of its former partners at Denton Hall Burgin and Warren
Denton Wilde Sapte
Denton Wilde Sapte LLP was an international law firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. On 26 May 2010, the firm announced that it had reached agreement to merge with the U.S.-based law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal...
, where he was a consultant until 1992.
He was involved in environmental issues, and various charities. He was a member of the Cavalry Club
Cavalry Club
The Cavalry Club was a London gentlemen's club, which was established in 1890. In 1975, it merged with the Guards' Club, and became the Cavalry and Guards Club, which still exists today....
, and served as Master of the Gardeners' Company. He was chairman and then a vice-president of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
from 1975 to 1977. He was president of the Jewish Welfare Board
Jewish Welfare Board
Jewish Welfare Board may refer to:* National Jewish Welfare Board * the UK Jewish Welfare Board, since 1990 part of the charity Jewish Care...
from 1967 to 1971, and chairman and later honorary president of the Central British Fund for Jewish Relief and Rehabilitation. He became an honorary Doctor of Laws at the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
in 1988.
He lived at Collyers Farm at Lickfold in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. He was president of the Society of Sussex Downsmen in 1987, and later chairman of the South Downs Conservation Board.
He enjoyed playing the piano and the violin. He also enjoyed horse riding, hunting with the Eridge Hunt and Cowdray Hunt. His memoirs, The Spice of Life, were published in 2003.
He married Philippa Solomon in 1950, daughter of Major J. B. Solomon, MC. They had two daughters and a son. He was succeeded in the barony by his son, Rupert.