Sir Percy Harris, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Percy Alfred Harris, 1st Baronet PC
(6 March 1876 – 28 June 1952) was a British Liberal Party
politician.
Born in Kensington
, Harris was educated at Harrow
and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
and was called to the bar. His Krakow
-born father, Wolf Harris, (1833 – 1926) had established the successful business of Bing, Harris in New Zealand in 1858.
He was first elected to Parliament
for the Harborough constituency
at a by-election
in 1916 but lost the seat at the 1918 general election
.
In the 1922 general election
Harris won the Bethnal Green South West
constituency; he held the seat until his defeat at the 1945 general election
by the Labour
candidate Percy Holman
. After the loss of his parliamentary seat he remained politically active and served on the London County Council
until the year of his death. He played a key role in the formation of Liberal International
in 1947 and was President of the British Council of LI
.
Harris served as Liberal Chief Whip
1933-45 and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Parliamentary Party.
On 14 January 1932 Harris was made the 1st Baronet of London. In 1940 he was appointed a Privy Counsellor.
In 1901 he married Marguerite Frieda Bloxam
(1877 – 1962). In the 1930s Frieda Harris became an associate of the occultist Aleister Crowley
and designed the Thoth Tarot with him.
In 1946 he published his autobiography, Forty Years In and Out of Parliament, Fleet Street Press.
On his death in Kensington aged 76 in 1952, the baronetcy was inherited by his son Sir Jack Harris (23 July 1906 – 26 August 2009).
His great-grandson is the former Liberal Democrat
Member of Parliament Matthew Taylor; but Taylor, adopted at birth, only discovered the fact in early 2008.
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...
(6 March 1876 – 28 June 1952) was a British 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...
politician.
Born in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, Harris was educated at Harrow
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...
and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
and was called to the bar. His Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
-born father, Wolf Harris, (1833 – 1926) had established the successful business of Bing, Harris in New Zealand in 1858.
He was first elected to Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
for the Harborough constituency
Harborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Harborough is a county 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.-Boundaries:...
at a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in 1916 but lost the seat at the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
.
In the 1922 general election
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...
Harris won the Bethnal Green South West
Bethnal Green South West (UK Parliament constituency)
Bethnal Green South West was a constituency in London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
constituency; he held the seat until his defeat at the 1945 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
by the 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...
candidate Percy Holman
Percy Holman
Percy Holman was a British Labour and Co-operative politician.Holman was educated at Mill Hill School and the London School of Economics. He served in World War I with the Red Cross in France, 1915-18. He took up a career as a paper merchant.Holman was a councillor on Middlesex County Council...
. After the loss of his parliamentary seat he remained politically active and served on the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
until the year of his death. He played a key role in the formation of Liberal International
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
in 1947 and was President of the British Council of LI
Liberal International British Group
The Liberal International British Group is a UK organisation which promotes the work of The Liberal International and assists with contacts between UK Liberal Democrats and worldwide Liberal movements...
.
Harris served as Liberal Chief Whip
Chief Whip
The Chief Whip is a political office in some legislatures assigned to an elected member whose task is to administer the whipping system that ensures that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires.-The Whips Office:...
1933-45 and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Parliamentary Party.
On 14 January 1932 Harris was made the 1st Baronet of London. In 1940 he was appointed a Privy Counsellor.
In 1901 he married Marguerite Frieda Bloxam
Frieda Harris
[Marguerite] Frieda Harris was an artist, an occult magician, and, after she met him at age 60, an associate and friend of the author and occultist Aleister Crowley...
(1877 – 1962). In the 1930s Frieda Harris became an associate of the occultist Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
and designed the Thoth Tarot with him.
In 1946 he published his autobiography, Forty Years In and Out of Parliament, Fleet Street Press.
On his death in Kensington aged 76 in 1952, the baronetcy was inherited by his son Sir Jack Harris (23 July 1906 – 26 August 2009).
His great-grandson is the former Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
Member of Parliament Matthew Taylor; but Taylor, adopted at birth, only discovered the fact in early 2008.