Sir Peter Garnett Agnew, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Commander
Sir Peter Garnett Agnew, 1st Baronet (9 July 1900 – 26 August 1990) was an officer in the Royal Navy
and a Conservative Party
politician.
, Cheshire
, the second of four sons born to Charles Leonard Agnew, a stockbroker, and Alice Rowley Nelson. Educated at Repton School
, he entered the Royal Navy on 25 October 1918, trained at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
, and was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant
on 15 May 1921.
Receiving promotion to lieutenant
on 15 April 1923, he served on the sloop on the China Station
from August 1923 until January 1925, before serving on the battlecruiser from March 1926 until July 1927. After a term as Aide-de-camp to the Governor of Jamaica, he was assigned to the battleship in August 1928, transferring to the Royal Yacht
in May 1930. On 15 April 1931 he was promoted to lieutenant-commander
, but retired from the Navy on 29 May at his own request.
(MP) for the Camborne
constituency in Cornwall
, at the 1931 general election
. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
to Walter Runciman
, the President of the Board of Trade, in 1935-37, and to Sir Philip Sassoon, First Commissioner of Works
, in 1937-39. He was an Assistant Government Whip
in May–July 1945, and held the Conservative Whip from August 1945 until February 1950. Agnew held the seat until the constituency's abolition at the 1950 general election
. He contested the constituency of Falmouth and Camborne, but lost to Harold Hayman
.
of the destroyer in March–October 1940, and was promoted to commander
on 9 July 1940. He was in command of the destroyer from November 1940 to March 1941, receiving a Mention in Despatches on 1 January 1941. He then served aboard the heavy cruiser
from May 1941 until August 1942. From January 1943 until June 1944 he was on the staff of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich
.
at the 1955 general election
as MP for South Worcestershire, and was re-elected there until his retirement at the 1966 general election
.
, 1935–65, a Church Commissioner
for England, 1948–68, and a trustee of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, 1968-.
He served as chairman of the Iran Society, 1966–73, and received the Order of Homayoun
from Iran in 1973.
From 1974 to 1976, Agnew was President of the European Documentation and Information Centre (CEDI)
, and was awarded the Order of Civil Merit (Orden del Mérito Civil) from Spain in 1977.
.
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Sir Peter Garnett Agnew, 1st Baronet (9 July 1900 – 26 August 1990) was an officer in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and a Conservative Party
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.
Education and naval career
Agnew was born in BucklowBucklow (hundred)
The hundred of Bucklow was an ancient division of the historic county of Cheshire, in northern England. It was known to have been in existence at least as early as 1260, and it was formed from the earlier Domesday hundreds of Bochelau and Tunendune.-Courts:...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, the second of four sons born to Charles Leonard Agnew, a stockbroker, and Alice Rowley Nelson. Educated at Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
, he entered the Royal Navy on 25 October 1918, trained at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
, and was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
on 15 May 1921.
Receiving promotion to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 15 April 1923, he served on the sloop on the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
from August 1923 until January 1925, before serving on the battlecruiser from March 1926 until July 1927. After a term as Aide-de-camp to the Governor of Jamaica, he was assigned to the battleship in August 1928, transferring to the Royal Yacht
Royal Yacht
A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head...
in May 1930. On 15 April 1931 he was promoted to lieutenant-commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
, but retired from the Navy on 29 May at his own request.
Election to Parliament
Agnew was elected as Member of ParliamentMember 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,...
(MP) for the Camborne
Camborne (UK Parliament constituency)
Camborne was a county constituency in Cornwall which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
constituency in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, at the 1931 general 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...
. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to Walter Runciman
Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount Runciman of Doxford
Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount Runciman of Doxford PC was a prominent Liberal, later National Liberal politician in the United Kingdom from the 1900s until the 1930s.-Background:...
, the President of the Board of Trade, in 1935-37, and to Sir Philip Sassoon, First Commissioner of Works
First Commissioner of Works
The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public...
, in 1937-39. He was an Assistant Government 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...
in May–July 1945, and held the Conservative Whip from August 1945 until February 1950. Agnew held the seat until the constituency's abolition 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...
. He contested the constituency of Falmouth and Camborne, but lost to Harold Hayman
Harold Hayman
Frank Harold Hayman was a British Labour Party politician.He joined the staff of Cornwall County Council in 1913, working as a clerk, and became a District Education Officer for Redruth in 1920...
.
World War II
Agnew returned to naval service in August 1939. He was Executive OfficerExecutive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
of the destroyer in March–October 1940, and was promoted to commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
on 9 July 1940. He was in command of the destroyer from November 1940 to March 1941, receiving a Mention in Despatches on 1 January 1941. He then served aboard the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
from May 1941 until August 1942. From January 1943 until June 1944 he was on the staff of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Old Royal Naval College
The Old Royal Naval College is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as being of “outstanding universal value” and reckoned to be the “finest and most...
.
Return to Parliament
He re-entered the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
at the 1955 general election
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...
as MP for South Worcestershire, and was re-elected there until his retirement at the 1966 general 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...
.
Other activities
Agnew was a Member of the House of Laity in the Church of England AssemblyGeneral Synod of the Church of England
The General Synod is the deliberative and legislative body of the Church of England. The synod was instituted in 1970, replacing the Church Assembly, and is the culmination of a process of rediscovering self-government for the Church of England that had started in the 1850s.- Church Assembly: 1919...
, 1935–65, a Church Commissioner
Church Commissioners
The Church Commissioners is a body managing the historic property assets of the Church of England. It was set up in 1948 combining the assets of Queen Anne's Bounty, a fund dating from 1704 for the relief of poor clergy, and of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners formed in 1836...
for England, 1948–68, and a trustee of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, 1968-.
He served as chairman of the Iran Society, 1966–73, and received the Order of Homayoun
Order of the Lion and the Sun
The Order of the Lion and the Sun was instituted by Fat’h Ali Shah of the Qajar Dynasty in 1808 to honour foreign officials who had rendered distinguished services to Persia. In 1925, under the Pahlavi dynasty the Order continued as the Order of Homayoun with new insignia, though based on the...
from Iran in 1973.
From 1974 to 1976, Agnew was President of the European Documentation and Information Centre (CEDI)
European Documentation and Information Centre
The European Documentation and Information Centre was founded in 1952 on the occasion of a first international congress in Santander...
, and was awarded the Order of Civil Merit (Orden del Mérito Civil) from Spain in 1977.
Baronetage
He was made a Baronet, of Clendry, in the County of Wigtown in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 31 January 1957. After his death in 1990 at the age of 90, he was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son, Sir Quentin Agnew-Somerville, 2nd Baronet, father of the actress Geraldine SomervilleGeraldine Somerville
Geraldine Margaret Agnew-Somerville is a British actress best known for her roles as Detective Sergeant Jane "Panhandle" Penhaligon in Cracker, and Lily Potter in the Harry Potter film series.-Early life:...
.