Stuart Bevan
Encyclopedia
Stuart James Bevan was a British
barrister
and Conservative
politician.
Bevan was educated at St Paul's School and Trinity College, Cambridge
, was called to the Bar at Middle Temple
in 1895, and took silk in 1919. He was made a Bencher
of his Inn, and in 1932 became Recorder
for Bristol
. He mainly practised in the Commercial Court.
In 1928 there was a vacancy for the parliamentary constituency of Holborn
when the sitting MP, Sir James Remnant
, was raised to the peerage. Bevan was chosen as the Conservative candidate to contest the resulting by-election. His candidature was opposed by a section of the local party as he had no links to the area, and they threatened to run an Independent candidate against him. In the event they were unable to find a suitable candidate, and Bevan was elected as Member of Parliament
(MP) For Holborn with a majority of 4,127. A general election was called in the following year
, and the split of 1928 re-emerged: a large part of the local Conservative organisation supporting the candidature of a local county councillor. Bevan, however, held the seat with an increased majority of 5,563. At the next election in 1931
he increased his vote, with a margin of 13,178 votes over his Labour
opponent.
In October 1935 it was announced that Bevan would not be standing for re-election to parliament, and Sir Robert Tasker was chosen to succeed him as Conservative candidate for the constituency. He had become ill, and was unable to complete attendance at a trial. He died in his flat at St James's Place, Westminster on 25 October, aged 63.
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...
barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and 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.
Bevan was educated at St Paul's School and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, was called to the Bar at Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1895, and took silk in 1919. He was made a Bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
of his Inn, and in 1932 became Recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
for Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. He mainly practised in the Commercial Court.
In 1928 there was a vacancy for the parliamentary constituency of Holborn
Holborn (UK Parliament constituency)
Holborn was a parliamentary constituency centred on the Holborn district of Central London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
when the sitting MP, Sir James Remnant
James Remnant, 1st Baron Remnant
James Farquharson Remnant, 1st Baron Remnant CBE , known as Sir James Remnant, 1st Baronet, from 1917 to 1928, was a British Conservative politician....
, was raised to the peerage. Bevan was chosen as the Conservative candidate to contest the resulting by-election. His candidature was opposed by a section of the local party as he had no links to the area, and they threatened to run an Independent candidate against him. In the event they were unable to find a suitable candidate, and Bevan was elected 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,...
(MP) For Holborn with a majority of 4,127. A general election was called in the following year
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, and the split of 1928 re-emerged: a large part of the local Conservative organisation supporting the candidature of a local county councillor. Bevan, however, held the seat with an increased majority of 5,563. At the next election in 1931
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 increased his vote, with a margin of 13,178 votes over his 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...
opponent.
In October 1935 it was announced that Bevan would not be standing for re-election to parliament, and Sir Robert Tasker was chosen to succeed him as Conservative candidate for the constituency. He had become ill, and was unable to complete attendance at a trial. He died in his flat at St James's Place, Westminster on 25 October, aged 63.