Maurice Petherick
British politician (1894–1985)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maurice Petherick (5 October 1894 – 4 August 1985) [1] was a British Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Penryn & Falmouth from 1931 to 1945, and as Financial Secretary to the War Office, briefly, in 1945.
Maurice Petherick | |
|---|---|
Petherick in 1947 | |
| Member of Parliament for Penryn and Falmouth | |
| In office 27 October 1931 – 15 June 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Tudor Walters |
| Succeeded by | Evelyn King |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 October 1894 |
| Died | 4 August 1985 (aged 90) |
| Party | Conservative |
Early life
He was born on 5 October 1894, the son of George Tallack Petherick (b. 1860) and Edith Petherick, his wife.[2] He was educated at Marlborough College and Trinity College, Cambridge.
Military service
During the Great War, he was a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Devon Yeomanry[citation needed][clarification needed] 1914 but was invalided out in 1915. He served in Foreign Office, 1916–17; he was recommissioned Royal Scots Greys, 1917 and served in France, 1918. In October 1939, he was recommissioned to the General List Army, as a Captain and promoted to Temporary Major.
Parliamentary service
Having contested the parliamentary seat of Penryn & Falmouth in 1929, as a Conservative,[3][4] he was elected as MP in that division in the General Elections of 1931[5][6] and 1935[7]
He was one of the MPs, who, in 1945, opposed the Yalta agreement, because of the treatment of Poland.[8] He was Financial Secretary to the War Office from 26 May 1945 to 4 August 1945, in the "Caretaker Government".
In the 1945 General Election, he was defeated by the Labour candidate, Evelyn King.
Other activities
Between 1953 and 1971, he was a Director of the Prudential Assurance Co. Ltd. He was High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1957. He wrote two novels and a collective biography of "rogues".
He died on 4 August 1985. At his death, his residence was Porthpean House,[9] Lower Porthpean, St Austell, Cornwall. The garden that he developed there is still famous.
Publications
- 1932: Captain Culverin. London: Ernest Benn (novel)
- 1943: Victoire: a novel. London: Macmillan
- 1951: Restoration Rogues; with plates, including portraits. London: Hollis & Carter (On Thomas Blood, William Bedloe, Ralph Montagu, Thomas Dangerfield, Edward Fitzharris[10] and Barbara Villiers.)
