Cyril Raymond Bence (26 November 1902 – 7 September 1992) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

toolmaker, part-time lecturer and politician.

Earlier career

Bence was born near

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, the son of a farmer and meat purveyor. He went to school in Newport, Monmouthshire, but left school when he was 14. After working at first as an articled clerk to a solicitor, he moved into engineering with an apprenticeship at Ashworth, Son and Company, a weighing machine company. He later became a weighing machine manager. During the depression of the 1930s, he went into farming, but in 1938 he moved to

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

to go back into the skilled engineering trade.

Wartime work

He made a name for himself during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

(he was in a 'reserved occupation' not liable to call-up, but was also a pacifist), leading increased production and lecturing to other factories on how to contribute to the war effort. He also served on the

Birmingham Trades Council Birmingham Trades Council is the trades council body which brings together trade unionists from across Birmingham, England. Its headquarters were formerly in Digbeth, with a huge mural above the canteen area depicting the 1972 Battle of Saltley Gat ...

from 1942 to 1945. He was a member of the National Union of Scalemakers, and later joined the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers.

Politics

At the

1945 general election The following elections occurred in the year 1945. Africa * 1945 South-West African legislative election Asia * 1945 Indian general election Australia * 1945 Fremantle by-election Europe * 1945 Albanian parliamentary election * 1945 Bulgaria ...

, Bence was the Labour Party candidate in Birmingham Handsworth. He fought the same seat in the

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

general election and at a by-election in November 1950, but could not defeat the Conservatives.

Parliament

For the 1951 general election, Bence was chosen as candidate by the Labour Party in

East Dunbartonshire East Dunbartonshire ( sco, Aest Dunbartanshire; gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Bhreatainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the north of Glasgow and contains many of the affluent areas to the north of the city, including Bear ...

, a constituency in two parts which included some heavy industry on the north bank of the

River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...

. He kept the seat for Labour, and represented it until he retired at the 1970 general election. Always on the back-benches, Bence served as a member of the Estimates Committee in the 1964-1966 Parliament, and was

Parliamentary Private Secretary A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom who acts as an unpaid assistant to a minister or shadow minister. They are selected from backbench MPs as the 'eyes and ears' of the minister in the H ...

Patrick Gordon Walker Patrick Chrestien Gordon Walker, Baron Gordon-Walker, (7 April 1907 – 2 December 1980) was a British Labour Party politician. He was a Member of Parliament for nearly thirty years, and served twice as a Cabinet Minister. He lost his Smethwi ...

from 1964 and to Anthony Crosland from 1965 to 1967. He played a key role in securing government subsidy for the building of the ''

Queen Elizabeth 2 ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' (''QE2'') is a retired British ocean liner converted into a floating hotel. Originally built for the Cunard Line, the ship, named as the second ship named ''Queen Elizabeth'', was operated by Cunard as both a transatlantic ...

'' ocean liner.

Family

Bence was the father of

Valerie Pearl Valerie Louise Pearl (née Bence; 31 December 1926 – 29 January 2016) was a British historian who was noted for her work on the English Civil War. She was the second President of New Hall, Cambridge. Life Pearl was the daughter of Cyril Bence, ...

, the historian and President of New Hall, Cambridge.

References

* *M. Stenton and S. Lees, "Who's Who of British MPs" Vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981) *Obituary, "The Times", 10 September 1992.
Obituary in the Independent, 8 September 1992

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bence, Cyril 1902 births 1992 deaths Amalgamated Engineering Union-sponsored MPs Scottish Labour MPs UK MPs 1951–1955 UK MPs 1955–1959 UK MPs 1959–1964 UK MPs 1964–1966 UK MPs 1966–1970 People educated at Newport High School