Sir Ernest Ridley Debenham, 1st Baronet (26 May 1865 – 25 December 1952), was an English businessman. He was responsible for the considerable expansion of the family's retail and wholesale drapery firm between 1892 and 1927.

Biography

Born at 42

Wigmore Street Wigmore Street is a street in the City of Westminster, in the West End of London. The street runs for about 600 yards parallel and to the north of Oxford Street between Portman Square to the west and Cavendish Square to the east. It is named afte ...

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary. An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...

, he was the son of Frank Debenham and his wife Emma Folkard ''née'' Ridley. Educated at

Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...

and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

, At the age of 27 he joined the successful business of Debenham & Co., which had been run by his grandfather and father. His restructuring activities led to the splitting of the manufacturing from the retail side of the business, under the name Debenham & Freebody (Freebody was the maiden name of his grandmother). He effected a merger with Marshall & Snelgrove as well as a takeover of Harvey Nichols. He was noted for his paternalistic attitude towards his staff, providing medical and educational support. He was also a pioneer in the dairy industry. On 8 November 1892 he married Cicely Kenrick (1869–1950), daughter of William Kenrick (Birmingham MP), William Kenrick. The couple had eight children, including the artist Alison Debenham. Debenham had an interest in politics, and was a supporter of the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party. Although he considered entering parliament, his business interests prevented this. He did enter local politics, however. He was a member of Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone, St Marylebone Borough Council, serving as mayor of the borough in 1910–12. He was also a member of the London County Council. He was elected unopposed at a by-election on 28 February 1912 for the Conservative-backed Municipal Reform Party, Municipal Reform party to represent the Marylebone East (UK Parliament constituency), Marylebone East division, remaining a councillor until 1919. On his retirement in 1927 he sold most of his shares in the firm for £1.8M, so severing his family's connections with the retail chain that still bears his name. He devoted the rest of his life to dairy farming on his estates in Dorset. He was created a baronet, of Bladen in the County of Dorset, in 1931. He died on Christmas Day 1952 at Moor Lane House, Briantspuddle, Dorset, and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son, Sir Piers Debenham, Piers Kenrick Debenham, born in 1904.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Debenham, Ernest 1865 births 1952 deaths People educated at Marlborough College Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge English businesspeople in retailing Debenhams Members of London County Council Municipal Reform Party politicians Mayors of places in Greater London Members of St Marylebone Metropolitan Borough Council Conservative Party (UK) councillors