George Clement Tryon, 1st Baron Tryon, PC (15 May 1871 – 24 November 1940) was a British

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician who served in a number of ministerial positions in the inter-war years.

Early life

George Clement Tryon was son of Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon and Clementina Heathcote, daughter of Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baron Aveland.'Lord Tryon: Unselfish political service' (obit.), ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'', 25 November 1940, p. 7 Educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC) was a United Kingdom, British military academy for training infantry and cavalry Officer (armed forces), officers of the British Army, British and British Indian Army, Indian Armies. It was founded in 1801 at Gre ...

, Tryon joined the

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

in 1890, serving for sixteen years before retiring as major.

Career

Tryon was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

in 1910, serving until 1940. He became Under-Secretary of Air in 1919 and

Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. ...

in 1920 and in 1922 became a Privy Counsellor. He served as Minister of Pensions himself 1922–24, 1924–29 and 1931–35 and was then appointed Postmaster General in 1935, serving until 1940. He was one of those to appear on the first day of BBC television broadcasts, 2 November 1936. In April 1940, Tryon was elevated to the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...

as Baron Tryon, of Durnford in the County of Wilts and made Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and First Commissioner of Works. However, he was replaced as Chancellor (by Lord Hankey) when

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

became

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

in May, while retaining the First Commissionership; he relinquished that post the following October, a few weeks before his death, aged 69.

Personal life

He married Averil Vivian, daughter of Colonel Sir Henry Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Swansea. They had two children, including Charles, 2nd Baron Tryon.

Arms

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tryon, George Clement Tryon, 1st Baron 1871 births 1940 deaths Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Grenadier Guards officers Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Ministers in the Chamberlain peacetime government, 1937–1939 Ministers in the Chamberlain wartime government, 1939–1940 Ministers in the Churchill wartime government, 1940–1945 People educated at Eton College George UK MPs 1910 UK MPs 1910–1918 UK MPs 1918–1922 UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924 UK MPs 1924–1929 UK MPs 1929–1931 UK MPs 1931–1935 UK MPs 1935–1945 UK MPs who were granted peerages Postmasters general of the United Kingdom Barons created by George VI