Sir Herbert Samuel Leon, 1st Baronet (11 February 1850 – 23 July 1926)
was an English financier and
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
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politician, now best known as the main figure in the development of the
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an English country house and estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes ( Buckinghamshire) that became the principal centre of Allied code-breaking during the Second World War. The mansion was constructed during the years following ...
estate in
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
.
Life
He was the second son of George Isaac Leon, a stockbroker, and Julia Ann Samuel. He was elected as the
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for
Buckingham
Buckingham ( ) is a market town in north Buckinghamshire, England, close to the borders of Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, which had a population of 12,890 at the 2011 Census. The town lies approximately west of Central Milton Keynes, sou ...
at
an 1891 by-election,
after his predecessor
Sir Edmund Verney had been expelled from the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
.
He was re-elected in
1892
Events
January–March
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, but was defeated at the
1895 general election.
He stood for Parliament one more time, when he was unsuccessful at the
1906 general election in
Handsworth division of Staffordshire.
He served as
High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire
The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Anglo-Saxons, Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'.
High Sheriff, Sheriff is the olde ...
in 1909 and was created a baronet in the 1911 Coronation honours.
Over the years Leon acquired many plots of land in which he donated for public and educational uses. Leon gave the land of which is now known as Leon Recreational ground to the local council in demand for it to become a public park for the youth of
Fenny Stratford
Fenny Stratford is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England and in the Civil Parish of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford. Originally an independent town, it was included in the Milton Keynes " designated area" in 1967. From 1895 ...
and
Bletchley
Bletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated in the south-west of Milton Keynes, and is split between the civil parishes of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford and West Bletchley.
Bletchley is best known ...
. He also donated other plots of land in the south of
Bletchley
Bletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated in the south-west of Milton Keynes, and is split between the civil parishes of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford and West Bletchley.
Bletchley is best known ...
for them to become public schools for the local children of the
Lakes Estate
Water Eaton is an area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England and in the civil parish of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford (in which its population is enumerated for Census purposes). It is to the south of, and contiguous with, Fenny Stratford. ...
.
Leon was Chairman of the
Rationalist Press Association
The Rationalist Association, originally the Rationalist Press Association, is an organization in the United Kingdom, founded in 1885 by a group of freethinkers who were unhappy with the increasingly political and decreasingly intellectual tenor ...
, 1913–1922.
In 1970
Leon School and Sports College was built on the
Lakes Estate
Water Eaton is an area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England and in the civil parish of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford (in which its population is enumerated for Census purposes). It is to the south of, and contiguous with, Fenny Stratford. ...
in Bletchley in Leon's honour. In September 2012 the school was renamed as
Sir Herbert Leon Academy
Sir Herbert Leon Academy (formerly Leon School and Sports College) is a coeducational comprehensive secondary academy school and sixth form located in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, England. It is currently sponsored by the Academies Enterprise ...
as a sign of appreciation for the works and funding Leon and his late wife had brought to the local area.
The actor
John Standing
Sir John Ronald Leon, 4th Baronet (born 16 August 1934) is an English actor and baronet who is known as John Standing. He is the stepson of John Clements.
Early life
Standing was born in London, the son of Kay Hammond (née Dorothy Katherin ...
is a descendant.
References
External links
*
''‘A Maudlin and Monstrous Pile’: The Mansion at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire'' by Kathryn A. Morrison, Transactions of the Ancient Monument Society (PDF)British Jews in the First World War
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leon, Herbert Samuel
1850 births
1926 deaths
Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom
UK MPs 1886–1892
UK MPs 1892–1895
High Sheriffs of Buckinghamshire
English Jews
Jewish British politicians