Herbert Leon
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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. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...
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 followin ...
estate in Buckinghamshire.


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 o ...
(MP) for Buckingham 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. T ...
. He was re-elected in
1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies fo ...
, 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 Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'. Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the ...
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 189 ...
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 know ...
. 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 know ...
for them to become public schools for the local children of the Lakes Estate. 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 in Bletchley in Leon's honour. In September 2012 the school was renamed as Sir Herbert Leon Academy 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