Sir James Henderson-Stewart, 1st Baronet (6 December 1897 – 3 September 1961), born James Henderson Stewart, was a British
bank
A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets.
Because ...
er,
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
officer and politician. He was a
National Liberal
National liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal policies and issues with elements of nationalism. Historically, national liberalism has also been used in the same meaning as conservative liberalism (right-liberalism).
A seri ...
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 ...
for
East Fife from 1933 until his death, and was the sessional chairman of the Parliamentary Party in 1945. He played an important role in negotiating the unity of the National Liberals with the
Conservatives
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
, but was unable to persuade the
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
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to join as well.
Early life
Henderson-Stewart was born at
Crieff
Crieff (; gd, Craoibh, meaning "tree") is a Scottish market town in Perth and Kinross on the A85 road between Perth and Crianlarich, and the A822 between Greenloaning and Aberfeldy. The A822 joins the A823 to Dunfermline. Crieff has become ...
,
Perthshire
Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
, the son of Matthew Stewart. He attended
Morrison's Academy
Morrison's Academy is a co-educational independent day school in Crieff, Perth and Kinross, in Central Scotland. The school provides nursery, primary and secondary school facilities. It draws many pupils from surrounding Perth and Kinross ...
in the town, interrupting his education to join the
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
and serve in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Promoted to Acting Captain in February 1918,
[''The Times'', 22 February 1918.] he was wounded in action. He left the Army in 1919, placed as a Captain on the Reserve of Officers, and went to the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
where he obtained a
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce (abbreviated BComm or BCom; also, ''baccalaureates commercii'') is an undergraduate degree in business, usually awarded in Canada, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa, Myanmar, ...
degree in 1922 and a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
degree in economics in 1923. He was in the
Territorial Army from 1921 to 1925.
Liberal Party candidacies
At the
1923 general election Stewart was
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
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candidate for
Leicester East
Leicester East is a United Kingdom constituencies, constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament since December 2019 by Claudia Webbe, who was ele ...
, but finished in third place with only 27% of the vote. In the
1924 general election he fought
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
as the sole Liberal candidate, opposing
J. H. Thomas
James Henry Thomas (3 October 1874 – 21 January 1949), sometimes known as Jimmy Thomas or Jim Thomas, was a Welsh trade unionist and Labour (later National Labour) politician. He was involved in a political scandal involving budget leaks. ...
who was a senior Labour Minister. His task was reckoned "a difficult one"
["Derbyshire Seats", ''The Times'', 24 October 1924.] and he again finished bottom of the poll.
During the 1920s Henderson-Stewart worked at the British Overseas Bank in London. His political activity occurred through the Land and Nation League, a Liberal body which had been set up to promote the land policy which was being promoted by
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...
. By 1929 he was Secretary of the League,
["The Times House of Commons 1929", p. 122.] and he was selected as the Liberal candidate for
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
. Like Derby this was a two-member constituency but unlike Derby the Conservatives nominated only one candidate, and it was recognised that Liberal and Conservative voters (each of whom had two votes) would use their second vote for the other party's candidate.
["Prohibitionist at Dundee", ''The Times'', 21 May 1929.] Henderson-Stewart finished as runner-up, some 13,712 votes from winning a seat but having put in a creditable performance.
East Fife election
In January 1933, Henderson-Stewart was adopted as
Liberal National candidate for
East Fife, where the death of the sitting Member of Parliament
Sir James Duncan Millar had precipitated a
by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
. He obtained the support of the
Unionists,
["The East Fife Election", ''The Times'', 17 January 1933.] although he faced opposition not only from the
Labour Party and the
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
but also the
Agricultural Party
The Agricultural Party was a minor political party in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1931 as the Norfolk Farmers' Party but changed its name one week after its formation.F. W. S. Craig, ''Minor Parties at British Parliamentary Elections' ...
(whose candidate proclaimed himself a Conservative)
["The East Fife By-Election", ''The Times'', 23 January 1933.] and an unofficial Liberal who supported free trade.
Lord Snowden, the former Labour Chancellor, sent a message of support to the unofficial Liberal, which Henderson-Stewart described as "little more than an ill-natured outburst",
["'An Ill-Natured Outburst'", ''The Times'', 28 January 1933.]
Member of Parliament
Henderson-Stewart won with a comfortable majority of 9,135, and in his victory speech attacked the "wrecking tactics" of the Agricultural and unofficial Liberal candidates.
["East Fife", ''The Times'', 4 February 1933.] He gained a reputation for diligent constituency work, among the farmers and fishermen of Fife, and soon after his election opposed a reduction in the grant to the
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England.
The Forestry Commission was previously also respon ...
which he considered a false economy. He often spoke on economic questions. On foreign affairs, he spoke in 1934 in favour of the United Kingdom staying out of any conflict between France and Germany;
["Parliament", ''The Times'', 15 March 1934.] that July he stated that the innermost chamber of world peace lay in Anglo-American friendship.
["Parliament", ''The Times'', 14 July 1934.]
Foreign affairs
In the summer of 1935, Henderson-Stewart went on a tour of European
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
markets, and on his return wrote a pamphlet entitled "Stop the Export of Butchery Horses" which called for a legal ban on the export trade.
["Export of Old Horses", ''The Times'', 19 July 1935.] In July 1938, Henderson-Stewart was vice-chairman of the Empire Development Conference which was held at the
Empire Exhibition in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
.
In December 1938, Henderson-Stewart called for a determined and comprehensive approach to rearmament, and regretted that the Government had proclaimed its approach as limited.
["Parliament", ''The Times'', 7 December 1938.] In March 1939 he was a co-signatory of a Parliamentary motion put forward by
Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, (12 June 1897 – 14 January 1977) was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until his resignation in 1957.
Achieving rapid promo ...
and
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
which called for a National government "on the widest possible basis" to enable Britain to put forward its maximum military effort; the motion was not welcomed by the Chamberlain government.
["Government Policy", ''The Times'', 29 March 1939.]
Second World War
Before the outbreak of war, Henderson-Stewart sought to ensure that the system of
National Service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The l ...
in the armed services worked smoothly; in November 1939, he criticised the operation of the scheme in calling up agricultural workers when the government was calling for farmers to plough more land.
["Young Ploughmen and the Army" (letter), ''The Times'', 20 November 1939.] In the
Norway Debate
The Norway Debate, sometimes called the Narvik Debate, was a momentous debate in the British House of Commons from 7 to 9 May 1940, during the Second World War. The official title of the debate, as held in the ''Hansard'' parliamentary archive, ...
of May 1940, Henderson Stewart voted against Chamberlain.
["Voting Analysed", ''The Times'', 10 May 1940.] After Churchill took over as Prime Minister, Henderson-Stewart enlisted again in the Royal Artillery in which he served from September 1940 to June 1941.
Henderson-Stewart was made the Scottish
Whip
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
for the Liberal Nationals in December 1942.
["Liberal Nationals And Social Plan", ''The Times'', 5 December 1942.] In the spring of 1944 he went with a Parliamentary delegation to the West Indies to look at conditions there;
["Conditions in West Indies", ''The Times'', 7 February 1944.] on his return he said he had found "a blazing loyalty" to the Empire.
["Parliament", ''The Times'', 7 June 1944.] In October 1944 he voted against the Government on the issue of compensation for landowners for adverse planning decisions.
["First Compensation Clause", ''The Times'', 27 October 1944.]
Liberal unity
With the Liberal candidates again divided between the Liberal Nationals and Opposition Liberals in 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 ...
, Henderson-Stewart sought a reunification, without success. When Parliament reassembled after the election, Henderson-Stewart was chosen as the Chairman of the Liberal National Parliamentary Party for the session. This made him unofficial party leader; however he served only for one year. In September 1947 he wrote to ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' suggesting that the Liberal Party should consider merging with the Conservatives, arguing that Liberalism "stands four square in opposition to Socialism" and should work together with Churchill.
["Outlook For Liberals" (letter), ''The Times'', 16 September 1947.] Shortly after, Henderson-Stewart's group formally joined with the Conservatives.
At the
1950 general election, the Liberal Party nominated David Alexander Freeman a 22-year-old student at
St Andrews University
(Aien aristeuein)
, motto_lang = grc
, mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best
, established =
, type = Public research university
Ancient university
, endowment ...
as a candidate against Henderson-Stewart, the first time they put a candidate up against him, and the controversy between them was described as "bitter".
["In the constituencies", ''The Times'', 13 February 1950.] Henderson-Stewart increased his majority while the Liberal lost his
deposit. In the new Parliament he kept up his campaign for the local fishing industry, calling for immediate action to prevent a crisis. He wanted controls on fish imports.
["Parliament", ''The Times'', 8 April 1950.]
Ministerial office
The Conservatives' return to power in 1951 led to Henderson-Stewart's appointment as
Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the
Scottish Office
The Scottish Office was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom from 1885 until 1999, exercising a wide range of government functions in relation to Scotland under the control of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Following the e ...
in February 1952. Among his responsibilities were the fishing industry. In August of that year he was invited to speak to the European Youth Conference in
Midlothian
Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...
, at which he declared that "the mother country of a great Commonwealth and Empire" could not surrender vital elements of sovereignty.
["European Federation", ''The Times'', 26 August 1952.] In December 1952, Henderson-Stewart was accused of lying by the Labour MP
John Rankin, angry that the Government Chief Whip had closed the debate after Henderson-Stewart had spoken.
["Parliament", ''The Times'', 3 December 1952.]
As the Minister responsible for the
Scottish Education Department
The Scottish Government Education Directorates were a group of the civil service directorates in the Scottish Government. The Directorates were titled Children, Young People and Social Care; Schools; and Lifelong Learning. They were responsible ...
, Henderson-Stewart tried to encourage Scottish parents to keep their children in school long enough to sit the Leaving Certificate.
["Keeping Children at School", ''The Times'', 23 September 1954.] He also dealt with the early stages of the dispute between the United Kingdom and
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
over fishing rights, when an agreement was made by which the Icelandic government agreed not to try to extend its four-mile limit.
["Icelandic Fish Dispute", ''The Times'', 6 January 1956.] He was also involved in a proposal for a
River Forth
The River Forth is a major river in central Scotland, long, which drains into the North Sea on the east coast of the country. Its drainage basin covers much of Stirlingshire in Scotland's Central Belt. The Gaelic name for the upper reach of th ...
tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...
, which he described as a brilliant idea but unsuited to the physical conditions.
["Forth Tube 'Practical': Hope of Using Idea Elsewhere", ''The Times'', 6 August 1956.]
Baronetcy
Henderson-Stewart left the Government when
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was a British Conservative statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Caricatured as "Supermac", he ...
became Prime Minister, although he was made a
Baronet
A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
simultaneously.
["Sir Edward Boyle Back in the Government", ''The Times'', 19 January 1957.] He was created Baronet ''of
Callumshill in the
County of Perth
Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
'' on 28 March 1957; the
Court of the Lord Lyon
The Court of the Lord Lyon (the Lyon Court) is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All A ...
granted a warrant allowing him to change his surname to Henderson-Stewart (and by
Deed Poll
A deed poll (plural: deeds poll) is a legal document binding on a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an intention or create an obligation. It is a deed, and not a contract because it binds only one party (law), party.
Et ...
).
University appeal
In September 1957 Henderson-Stewart denounced
Frank Cousins Frank Cousins may refer to:
* Frank Cousins (British politician) (1904–1986), British trade union leader and Labour politician
* Frank Cousins (American politician) (born 1958), American politician who served as the Essex County, Massachusetts Sh ...
of the
Transport and General Workers' Union
The Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU or T&G) was one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland – where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union (ATGWU) to differentiate its ...
as "just another demagogue playing for power" when Cousins declared his opposition to
wage restraint
Incomes policies in economics are economy-wide wage and price controls, most commonly instituted as a response to inflation, and usually seeking to establish wages and prices below free market level.
Incomes policies have often been resorted to ...
.
["Mr. Cousins 'Playing With Fire'", ''The Times'', 9 September 1957.] He became chairman of the Appeal Committee for
St Leonards and St Katherine's Schools in
St Andrews
St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...
.
["Scottish School Seeks Funds For Expansion", ''The Times'', 8 December 1958.] He was also elected Chairman of the Scottish Unionist Members Committee in November 1960.
["Conservative M.P.s Elect Officers", ''The Times'', 9 November 1960.] Henderson-Stewart died suddenly in
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
in September 1961.
References
Sources
*"Sir J. Henderson-Stewart" (Obituary), ''The Times'', 4 September 1961.
*"Who Was Who", A & C Black
*M. Stenton and S. Lees, "Who's Who of British MPs" Vol. IV (Harvester Press, 1981)
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson-Stewart, James
People educated at Morrison's Academy
Unionist Party (Scotland) MPs
UK MPs 1931–1935
UK MPs 1935–1945
UK MPs 1945–1950
UK MPs 1950–1951
UK MPs 1951–1955
UK MPs 1955–1959
UK MPs 1959–1964
Royal Artillery officers
British Army personnel of World War I
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom
1897 births
1961 deaths
People from Crieff
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Fife constituencies
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931) politicians
Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
Ministers in the third Churchill government, 1951–1955
Ministers in the Eden government, 1955–1957