Paul Norman Wilson, Baron Wilson of High Wray (24 October 1908 – 24 February 1980) was a British engineer,

Lord Lieutenant of Westmorland This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Westmorland. The office was abolished on 31 March 1974 and replaced by the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria. From 1751 to 1974, all Lord Lieutenants were also Custos Rotulorum of Westmorland. ...

(1965 to 1974) and of

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...

(1974 to 1980) and Governor of the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

Early life

The younger son of Norman Forster Wilson, CE, of

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...

Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...

, and of Mrs H. G. M. Wilson (''née'' Harris), Wilson was educated at

Gresham's School Gresham's School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent Day school, day and boarding school) in Holt, Norfolk, Holt, Norfolk, England, one of the top thirty International Bac ...

Holt Holt or holte may refer to: Natural world *Holt (den), an otter den * Holt, an area of woodland Places Australia * Holt, Australian Capital Territory * Division of Holt, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives in Vic ...

, and

Clare College, Cambridge Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refounded ...

.Paul Norman Wilson, Baron Wilson of High Wray, of Kendal in the County of Cumbria (Life Peer 1976, Extinct 1980)
Debretts.com online: retrieved 4 May 2022

Career

Wilson began his career as an engineer in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, working there between 1930 and 1934. He then joined Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon Ltd, water turbine manufacturers, as managing director, in his home town of Kendal. He served the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

of 1939–1945 with the

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

, most of that time being spent at sea in capital ships. He was awarded the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) *Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) *Distinguished Service Cross (U ...

and retired as a temporary Lieutenant-Commander, to return to Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon. He was chairman of the company from 1954 to 1978. In 1950 and 1951, he stood as Labour Party General Election candidate for his home constituency of

but lost on both occasions. In public life, Wilson became a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

in 1958 and a Deputy Lieutenant for

in 1964, later DL for

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...

and

, and

Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

of the newly created county of

, 1974 to 1980. He was a Governor of the

from 1968 to 1972, governor of

Sedbergh School Sedbergh School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in the town of Sedbergh in Cumbria, in North West England. It comprises a junior school for children aged 4 to 13 and the main school for 13 to 18 year olds. It w ...

, 1965–1974, and chairman of governors of Kendal College of Further Education, 1958–1974. He served as chairman of the Kendal & District Local Employment Committee (1954–1969), a member of the Westmoreland Youth Employment Committee (1946–1969) and of the National Youth Employment Council (1959 to 1969). A member of the Advisory Council of the

Science Museum A science museum is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in mu ...

, 1968–1972 and 1973–1978, he was also Chairman of the Fund for the Preservation of Technological and Scientific Material, 1973–1978. Chairman of Trustees and Governors of the Lake District Museum Trust, 1968–1978.

Honours

, 1945 *Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, 1959 *

, 1965 to 1974 *Knight of the

Venerable Order of Saint John The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...

, 1966 *Lord Lieutenant of

, 1974 to 1980 *Created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

with the title Baron Wilson of High Wray, ''of

in the County of Cumbria'' on 3 February 1976 *President of the

Newcomen Society Newcomen may refer to: People *John Newcomen (c.1613–1630), English first white settler murdered by another white settler in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts *Matthew Newcomen (c. 1610–1669), English nonconformist churchman *Thomas Newcomen (1663 ...

, 1973–1975 (and vice-president, 1968–1973 and 1975–1977) *Patron of the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, 1965 (President, 1975–1978) *Deputy Chairman of the British Hydromechanics Research Association, 1973–1975

Major publications

*''Watermills, an introduction'' (1956, 2nd edn 1973) *''Watermills with Horizontal Wheels'' (1960) *''Water Turbines'' (Science Museum, 1974) *''Water and other forms of Motive Power'' in ''History of Technology, 1900–1950'' (1977)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson of High Wray, Paul Wilson, Baron 1908 births 1980 deaths Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge BBC Governors Deputy Lieutenants of Cumberland Deputy Lieutenants of Westmorland Knights of the Order of St John Wilson of High Wray Lord-Lieutenants of Cumbria Lord-Lieutenants of Westmorland Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Gresham's School People from Kendal Royal Navy officers People associated with the Science Museum, London Life peers created by Elizabeth II