Sir Herbert Samuel Leon, 1st Baronet (11 February 1850 – 23 July 1926) was an English financier and Liberal Party 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. 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 for ...

, but was defeated at the 1895 general election. He stood for Parliament one more time, when he was unsuccessful at the

1906 general election The following elections occurred in the year 1906. Asia * 1906 Persian legislative election Europe * 1906 Belgian general election * 1906 Croatian parliamentary election * Denmark ** 1906 Danish Folketing election ** 1906 Danish Landsting ele ...

in Handsworth division of Staffordshire. He served as High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire 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. He also donated other plots of land in the south of Bletchley 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

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