Rupert Sackville Gwynne (2 August 187312 October 1924), was a British

Conservative 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 ...

politician. He was

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

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...

from 1910 to 1924. He was the father of cookery writer

Elizabeth David Elizabeth David CBE (born Elizabeth Gwynne, 26 December 1913 – 22 May 1992) was a British cookery writer. In the mid-20th century she strongly influenced the revitalisation of home cookery in her native country and beyond with articles and bo ...

Early years

Gwynne was the third son and fourth child of nine children of James Eglinton Anderson Gwynne (1834–1915) of

Gwynnes Limited Gwynnes Limited was a City of London England engineering business, iron founders and pump makers founded in 1849 to capitalise on the centrifugal pump inventedThe first practical centrifugal pump called the Massachusetts pump was built in the U ...

and of

Folkington Manor Folkington Manor (pronounced Fo'ington) is a grade II* listed country house situated in the village of Folkington two miles (3.2 km) west of Polegate, East Sussex, England. History Folkington Manor was built in 1843 by the architect W.J D ...

Polegate Polegate is a town and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England, United Kingdom.OS Explorer map Eastbourne and Beachy Head Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It ...

, Sussex. He was educated at

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into ...

and then Pembroke College, Cambridge.Ken Good, ''The House of Gwynne'', Bookmarque Publishing 2002 He was called to the Bar at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

in 1908.

Political career

Gwynne was elected as MP for Eastbourne at the January 1910 general election, and held the seat until he stood down at the 1924 general election. He was

Financial Secretary to the War Office The Financial Secretary to the War Office and for certain periods known as the Finance Member of the Army Council, was a junior ministerial office of the British government established in 1870. In May 1947 the office was unified with that of the ...

from 15 March 1923 until 23 January 1924. On 1 October 1923 he was made a member of the Army Council. He was renowned for his opposition to the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief th ...

which he termed "the Murder Gang".

Family

Gwynne married Stella Ridley, daughter of the first Viscount Ridley in 1905 and had four daughters. One, Elizabeth, became

, the cookery writer. Gwynne appointed as their guardians

Roundell Palmer, 3rd Earl of Selborne Roundell Cecil Palmer, 3rd Earl of Selborne, CH, PC (15 April 1887 – 3 September 1971), known as "Top Wolmer" and styled Viscount Wolmer from 1895 to 1941, was a British administrator, intelligence officer and Conservative politician. Bac ...

and

Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham Douglas McGarel Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham (28 February 1872 – 16 August 1950) was a British lawyer and Conservative politician who twice served as Lord Chancellor, in addition to a number of other Cabinet positions. Mooted as a possible suc ...

. His mother's great-grandfather was Dutch and great-grandmother was a Sumatran. Gwynne's two older brothers, Reginald and Neville, were both disinherited by their father. Gwynne therefore inherited

Wootton Manor Wootton Manor is a country house in Folkington, East Sussex. Originally a mediaeval manor house, from which parts of the chapel survive, it was rebuilt in the mid-17th century in a rather old-fashioned Jacobean style. Rupert Gwynne and his wif ...

on his father's death in 1915 and with his wife commissioned their friend

Detmar Blow Detmar Jellings Blow (24 November 1867 – 7 February 1939) was a British architect of the early 20th century, who designed principally in the arts and crafts style. His clients belonged chiefly to the British aristocracy, and later he became es ...

to restore and extend the house. Other artistic friends included the painter

Cedric Morris Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, 9th Baronet (11 December 1889 – 8 February 1982) was a British artist, art teacher and plantsman. He was born in Swansea in South Wales, but worked mainly in East Anglia. As an artist he is best known for his portra ...

, who painted Wootton in the 1920s and the writer and plantsman William Robinson. Gwynne's sister was the harpsichordist

Violet Gordon-Woodhouse Violet Gordon-Woodhouse (23 April 18729 January 1948) was a British keyboard player. She specialised in the harpsichord and clavichord, and was influential in bringing both instruments back into fashion. She was the first person to record the ha ...

. His youngest brother,

Roland Gwynne Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Roland Vaughan Gwynne DSO, DL, JP (16 May 188215 November 1971) was a British soldier and politician who served as Mayor of Eastbourne, Sussex, from 1928 to 1931. He was also a patient, close friend, and probable lover o ...

, later became Mayor of Eastbourne and was a close friend, and possible lover, of the society doctor and suspected

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

John Bodkin Adams.

Death

Gwynne had had a weak heart all his life after having contracted rheumatic fever as a youth, but died suddenly of

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

on 12 October 1924, aged 51. His brother

was the last person to see him alive. His death certificate had the note 'No P.M.' suggesting the doctor, Lionel Handson, was uneasy about his death and called the coroner for his advice. Roland inherited

, but allowed Rupert's wife Stella and her daughters to remain there provided Stella did not remarry.Cullen, 2006. Page 630

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gwynne, Rupert English people of Indonesian descent Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1910–1918 UK MPs 1918–1922 UK MPs 1922–1923 UK MPs 1923–1924 Alumni of Pembroke College, Cambridge 1873 births 1924 deaths Politics of Eastbourne People from Polegate Gwynne family