Ralph Assheton, 1st Baron Clitheroe (24 February 1901 – 18 September 1984), was an English aristocrat and politician.

Biography

Assheton was born on 24 February 1901. His father was Sir Ralph Assheton, 1st Baronet (1860–1955), and his mother was Mildred Estelle Sybella Master (1884–1949). He was educated at Summer Fields School and

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

. Assheton was Member of Parliament (MP) for

Rushcliffe Rushcliffe is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in south Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in West Bridgford. The borough also includes the towns of Bingh ...

from 1934 to 1945, for the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

from 1945 to 1950, and for Blackburn West from 1950 to 1955. In the wartime government under

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

, he was

Minister of Supply Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

in 1942, and

Financial Secretary to the Treasury The Financial Secretary to the Treasury is a mid-level ministerial post in HM Treasury. It is nominally the fifth most significant ministerial role within the Treasury after the first lord of the Treasury, the chancellor of the Exchequer, the ch ...

from 1942 to 1944. He was sworn of the Privy Council in the 1944 New Year Honours, and served as

Chairman of the Conservative Party The chairman of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom is responsible for party administration and overseeing the Conservative Campaign Headquarters, formerly Conservative Central Office. When the Conservative Party (UK), Conservatives are ...

from 1944 to 1946. After retiring from the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, 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 ...

at the 1955 general election, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Clitheroe, ''of Downham in the County Palatine of Lancaster'', on 21 June 1955. He succeeded his father as 2nd Baronet three months later. He was appointed to be a deputy lieutenant of Lancashire on 16 November 1955, and later served as Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, from 1971 to 1976. He was appointed a Knight of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (KStJ) in February 1972, and appointed to the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

as a Knight Commander in 1977 on his retirement from the Council of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Family

He married Hon. Sylvia Benita Frances Hotham, daughter of Frederick Hotham, 6th Baron Hotham (1863–1923), on 24 January 1924. They had four children: * Anne Assheton (born & died 22 December 1924) * Hon. Bridget Assheton (born 20 August 1926, died 22 May 2004). Married Sir Marcus Worsley, Bt, brother of Katharine, Duchess of Kent. * Ralph John Assheton, 2nd Baron Clitheroe (born 3 November 1929) * Hon. Nicholas Assheton CVO (born 23 May 1934, died 27 November 2012); treasurer to

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...

from 1998 to her death in 2002. Lord Clitheroe died in 1984.England & Wales, Death Index, 1837–2005.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clitheroe, Ralph Assheton, 1st Baron 1901 births 1984 deaths People educated at Summer Fields School People educated at Eton College 1 Chairmen of the Conservative Party (UK) Assheton, Ralph Deputy lieutenants of Lancashire English justices of the peace Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Lord-lieutenants of Lancashire Assheton, Ralph Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Ministers in the Chamberlain wartime government, 1939–1940 Ministers in the Churchill wartime government, 1940–1945 Hereditary barons created by Elizabeth II Assheton, Ralph Assheton, Ralph Assheton, Ralph Assheton, Ralph Assheton, Ralph UK MPs who were granted peerages Hulme Trust