Humphrey Razzall

Leonard Humphrey Razzall, known as Humphrey Razzall (13 November 1912 – 26 October 1999), was a British Liberal Party politician and solicitor.

Background

He was a son of Horace Razzall a Scarborough teacher^[1] and Sarah Thompson. He was educated at Scarborough High School. He married, in 1936, Muriel Knowles. They had two sons. Muriel died in 1968. In 1975 he married Mary Elmore Bland.^[2]

Professional career

He was admitted as a solicitor in 1935. He founded the firm Humphrey Razzall & Co. in 1938. He served in the Royal Marines from 1941 to 1946, reaching the rank of Staff Captain. He was an Examiner in the High Court practice and procedure for solicitors final examination. He was the Master of the Supreme Court (Taxing) from 1954 to 1981.

Political career

 

Finchley in Middlesex for 1939

He was selected as the Liberal Party's prospective parliamentary candidate for Finchley for a general election expected to take place in the Autumn of 1939.^[3] Although it was a safe Conservative seat, the Liberals had come second in 1935, so it was a promising seat. However, due to the outbreak of war, Razzall never got to fight the seat. He did continue with the duties of prospective candidate, attending meetings while on leave^[4]

 

Scarborough & Whitby in North Yorkshire for 1945

By the time Winston Churchill called a general election in 1945, Razzall had moved from being Liberal candidate for Finchley to be adopted as Liberal candidate for his home town seat of Scarborough and Whitby.^[5] This was a better prospect for the Liberals, who had finished a strong second behind the Conservatives in 1935. However, the national swing to the Labour Party, prevented the Liberal Party from gaining the seat;

General Election 1945: Scarborough & Whitby^[6] Electorate 59,001

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alexander Cadwallader Mainwaring Spearman	20,786	50.9
	Liberal	Capt. Leonard Humphrey Razzall	10,739	26.3
	Labour	Fl-Lt. DH Curry	9,289	22.8
Majority			10,047	24.6
Turnout				69.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

He did not stand for parliament again.

Publications

• A Man of Law’s Tale, (1982)
• Law, love and laughter, (1984)

Tim Razzall

One of his sons, Tim Razzall, is a prominent Liberal Democrat and a member of the House of Lords.^[7]

References

1. The Times House of Commons 1945
2. ‘RAZZALL, Leonard Humphrey’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 14 Jan 2014
3. The Liberal Magazine 1939
4. The Liberal Magazine 1943
5. Hull Daily Mail, 7 Jun 1945
6. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, Craig, F.W.S.
7. ‘RAZZALL’, Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2013 ; online edn, Dec 2013 accessed 14 Jan 2014