Mark Raymond Bonham Carter, Baron Bonham-Carter (11 February 1922 – 4 September 1994)[1] was an Englishpublisher and politician. He was created a life peer in 1986.
Educated at Winchester College and Balliol College, Oxford, where he read PPE, his studies were interrupted by the Second World War, and he was commissioned in the Grenadier Guards in November 1941.[2][1] Captured in Tunisia in 1943 and imprisoned in Italy, he escaped and walked four hundred miles to return to British lines, being mentioned in dispatches. Bonham-Carter concluded the war by standing as the unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Barnstaple in the 1945 general election,[3] before returning to finish the last year of his course at Oxford. He then spent a year at the University of Chicago before going into publishing, working for the Collins publishing firm but left as his directors did not agree with his political activities.[4]
In 1955, he married Leslie, Lady St Just, the former wife of Peter George Grenfell, 2nd Baron St Just (1922–1984), and the younger daughter of American magazine publisher Condé Nast. By her, Bonham-Carter had three daughters: Jane (created Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury), Virginia and Eliza Bonham Carter. He also had a stepdaughter from his wife's former marriage.
Torringtonedit
Bonham-Carter's family continued its heavy involvement in Liberal politics, especially when his sister Laura married the Liberal leader Jo Grimond. It was in 1958 that the Torrington by-election was called in a safe Conservative seat, and Bonham-Carter became the Liberal candidate. Much to everyone's surprise, he won, overturning a 9,000 majority, giving the Liberals their first by-election gain since 1929. Bonham-Carter's margin of victory was extremely slim, at just 219 votes. Nonetheless, it was a major boost to the success-deprived Liberals and the first in a string of by-election victories that would make up the postwar Liberal Revival.
Grimond was personally hopeful that the articulate Bonham-Carter would be his designated successor, but it was not to be: at the 1959 general election, just 18 months after his victory, he narrowly lost the seat to the Conservatives. He continued to be a close advisor to Grimond throughout the latter's leadership but would never again be an MP, despite a third, unsuccessful, and equally close candidature for Torrington at the 1964 general election.
Later life and deathedit
Bonham Carter found other outlets for his political and publishing interests. He continued to work as a prominent member of the Collins firm, becoming close friends with Roy Jenkins (reportedly his wife's lover) and serving as his literary agent. He became the first chairman of the Race Relations Board 1966–1971, and its successor, the Community Relations Commission 1971–1977. He was also prominent in the Arts world, as one of the directors of the Royal Opera House 1958–1982, a Governor of the Royal Ballet 1960–1994 (chairman of the board after 1985), and vice-chairman of the BBC 1975–1980, being vetoed as chairman by Margaret Thatcher. On 21 July 1986 he was created a life peer as Baron Bonham-Carter, of Yarnbury in the County of Wiltshire.[5] He became Foreign Affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats. His last campaign focused on granting British citizenship to ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, a measure that was only passed after his death. He was also an uncle of the actress Helena Bonham Carter.
1st, A Lion's Head erased Or between two Estoiles each within the horns of a Crescent Azure (Carter); 2nd, A Dragon's Head erased Argent guttée de sang between two Fountains (Bonham)
Escutcheon
Quarterly: 1st and 4th, Azure two Lions combatant Or collared and lined Gules supporting with their interior paws a Mural Crown Gold (Carter); 2nd and 3rd, Gules a Sword erect between in chief two Cross Crosslets fitchée Argent over all a Chevron of the last (Bonham)
mark, bonham, carter, baron, bonham, carter, mark, raymond, bonham, carter, baron, bonham, carter, february, 1922, september, 1994, english, publisher, politician, created, life, peer, 1986, right, honourablethe, lord, bonham, cartermember, house, lordslord, t. Mark Raymond Bonham Carter Baron Bonham Carter 11 February 1922 4 September 1994 1 was an English publisher and politician He was created a life peer in 1986 The Right HonourableThe Lord Bonham CarterMember of the House of LordsLord TemporalIn office 21 July 1986 4 September 1994Life PeerageMember of Parliament for TorringtonIn office 27 March 1958 18 September 1959Preceded byGeorge LambertSucceeded byPercy BrownePersonal detailsBorn 1922 02 11 11 February 1922Marylebone London EnglandDied4 September 1994 1994 09 04 aged 72 Salerno ItalyPolitical partyLiberal before 1988 Liberal Democrats after 1988 SpouseLeslie Nast m 1955 died 1992 wbr Children3 including JaneEducationWinchester CollegeAlma materBalliol College OxfordOccupationPublisher politicianMilitary careerAllegiance United KingdomService wbr branchBritish ArmyYears of service1941 1945UnitGrenadier GuardsAwardsMentioned in dispatches Contents 1 Early life 2 Torrington 3 Later life and death 4 Arms 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksEarly life editHe was the son of the Liberal activists Sir Maurice Bonham Carter and his wife the former Lady Violet Asquith daughter of the Liberal Prime Minister H H Asquith He was the second youngest of four children Helen Laura and Raymond Educated at Winchester College and Balliol College Oxford where he read PPE his studies were interrupted by the Second World War and he was commissioned in the Grenadier Guards in November 1941 2 1 Captured in Tunisia in 1943 and imprisoned in Italy he escaped and walked four hundred miles to return to British lines being mentioned in dispatches Bonham Carter concluded the war by standing as the unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Barnstaple in the 1945 general election 3 before returning to finish the last year of his course at Oxford He then spent a year at the University of Chicago before going into publishing working for the Collins publishing firm but left as his directors did not agree with his political activities 4 In 1955 he married Leslie Lady St Just the former wife of Peter George Grenfell 2nd Baron St Just 1922 1984 and the younger daughter of American magazine publisher Conde Nast By her Bonham Carter had three daughters Jane created Baroness Bonham Carter of Yarnbury Virginia and Eliza Bonham Carter He also had a stepdaughter from his wife s former marriage Torrington editBonham Carter s family continued its heavy involvement in Liberal politics especially when his sister Laura married the Liberal leader Jo Grimond It was in 1958 that the Torrington by election was called in a safe Conservative seat and Bonham Carter became the Liberal candidate Much to everyone s surprise he won overturning a 9 000 majority giving the Liberals their first by election gain since 1929 Bonham Carter s margin of victory was extremely slim at just 219 votes Nonetheless it was a major boost to the success deprived Liberals and the first in a string of by election victories that would make up the postwar Liberal Revival Grimond was personally hopeful that the articulate Bonham Carter would be his designated successor but it was not to be at the 1959 general election just 18 months after his victory he narrowly lost the seat to the Conservatives He continued to be a close advisor to Grimond throughout the latter s leadership but would never again be an MP despite a third unsuccessful and equally close candidature for Torrington at the 1964 general election Later life and death editBonham Carter found other outlets for his political and publishing interests He continued to work as a prominent member of the Collins firm becoming close friends with Roy Jenkins reportedly his wife s lover and serving as his literary agent He became the first chairman of the Race Relations Board 1966 1971 and its successor the Community Relations Commission 1971 1977 He was also prominent in the Arts world as one of the directors of the Royal Opera House 1958 1982 a Governor of the Royal Ballet 1960 1994 chairman of the board after 1985 and vice chairman of the BBC 1975 1980 being vetoed as chairman by Margaret Thatcher On 21 July 1986 he was created a life peer as Baron Bonham Carter of Yarnbury in the County of Wiltshire 5 He became Foreign Affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats His last campaign focused on granting British citizenship to ethnic minorities in Hong Kong a measure that was only passed after his death He was also an uncle of the actress Helena Bonham Carter He died from a heart attack in Italy on 4 September 1994 1 Arms editCoat of arms of Mark Bonham Carter Baron Bonham Carter Coronet A Coronet of a Baron Crest 1st A Lion s Head erased Or between two Estoiles each within the horns of a Crescent Azure Carter 2nd A Dragon s Head erased Argent guttee de sang between two Fountains Bonham Escutcheon Quarterly 1st and 4th Azure two Lions combatant Or collared and lined Gules supporting with their interior paws a Mural Crown Gold Carter 2nd and 3rd Gules a Sword erect between in chief two Cross Crosslets fitchee Argent over all a Chevron of the last Bonham Motto Trusty to the endSee also editBonham Carter familyNotes edit a b c Lord Bonham Carter The Times No 65052 6 September 1994 p 23 No 35385 The London Gazette Supplement 16 December 1941 p 7169 Baker pp 62 3 Baker p 64 No 50609 The London Gazette 25 July 1986 p 9829 References editBaker John 2006 Ballot Box to Jury Box The Life And Times of an English Crown Court Judge Waterside Press ISBN 9781906534004 Obituary Lord Bonham Carter The Independent 7 September 1994 External links editHansard 1803 2005 contributions in Parliament by Mark Bonham Carter Portraits of Mark Bonham Carter Baron Bonham Carter at the National Portrait Gallery London nbsp Parliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byHon George Lambert Member of Parliament for Torrington1958 1959 Succeeded byPercy Browne Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mark Bonham Carter Baron Bonham Carter amp oldid 1217898493, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
