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Hugh Seely, 1st Baron Sherwood

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The Lord Sherwood
Under-Secretary of State for Air
In office
1941–1944
Serving with The Lord Balfour of Inchrye (1941–44)
Prime MinisterWinston Churchill
Preceded byAnthony Muirhead
Succeeded byRupert Brabner
Member of Parliament
for Berwick-upon-Tweed
In office
14 November 1935 – 14 August 1941
Preceded byAlfred Todd
Succeeded byGeorge Grey
Member of Parliament
for East Norfolk
In office
6 December 1923 – 29 October 1924
Preceded byMichael Falcon
Succeeded byReginald Neville
Personal details
Born(1898-10-02)2 October 1898
Died1 April 1970(1970-04-01) (aged 71)
NationalityBritish
Political partyLiberal
Spouses
Hon. Molly Chetwode
(m. 1942; div. 1948)
Catherine Thornton Ranger
(m. 1970)
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/serviceBritish Army,Auxiliary Air Force
Years of service1914–1918, 1936–1938
RankLieutenant, Squadron Leader
UnitGrenadier Guards, No. 504 Squadron RAF
CommandsNo. 504 Squadron RAF
Battles/warsFirst World War

Hugh Michael Seely, 1st Baron Sherwood (2 October 1898 – 1 April 1970), known as Sir Hugh Seely, 3rd Baronet, of Sherwood Lodge, Nottinghamshire, from 1926 to 1941, was a British Liberal politician.

Early life

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Seely was born on 2 October 1898 into a family of politicians, industrialists and significant landowners. His great-grandfather Charles Seely, grandfather Sir Charles Seely, 1st Baronet, father Sir Charles Seely, 2nd Baronet, and uncle J. E. B. Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone, were all members of Parliament. His mother, Hilda Lucy Grant, was the daughter of Richard Tassell Anthony Grant and the granddaughter of inventor Sir Thomas Tassell Grant. His brother Victor's son was Sir Nigel Seely.[1]

Seely was educated at Eton College and became a lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards.[1]

Career

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Seely served with the Auxiliary Air Force and was the Commanding Officer for No. 504 Squadron RAF from 1936 to 1938.[2] He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for East Norfolk from 1923 to 1924, High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire for 1925 and MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed from 1935 to 1941. He was the Joint Under-Secretary of State for Air during a large part of the Second World War (1941–45). In 1946 he acquired and was Chairman of the famous gunmaker James Purdey and Sons.[3]

He was created Baron Sherwood, of Calverton in the County of Nottingham on 14 August 1941.[4]

Personal life

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On 23 March 1942, Seely married the Hon. Molly Patricia (née Berry) Chetwode, daughter of William Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose, who owned The Daily Telegraph newspaper. She was the widow of Roger Charles George Chetwode (a son of Philip Chetwode, 1st Baron Chetwode), with whom she had two sons. The marriage was short-lived, however, as the couple divorced in 1948. She later married Sir Richard Cotterell, 5th Baronet, in 1958.[1]

Lord Sherwood remarried to Catherine (née Thornton) Ranger (widow of John Osborne Ranger) on 16 March 1970, shortly before his death on 1 April 1970. As he had no children, the barony became extinct upon his death. His brother Victor inherited the baronetcy.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Peter W. Hammond, editor, The Complete Peerage or a History of the House of Lords and All its Members From the Earliest Times, Volume XIV: Addenda & Corrigenda (Stroud, Gloucestershire, U.K.: Sutton Publishing, 1998), p. 749.
  2. ^ Rolls-Royce From the Wings 1925-1971 Military Aviation, R. W. Harker, ISBN 0 902280 38 4, p. 20, photograph caption "...From the left:...Lord Sherwood."
  3. ^ "Purdey History". Purdey: Gun & Rifle Makers. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  4. ^ "No. 35251". The London Gazette. 19 August 1941. p. 4808.

Further reading

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[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for East Norfolk
19231924
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed
19351941
Succeeded by
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Baronet
1926–1970
Succeeded by
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Baron Sherwood
1941–1970
Extinct