Douglas King (politician)

George V
George V
Prime Minister	Stanley Baldwin
Preceded by	George Lane-Fox
Succeeded by	Ben Turner
Personal details
Born	1 June 1877; London, England
Died	20 August 1930 (aged 53)
Political party	Conservative

PC (1 June 1877 – 20 August 1930) was a British naval commander and Conservative politician. He served under Stanley Baldwin as Financial Secretary to the War Office between 1924 and 1928 and as Secretary for Mines

between 1928 and 1929.

Early life

King was born in London, the son of Captain Henry Welchman King.

Gallipoli.^[2] He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in recognition of his services at Gallipoli in 1915.^[3] He was also given the French Croix de Guerre^[2] and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919.^[4]

Political career

At the 1918 general election King once again stood for Norfolk North and was this time elected.^[5] King was named a Unionist candidate in the official list of Coalition Government endorsements, but he wrote to The Times stating he had left the party before the election and should be classed as an independent. He later rejoined the party.

In parliament he initially served as

Privy Council following the 1929 Dissolution Honours.^[9] He had previously been made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1927.^[10]

Personal life

King married the only daughter of W. R. Swan, of Adelaide, Australia.^[2] On 20 August 1930 King's cutter yacht Islander sank in a gale off Fowey, Cornwall. All six aboard, including King himself, were lost. His memorial is at All Saints Church, Upper Sheringham, Norfolk. The memorial states that the yacht Islander was 'smashed to pieces' on the rocky coast of Lantivet Bay, Cornwall during a 'fierce summer storm'. It goes on: "At sunset in the calm stillness of a beautiful summer evening, his ashes were, by his own wish, taken out to sea by the Sheringham lifeboat and within sight of his old home scattered over the face of the waters".

References

^ "Obituary: Commodore King – Sailor and Politician". The Times. 22 August 1930. p. 12.
^ ^a ^b ^c Evening Post, 6 July 1929
^ "No. 29358". The London Gazette. 5 November 1915. p. 11929.
^ "No. 31118". The London Gazette. 10 January 1919. p. 512.
^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 2)
^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P" (part 1)
^ "No. 32776". The London Gazette. 12 December 1922. p. 8793.
^ "No. 33001". The London Gazette. 12 December 1924. p. 9057.
^ "No. 33512". The London Gazette. 29 June 1929. p. 4354.
^ "No. 33280". The London Gazette. 31 May 1927. p. 3605.

External links

Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Douglas King

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Noel Buxton	Member of Parliament for North Norfolk 1918–1922	Succeeded by Noel Buxton
Preceded by Sir Henry Percy Harris	Member of Parliament for Paddington South 1922–1930	Succeeded by Sir Ernest Taylor
Political offices
Preceded by Jack Lawson	Financial Secretary to the War Office 1924–1928	Succeeded by Duff Cooper
Preceded by George Lane-Fox	Secretary for Mines 1928–1929	Succeeded by Ben Turner

[times-1] "Obituary: Commodore King – Sailor and Politician". The Times. 22 August 1930. p. 12.

[eveningpost-2] Evening Post, 6 July 1929

[3] "No. 29358". The London Gazette. 5 November 1915. p. 11929.

[4] "No. 31118". The London Gazette. 10 January 1919. p. 512.

[5] Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 2)

[6] Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P" (part 1)

[7] "No. 32776". The London Gazette. 12 December 1922. p. 8793.

[8] "No. 33001". The London Gazette. 12 December 1924. p. 9057.

[9] "No. 33512". The London Gazette. 29 June 1929. p. 4354.

[10] "No. 33280". The London Gazette. 31 May 1927. p. 3605.

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