Harry Brittain

Sir
Harry Brittain
KBE CMG
Sir Harry Brittain KBE CMG
Member of Parliament; for Acton
	In office; 1918–1929
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	James Shillaker
Personal details
Born	Harry Ernest Brittain; 24 December 1873; Sheffield, England
Died	9 July 1974 (aged 100); Westminster, London, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouses	; Alida Luisa (m. 1905; died 1943) ; Muriel Leslie Dixon (m. 1961)
Children	2
Parent	W. H. Brittain (father);
Education	Repton School; Rossall School
Alma mater	Worcester College, Oxford

Sir Harry Ernest Brittain, KBE, CMG (24 December 1873 — 9 July 1974) was a British journalist and Conservative politician.

Biography

Brittain was born in Ranmoor, Sheffield, the son of W. H. Brittain. Following education at Repton School, Rossall School and Worcester College, Oxford (where he achieved third class honours in jurisprudence), he entered training in business at Sheffield. In 1897 he was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple, but did not practise.^[1]

Journalism

Instead of law, Brittain developed an interest in journalism. He became an assistant to

The Standard and Evening Standard, two of Pearson's papers.^[1]

Links with United States

Brittain tried to foster closer Anglo-American relations. To this end he founded the Pilgrims Society in 1902. For 17 years, first as honorary secretary and then as chairman, steered the Society through its early life. He resigned the chairmanship in 1918, because of his parliamentary duties, and became its senior vice-president, and the only Pilgrim Emeritus.^[1]^[2]

He was also a member of the original Committee of

American Club, and the Society of Americans in London

.

The United States entered the

King George V, when accompanied by Queen Mary, inspecting the club, expressed surprise that the chairs were so much more sumptuous than he could get for Buckingham Palace

.

In May 1918 Brittain conducted a U.S. delegation, including a number of labour leaders, to the battlefields of France. The tour included personal visits to senior commanders including

General Pershing

, the American Commander-in-Chief in France, who paid Brittain high praise for his part in organising the American Officers' Club in London.

On 25 January 1972 he was the guest of honour at a dinner to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Pilgrims Society at which were read a message from

Richard Milhous Nixon

.

Commonwealth Press Union

In 1909 Brittain organised the First Imperial Press Conference. After the conference, he founded the Empire Press Union (later the Commonwealth Press Union) and lived to see his concept grow into an organisation which included in its membership over 1,500 newspapers and news agencies throughout the Commonwealth.^[1]^[2]

Brittain was an honorary life member of the CPU, attended many of its Quinquennial Conferences, regularly attended all its Council Meetings and Conferences, and in 1959 personally inaugurated its 50th (Golden Jubilee) Annual Conference.

Harry Brittain was also an Honorary Member of the

Institute of Journalists. For many years, until the Anschluss, he was the only foreign Director of the Neue Freie Presse of Vienna

.

Politics

Along with Pearson, Brittain formed the

Coalition Conservative candidate for the newly created seat of Acton, Middlesex

. [1] He won the seat and held it until 1929, when an increase in the industrial working population of the constituency and a swing against the incumbent Conservative government saw him defeated by James Shillaker of the Labour Party. He is best remembered for steering the Protection of Birds Act 1925 (sometimes called the "Brittain Act") through parliament.

He was created KBE in 1918 for services in the First World War, and a CMG in 1924.^{[citation needed]} He was also honoured by several continental countries for his international services. He visited 90 countries, crossed the Atlantic by sea more than 70 times and had been entertained in all 50 states of the US. ^{[citation needed]}

Family life

In 1905, Brittain married

Gorseth Kernow), using the name Colom Wyn or White Dove.^[3]

She died in 1943.

In 1961, Brittain married Muriel Leslie Dixon.[1] He died on 9 July 1974 in Westminster, London, at the age of 100.^[4]

Brittain wrote three books of reminiscences. He was the author of many publications including From Verdun to the Somme, which went through five editions in six days.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Obituary: Sir Harry Brittain Founder of Commonwealth Press Union". The Times. 10 July 1974. p. 20.
^
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30852. (Subscription or UK public library membership
required.)

^ "Roll of the Bards of the Gorseth of Cornwall". A Cornish Sourcebox. Chris Bond. Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2009.
^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 22 July 2016.