Peter Rawlinson, Baron Rawlinson of Ewell
Solicitor-General for England | |
---|---|
In office 19 July 1962 – 16 October 1964 | |
Prime Minister | |
Preceded by | John Hobson |
Succeeded by | Dingle Foot |
Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell Epsom (1955-Feb 1974) | |
In office 26 May 1955 – 17 April 1978 | |
Preceded by | Malcolm McCorquodale |
Succeeded by | Archie Hamilton |
Personal details | |
Born | Peter Anthony Grayson Rawlinson 26 June 1919 Birkenhead, Cheshire, England |
Died | 28 June 2006 near Avignon, France | (aged 87)
Political party | Conservative |
Spouses |
|
Children | 6 |
Alma mater | Royal Military College, Sandhurst |
Military service | |
Branch/service | British Army |
Years of service | 1939–1946 |
Rank | Major |
Unit | Irish Guards |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Peter Anthony Grayson Rawlinson, Baron Rawlinson of Ewell,
Early life
Peter Anthony Grayson Rawlinson was born in
However, he only completed one year at the university, moving on to the
Legal career
Rawlinson was called to the bar at
He was also a junior counsel in the unsuccessful defence of
Political career
A member of the Conservative Party, he stood as a Parliamentary candidate for Hackney South in the 1951 general election, losing in a landslide to the Labour incumbent, Herbert Butler.[3] He was elected in the 1955 general election for the safe Conservative seat of Epsom,[8] and held the seat[9][10][11][12] until it was abolished at the February 1974 general election. He was re-elected for the new Epsom and Ewell seat,[13] which he held until his ennoblement in 1978.
He was appointed Solicitor-General by Harold Macmillan in June 1962,[14] following the Night of the Long Knives, receiving the customary knighthood,[15] and served through the prosecution of the spy John Vassall (and subsequent resignation of a junior minister, Tam Galbraith) and the Profumo affair, in which his offer to resign was declined.[3]
He was sworn of the
He appeared before the
Retirement
He retired from the
After retiring he defended the Daily Mail in a libel action brought by the Unification Church in 1980, and retired from practice at the bar in 1985, but was President of the Senate of Inns of Court and the Bar from 1986 to 1987.[2] He was also an Honorary Member of the American Bar Association, and an Honorary Fellow of the American College Trial Lawyers.[2] In retirement, he lived in an apartment within New Wardour Castle.[1]
Other interests
Rawlinson was also an author, having published a book of poetry in 1943, his autobiography in 1989, books on themes inspired by his Catholic faith, and several novels on legal themes; one, Hatred and Contempt, won the Rumpole Award.[3] He also wrote a 1987 documentary series for BBC Radio 3 called The Jesuits.[3][20]
He was a member of
Personal life and death
In 1940, Rawlinson married Haidee Kavanagh; they had three children, and their marriage was annulled in 1954.[1] Later that year, he married Elaine Dominguez, an American citizen from Newport, Rhode Island; they had three children.[1][2] His second wife was his first cousin, their mothers being daughters of Sir Henry Grayson.[1][21]
Rawlinson died on 28 June 2006, at the age of 87, near Avignon, France, where he was on holiday.[1]
Arms
|
Publications
- War Poems and Poetry 1943
- Public Duty and Personal Faith - the example of Thomas More 1978
- A Price Too High (autobiography) 1989
- The Jesuit Factor 1990
- The Colombia Syndicate (novel) 1991
- Hatred and Contempt (novel) 1992
- His Brother's Keeper (novel) 1993
- Indictment for Murder (novel) 1994
- The Caverel Claim (novel) 1998
- The Richmond Diary (novel) 2001
- A Relic of War (novel) 2004
References
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/97248. Retrieved 7 September 2019. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ a b c d e f Obituary, The Guardian, 30 June 2006
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Lord Rawlinson of Ewell". The Times. 30 June 2006. p. 67.
- ^ a b Barnes, John; Kavanagh, Dennis (30 June 2006). "Lord Rawlinson of Ewell". The Independent. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
- ^ "No. 41676". The London Gazette. 7 April 1959. p. 2264.
- ^ "No. 42395". The London Gazette. 23 June 1961. p. 4679.
- ^ "No. 40493". The London Gazette. 31 May 1955. p. 3157.
- ^ "No. 41842". The London Gazette. 13 October 1959. p. 6434.
- ^ "No. 43468". The London Gazette. 20 October 1964. p. 8935.
- ^ "No. 43944". The London Gazette. 5 April 1966. p. 3945.
- ^ "No. 45134". The London Gazette. 23 June 1970. p. 6949.
- ^ "No. 46374". The London Gazette. 15 October 1974. p. 8990.
- ^ "No. 42736". The London Gazette. 20 July 1962. p. 5808.
- ^ "No. 42740". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 July 1962. p. 5909.
- ^ "No. 43200". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1963. p. 1.
- ^ "No. 45140". The London Gazette. 30 June 1970. p. 7205.
- ^ "No. 2778". The Belfast Gazette. 21 April 1972. p. 147.
- ^ "No. 47519". The London Gazette. 24 April 1978. p. 4731.
- ^ "The Jesuits". BBC Programme Catalogue. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
- ^ Burkes Peerage 106th edition pp 1212-3
- ^ Debrett's Peerage. 2000.