Harold Derbyshire

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Derbyshire in 1928, copyright/courtesy National Portrait Gallery

Sir Harold Derbyshire MC QC (25 December 1886 – 14 September 1972) was an English barrister, judge and Liberal Party politician.

Background and education[]

Derbyshire was born in Cherry Tree, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, the son of James Derbyshire and Elizabeth Kate Chew. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, and then on a scholarship at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he studied Natural Sciences. He afterwards gained an LLB. In 1915 he married Dorothea Alice Taylor in Blackburn.[1]

Legal career[]

Derbyshire was admitted to Gray's Inn, where he was called to the Bar in 1911. He practised on the Northern Circuit and was made a KC in 1928. He was elected a Bencher of Gray's Inn in 1931. From 1933-34 he served as Judge of Appeal in the Isle of Man. From 1934 to 1946 he was Chief Justice at the High Court of Calcutta. In 1948 he was the Inn's Treasurer. He retired from public life in 1950.

Military service[]

Derbyshire served with distinction during World War I in the Royal Artillery in France and Belgium, and was awarded the MC in the 1918 Birthday Honours.

Political service[]

In the 1923 General Election he contested the seat of Clitheroe and in the 1929 General Election that of Royton, standing for the Liberal Party, but was unsuccessful on both occasions.

Electora record[]

General election 1923: Clitheroe [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist William Brass 12,998 42.9 −11.8
Labour Alfred Davies 11,469 37.9 −7.4
Liberal Harold Derbyshire 5,810 19.2 n/a
Majority 1,529 5.0 −4.4
Turnout 30,277 88.2 +2.9
Registered electors 34,329
Unionist hold Swing −2.2
General election 1929: Royton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Arthur Vernon Davies 15,051 38.4 −5.6
Liberal Harold Derbyshire 13,347 34.1 −2.3
Labour Albert Ernest Wood 10,763 27.5 +7.9
Majority 1,704 4.3 −3.3
Turnout 39,161 82.9 −3.4
Registered electors 47,266
Unionist hold Swing −1.7

Sources[]

References[]

  1. ^ The Liberal Year Book of 1929
  2. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
Legal offices
Preceded by Chief Justice of Bengal
1934–1946
Succeeded by
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