Christopher Holland-Martin facts for kids

Christopher John Holland-Martin (born November 16, 1910, died April 5, 1960) was an important person in Britain. He worked as a banker and was also a politician. He belonged to the Conservative Party.

Who Was Christopher Holland-Martin?

Christopher Holland-Martin was a British man who had a career in banking and later became a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is someone elected by people to represent them in the House of Commons, which is part of the UK's government. He was known for his knowledge of money matters.

Early Life and Work

Christopher's father was in charge of a bank called Martins Bank. Christopher followed in his father's footsteps and also became a banker. He went to famous schools like Eton and Balliol College at Oxford University.

In 1939, he joined the Royal Fusiliers, a part of the army called the Territorial Army. This was during World War II. He later had to leave the army because of health reasons.

After leaving the army, Christopher worked for important leaders. From 1942 to 1944, he was a Military Secretary for the Governor-General of New Zealand. A Governor-General is like a representative of the King or Queen in another country. In 1945, he briefly held a similar job for the Governor of Kenya.

Becoming a Politician

After World War II, Christopher went back to banking and became a Director at Martins Bank. He also started to get involved in politics. In 1947, he became a Joint Honorary Treasurer for the Conservative Party. This meant he helped manage the party's money.

In 1949, he married Lady Anne Cavendish. Her father was the Duke of Devonshire, a very important noble family.

Serving in Parliament

In 1951, Christopher Holland-Martin was elected as a Member of Parliament for the area called Ludlow. He was a member of the Conservative Party. Because of his banking background, he often spoke about money and finance in the House of Commons. Even though he was an MP, he continued to work in business.

A Small Problem in Parliament

In 1955, Christopher faced a small issue. He was a director of the Bank of New Zealand. Because the British Crown (the government) owned shares in this bank, his director job was technically an "office of profit under the Crown." This type of job meant he was not allowed to be an MP at the same time.

As soon as this was discovered, Christopher immediately resigned from his bank job. To fix the situation, a special law was passed by Parliament. This law made sure he wouldn't face any problems for having been an MP while technically disqualified.

Later Life and Passing

Later in the 1950s, Christopher became involved with many companies that explored for minerals in Africa. In January 1960, while visiting Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), he had a heart attack. He was brought back to Britain but sadly passed away at his home in Colwall, Herefordshire, in April 1960. He was 49 years old.