F. Kingsley Griffith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
His Honour
Frank Kingsley Griffith
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Kingsley Griffith circa 1915
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| Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough West |
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| In office 7 March 1928 – 1940 |
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| Preceded by | Trevelyan Thomson |
| Succeeded by | Harcourt Johnstone |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Frank Kingsley Griffith
23 December 1889 Upper Norwood, Surrey, England |
| Died | 25 September 1962 (aged 74) |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouses |
Eleanor Bruce
(m. 1924; died 1954)Margaret Louch
(m. 1955) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford |
Frank Kingsley Griffith (born December 23, 1889 – died September 25, 1962) was an important British politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party. He also worked as a lawyer, called a barrister, and later became a judge.
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Early Life of Kingsley Griffith
Frank Kingsley Griffith was born on December 23, 1889. His birthplace was Upper Norwood in Surrey, England. His father, Frank F. Griffith, was an officer in the Volunteer Force. He later became a director of a printing factory. His father was also the first Mayor of Bromley in 1904. Frank had a younger sister named Olga Collett. She became a famous BBC radio broadcaster.
Education and Military Service
Griffith went to school at Marlborough and then Balliol College, Oxford. In 1912, he was the president of the Oxford Union. This is a famous debating society at Oxford University.
He served in the army during the First World War. He was part of the Gloucestershire Regiment and then the Lincolnshire Regiment. He reached the rank of captain. He was injured twice during the war. He also received the Military Cross, which is an award for bravery. In 1915, he became a barrister. This means he was qualified to argue cases in court. After the war, he joined a group of lawyers in the North-Eastern Circuit.
Kingsley Griffith's Political Career
Griffith was once the chairman of the National League of Young Liberals. He was known as a great speaker in politics. People saw him as a smart young thinker. He tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bromley area in Kent. He ran in the general elections of 1922, 1923, and 1924. However, he did not win any of these elections.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
By 1927, Griffith was highly respected in the Liberal Party. He was chosen to be part of the Liberal Organizing Committee. This committee was led by Herbert Samuel, who later became the party leader. In March 1928, Griffith was chosen to run in a special election called a by-election. This election was for the Liberal seat of Middlesbrough West. He won this election, even though it was a close race.
The previous MP for Middlesbrough West, Trevelyan Thomson, had been very popular. He had even run unopposed in the last general election. However, the Labour party strongly challenged Griffith in the by-election. Griffith won by only 89 votes. He received 36.3% of the votes. Labour got 36%, and the Conservatives got 27.8%.
Key Political Ideas
Griffith mainly supported Free Trade. This means countries should trade without special taxes or limits. He also wanted a plan for public works. These are projects like building roads or bridges. He also called for social reforms and changes to help industries. These ideas were similar to the Liberal Party's plans for the 1929 election. These plans were based on the ideas of David Lloyd George and economist John Maynard Keynes. Lloyd George and Herbert Samuel even came to speak for Griffith during his campaign.
From 1931 to 1932, Griffith worked as a parliamentary private secretary for Sir Herbert Samuel. At that time, Samuel was the Home Secretary and the leader of the Liberal Party. Griffith's sister, Olga Collett, also gave speeches to support her brother. Once he was elected to the House of Commons, he earned respect from other Liberal MPs. He was a skilled speaker in Parliament.
Kingsley Griffith's Legal Career
In his legal career, Griffith served as a Recorder of Richmond, Yorkshire. This is a type of judge. He held this position from 1932 to 1940. In 1940, he was appointed a County Court Judge in Hull. Because of this new role, he had to leave his seat in the House of Commons. This created another by-election. In this election, the Liberal candidate Harcourt Johnstone won without anyone running against him. This happened because of a wartime agreement between the parties.
From 1947 to 1956, Griffith was the chairman of the East Riding Quarter Sessions. This was a local court. He retired as a judge in January 1957.
Family Life
In 1924, Frank Kingsley Griffith married Eleanor Bruce. She was the only daughter of Sir Robert Bruce. They had one daughter together. His wife, Eleanor, passed away in 1954. The following year, Griffith married Margaret Louch. He died in Scarborough, North Yorkshire on September 25, 1962.
