Peter Rawlinson, Baron Rawlinson of Ewell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Rawlinson of Ewell
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| Attorney General for England and Wales | |
| In office 23 June 1970 – 4 March 1974 |
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| Prime Minister | Edward Heath |
| Preceded by | Elwyn Jones |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Silkin |
| Attorney General for Northern Ireland | |
| In office 30 March 1972 – 4 March 1974 |
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| Prime Minister | Edward Heath |
| Preceded by | Basil Kelly (devolved government) |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Silkin |
| Solicitor-General for England | |
| In office 19 July 1962 – 16 October 1964 |
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| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | John Hobson |
| Succeeded by | Dingle Foot |
| Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell Epsom (1955-Feb 1974) |
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| In office 26 May 1955 – 17 April 1978 |
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| 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 (aged 87) near Avignon, France |
| Political party | Conservative |
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| 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 (born 26 June 1919 – died 28 June 2006) was an English lawyer, politician, and writer. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Epsom for 23 years, from 1955 to 1978.
He also held important legal roles in the government. He was the Solicitor General from 1962 to 1964. Later, he became the Attorney General for England and Wales from 1970 to 1974. For a short time, he was also the Attorney General for Northern Ireland (1972–1974).
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Early Life and Education
Peter Anthony Grayson Rawlinson was born in Oxton, near Birkenhead, England, on 26 June 1919. He grew up in Sussex. His father, Lieutenant-Colonel A. R. Rawlinson, was involved in military intelligence and also wrote screenplays.
Peter went to school at Downside, which was run by Benedictine monks. After that, he studied Law at Christ's College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he joined a famous student comedy group called the Cambridge Footlights. Many years later, in 1981, he was honored as a special member of his college.
However, he only studied at Cambridge for one year. When World War II started in 1939, he joined the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. This is a place where army officers are trained. In 1940, he became a soldier in the Irish Guards. He was hurt in battle in North Africa in 1943. He was also recognized for his brave actions. He left the army in 1946 as a Major.
Becoming a Lawyer
Rawlinson became a lawyer, known as a barrister, in 1946, just after leaving the army. He joined a group of lawyers at Inner Temple. He later became a "Bencher" in 1962, which is a senior position in a legal society. In 1984, he became the "Treasurer" of Inner Temple.
He worked as a lawyer for the Sunday Express newspaper, dealing with cases about libel. Libel is when someone writes something untrue and damaging about another person.
He was involved in several well-known legal cases. In 1953, he was a junior lawyer in a case that got a lot of public attention. He also worked on the defense team for Peter Wildeblood in 1954 and for Ruth Ellis in 1955. He also represented General Anders in a libel case.
In 1959, he became a Queen's Counsel (QC). This is a special title for experienced lawyers. From 1961 to 1962, he was a "Recorder" in Salisbury, which meant he acted as a judge. He was also a Recorder in Kingston upon Thames from 1975 to 2002.
Political Career
Peter Rawlinson was a member of the Conservative Party. He first tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1951 but did not win.
In 1955, he was elected as the MP for Epsom. This was a safe seat for the Conservative Party. He held this seat until 1974. Then, he was re-elected for the new Epsom and Ewell seat, which he held until 1978.
In 1962, Prime Minister Harold Macmillan made him the Solicitor-General. This is a senior legal advisor to the government. He was also given a special honor, becoming a Knight. During this time, he was involved in some challenging government legal matters.
In 1964, he became a member of the Privy Council, a group of important advisors to the King or Queen. After the Conservative Party lost the 1964 election, he continued to be an important voice for his party. He was against getting rid of the death penalty.
From 1970 to 1974, he served as the Attorney General for England and Wales under Prime Minister Edward Heath. This is the chief legal advisor to the government. He personally handled many important legal cases for the government. He also prosecuted members of the IRA for bombings. In 1972, he also became the Attorney General for Northern Ireland. Because of his work, he sometimes faced threats.
Retirement and Later Life
Peter Rawlinson left the House of Commons in 1978. He was then made a life peer, which meant he became a member of the House of Lords for the rest of his life. His title was Baron Rawlinson of Ewell.
He had hoped to become the Lord Chancellor or Lord Chief Justice, which are very high legal positions. The rules were even changed to allow a Roman Catholic to hold the Lord Chancellor position, which many thought was for him. However, his political views started to differ from the new Conservative leader, Margaret Thatcher, and he was not offered these roles. In the House of Lords, he supported rules that would make divorce more difficult.
After retiring from politics, he continued to work as a lawyer for some time. He retired from practicing law in 1985. He was also the President of the Senate of Inns of Court and the Bar from 1986 to 1987. He was an honorary member of the American Bar Association.
Other Interests
Beyond his legal and political work, Rawlinson was also a writer. In 1943, he published a book of poetry. He wrote his autobiography in 1989. He also wrote books about his Catholic faith and several novels about legal topics. One of his novels, Hatred and Contempt, won an award. He also created a radio documentary series for BBC Radio 3 about the Jesuits.
He was a member of several clubs, including White's and the Marylebone Cricket Club. He was also the vice-president of the Royal Automobile Club. He enjoyed landscape painting and going to the theatre.
Personal Life
In 1940, Peter Rawlinson married Haidee Kavanagh. They had three children. Their marriage ended in 1954. Later that same year, he married Elaine Dominguez, who was from the United States. They also had three children together. Elaine was his first cousin.
Peter Rawlinson passed away on 28 June 2006, at the age of 87. He was on holiday near Avignon, France, when he died.
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