Seymour Howard facts for kids
Sir Harold Walter Seymour Howard, 1st Baronet (born 1886, died 1967) was an English stockbroker and a politician from the Liberal Party. He became the Lord Mayor of London, a very important job in the city.
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Early Life and Family
Harold Walter Seymour Howard was born on April 8, 1886. His father was William Albert Howard and his mother was Elizabeth Mary Seymour.
He married Edith Maud Turner on September 10, 1913. They had two sons:
- Sir Hamilton Edward de Coucey Howard, 2nd Baronet (1915-2001)
- David Seymour de Coucey Howard (1919-1954)
The family lived in Adelaide Crescent in Hove, East Sussex.
Special Honors and Titles
Harold Howard received several special honors during his life. He became a Knight Commander in the Order of Christ of Portugal. This is a special award from Portugal. He also became a Knight of Grace in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, which is a very old and respected order.
In February 1955, he was made a Knight by the Queen, which means he could use "Sir" before his name. Ten months later, in December of that same year, he was given an even higher honor: he became the first Baronet of Great Rissington. This meant his title could be passed down to his eldest son.
His Career in Business and Politics
Sir Harold Howard was a director at a company called Home and Foreign Securities Corporation. This shows he was involved in the world of finance.
Trying for Parliament
In September 1930, he was chosen by the Liberal Party to be their candidate for a place in Parliament in the area of Chippenham. The Liberal Party thought they had a good chance to win there. However, in the 1931 election, many people supported the new National Government. Sir Harold Howard lost to the Conservative candidate.
| General Election 1931: Chippenham | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Conservative | Victor Alexander Cazalet | 17,232 | 56.8 | ||
| Liberal | Harold Walter Seymour Howard | 10,928 | 36.0 | ||
| Labour | William Robert Robins | 2,194 | 7.2 | ||
| Majority | 6,304 | 20.8 | {{{change}}} | ||
| Turnout | 83.7 | {{{change}}} | |||
| Conservative hold | Swing | {{{swing}}} | |||
In May 1938, Sir Harold Howard decided to try for Parliament again. He stood as a Liberal candidate in the 1938 Barnsley by-election. Even with support from the Conservative Party, he was not able to win the seat.
| 1938 Barnsley by-election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Labour | Frank Collindridge | 23,566 | 64.4 | ||
| National Liberal | Harold Walter Seymour Howard | 13,052 | 35.6 | ||
| Majority | 10,514 | 28.8 | {{{change}}} | ||
| Turnout | 36,618 | 72.7 | {{{change}}} | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | {{{swing}}} | |||
Public Service Roles
During the Second World War, Sir Harold Howard worked for the government at the Ministry of Aircraft Production. This was an important role helping to make planes for the war effort.
He held several important positions in the City of London. He served as Sheriff of the City of London in 1944. Later, in 1954, he became the Lord Mayor of London, which is a very old and respected role. He was also an Alderman of the City of London from 1945 to 1960.
From 1946 to 1949, he was a member of the London County Council for the City of London, representing the Conservative Party.
