Harry Crookshank, 1st Viscount Crookshank

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Captain Henry Frederick Comfort Crookshank, 1st Viscount Crookshank, CH PC (27 May 189317 October 1961), known as Harry Crookshank, was a British Conservative politician.

Crookshank was born in Cairo and educated at Eton College and Oxford University. In World War I he served in the Grenadier Guards and was badly wounded, leaving him unable to father children. He then worked in the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. until 1924.

Crookshank was Conservative MP for Gainsborough, 1924-56. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office, 1934-5; Parliamentary Secretary, Mines, 1935-9; Financial Secretary to the Treasury, 1939-43; Postmaster General, 1943-45; Minister of Health, 1951-2; Lord Privy Seal, 1952-55; Leader of the House of Commons, 1951-55. He was raised to the peerage as the Viscount Crookshank in 1956, a title which became extinct upon his death.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Sir Richard Winfrey
Member of Parliament for Gainsborough
1924–1956
Succeeded by
Marcus Kimball
Political offices
Preceded by
William Morrison
Postmaster General
1942–1945
Succeeded by
The Earl of Listowel
Preceded by
Hilary Marquand
Minister of Health
1951–1952
Succeeded by
Iain Macleod
Preceded by
James Chuter Ede
Leader of the House of Commons
1952–1955
Succeeded by
Rab Butler
Preceded by
The Marquess of Salisbury
Lord Privy Seal
1952–1955
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
New Creation
Viscount Crookshank
1956–1961
Succeeded by
Extinct