Marjorie Graves

(Frances) Marjorie Graves (17 September 1884 - 17 November 1961) was a British civil servant, Conservative politician and writer.

She was born in Allerton, Liverpool, and was the youngest daughter of William Graves and his wife Fanny Charlotte née Neilson. William Graves was a ship owner in the port whose father had been Conservative MP for Liverpool.[1] The Graves family subsequently moved to Newells, Horsham, Sussex, where William became a Justice of the Peace.[1] They also maintained a house in Brompton Square, London.[2]

Marjorie had a private education, later schooling being carried out at Château de Dieudonne, Bornel, France.[1] Her researches in the Bibliothèque Nationale and Archives Nationales in Paris led to her publications of three works.

With the outbreak of war in 1914 she took up employment in the Foreign Office. She attended the post World War I Paris Peace Conference, before transferring to the Intelligence Department of the Home Office.[2]

Graves was politically a Conservative, and was a member of Holborn Borough Council from 1928 to 1934. She became the first female chairman of the Metropolitan Area of the National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations in 1936.[2]

In 1931 she was chosen as Conservative candidate for the parliamentary constituency of Hackney South, held by Labour cabinet minister Herbert Morrison. She succeeded in unseating Morrison to become the area's member of parliament.[3] At the next general election in 1935 she was hopeful of retaining the seat, with her campaign centering on opposition to the use of Hackney Marshes for the building of council houses.[4] She was, however, badly beaten, with Morrison returning to parliament with a large majority.[5][6]

In 1936 she formed part of the British Government delegation to the League of Nations.[7] In 1937 she was adopted as prospective candidate for Barnstaple, Devon.[8] The next general election was, however, delayed until 1945 by the Second World War, and she did not contest the seat.

She retired to Wareham, Dorset, where she became a member of the county council. She was unmarried, and died in Wareham in November 1961.[2]

Works

References

  1. ^ a b c "Graves, (Frances) Marjorie (1884–1961)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. 2004. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/50061. Retrieved 2009-04-28. 
  2. ^ a b c d "Obituary: Miss Marjorie Graves". The Times: p. 12. 20 November 1961. 
  3. ^ "The General Election: First Returns, Polling In The Boroughs". The Times: p. 6. 28 October 1931. 
  4. ^ "Changes In London The Labour Gains, Failure In Home Counties". The Times: p. 18. 16 November 1935. 
  5. ^ "The General Election: First Returns, Polling In The Boroughs". The Times: p. 8. 15 November 1935. 
  6. ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 22. ISBN 0-900178-06-X. 
  7. ^ "Mr. Eden To Attend League Assembly: British Delegation". The Times: p. 14. 15 September 1936. 
  8. ^ "News in Brief". The Times: p. 9. 27 February 1937. 

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Herbert Morrison		 Member of Parliament for Hackney South
1931–1935		 Succeeded by
Herbert Morrison