Patrick Mayhew, Baron Mayhew of Twysden

The Right Honourable
The Lord Mayhew of Twysden
PC
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
In office
10 April 1992  2 May 1997
Prime Minister John Major
Preceded by Peter Brooke
Succeeded by Mo Mowlam
Attorney General for England and Wales
Attorney General for Northern Ireland
In office
13 June 1987  10 April 1992
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
John Major
Preceded by Michael Havers
Succeeded by Sir Nicholas Lyell
Solicitor General for England and Wales
In office
13 June 1983  13 June 1987
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by Ian Percival
Succeeded by Sir Nicholas Lyell
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment
In office
4 May 1979  5 January 1981
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Preceded by John Grant
Succeeded by David Waddington
Member of Parliament
for Tunbridge Wells
In office
28 February 1974  2 May 1997
Preceded by Constituency Created
Succeeded by Archie Norman
Personal details
Born 11 September 1929
Political party Conservative
Alma mater Balliol College, Oxford
Middle Temple

Patrick Barnabas Burke Mayhew, Baron Mayhew of Twysden, PC (born 11 September 1929), is a barrister and Conservative Party politician.

Early life

Tonbridge School

Through his father, Mayhew descends from the Victorian social commentator Henry Mayhew. Mayhew's mother was a Roche and a relative of Lord Fermoy.

Mayhew was educated at Tonbridge School and Balliol College, Oxford. He was called to the Bar from the Middle Temple in 1955.

Career

Mayhew contested Dulwich in 1970, but the incumbent Labour member, Sam Silkin, beat him by 895 votes.

He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Tunbridge Wells from its creation at the February 1974 general election, standing down at the 1997 election.

He was Under-Secretary For Employment from 1979 to 1981 [ Minister of State at the Home Office] from 1981 to 1983.After this he was Solicitor General for England and Wales from 1983 to 1987, and then Attorney General for England and Wales and Northern Ireland from 1987 to 1992. He was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 1992 to 1997, the longest anyone has served in this office.

Honours and awards

Mayhew was knighted in 1983.[1]

On 12 June 1997, he was given a life peerage as Baron Mayhew of Twysden, of Kilndown in the County of Kent.[2]

Personal life

Mayhew's son The Hon. Henry Mayhew appeared in the fourth episode of the series "The Secret History Of Our Streets," discussing life in the Portland Road, Notting Hill, London.

References

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
New constituency Member of Parliament for Tunbridge Wells
19741997
Succeeded by
Archie Norman
Political offices
Preceded by
Ian Percival
Solicitor General for England and Wales
1983–1987
Succeeded by
Sir Nicholas Lyell
Preceded by
Michael Havers
Attorney General for England and Wales
1987–1992
Attorney General for Northern Ireland
1987–1992
Preceded by
Peter Brooke
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
1992–1997
Succeeded by
Mo Mowlam